Pupil Futures 2026-27

Pupil Futures

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Table of Contents Results and Destinations Data Welcome from the Director of Futures Meet the Team The Gatsby Benchmarks A Stable Careers Programme The Shell King’s Compass Middle School Curriculum Sixth Form Futures Learning from Labour Market Information Addressing the Needs of Each Pupil Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers Encounters with Employers and Employees Experiences of Workplaces Encounters with Further and Higher Education Personal Guidance Further Information

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Results & Destinations Each year, King’s pupils progress to an outstanding range of universities in the United Kingdom and around the world.

Their destinations reflect not only exceptional academic attainment, but also the individuality and breadth of ambition fostered through a King’s education.

The majority of pupils take up places at leading Russell Group universities, with a significant number progressing to Oxford or Cambridge.

Others pursue specialist or international pathways at institutions of global distinction.

Across disciplines as diverse as Engineering, Architecture, Medicine, Law, the Arts, and the Humanities, King’s leavers demonstrate both intellectual curiosity and a readiness to contribute to the wider world.

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UK University destinations.indd 1

2025 UK University Destinations

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2025 International U

In 2024/5, 18 pupils pursued studies overseas at a range of institutions, including Ivy League schools like Brown and Cornell, alongside other globally elite institutions like NYU, The University of Chicago, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and the University of Melbourne.

International University destinations.indd 1

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University Destinations

86% 95% of UK university places were Russell Group

95% of pupils placed at their choice by midday on A-Level Results Day

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of pupils accepted offers from Oxbridge

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Welcome from the Director of Futures

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The character of the Futures department at King’s is a perfect fit for this unique and storied school.

Above all, our Futures provision is truly child-centred, with a focus on coaching techniques and direct support from Futures experts for every single child. This is evident at every stage from the Shell Compass programme through to our Higher Education provision in the Sixth Form.

In defining our approach to Futures, I highlight the following key principles: • We focus on building Future skills which are transferable and intrinsically human, making our young people invaluable in the workplaces of tomorrow.

• We support pupils to strive for ambitious Future pathways, including a hugely popular “Oxbridge+” programme which prepares pupils to apply for the most competitive UK courses, and expert support with ambitious US applications.

• We foster discussion around ethical Futures through initiatives such as Green Careers Week and the thought provoking speakers invited to the annual Futures Fair.

On leaving King’s, pupils know who they are, understand the future pathways available to them, and have confidence that they are equipped to take their next steps.

Ms Hannah Warwicker Director of Pupil Futures

• We urge our pupils to explore Futures off the beaten track by developing an inquisitive approach and seeking out opportunities which are a perfect fit for their unique skills and interests, including lesser-known subjects and a diverse range of global destinations.

• We celebrate creative Futures with strong rates of progression to highly aspirational arts and humanities courses, conservatoires and performing arts.

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Meet the Team

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Director of Pupil Futures

Ms Hannah Warwicker

Dr David Perkins Pupil Futures Coordinator US Universities

Ms Stephanie Clive Deputy Director of Pupil Futures Events and Communication

Dr Tom Watts International Higher Education Coordinator

Mr James Green Pupil Futures Coordinator UK STEM applications

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The Gatsby Benchmarks

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At King’s we use the nationally recognised and evidencebased Gatsby framework when designing and delivering our Futures provision.

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A Stable Careers Programme

Learning from Labour Market Information

Addressing the Needs of Each Young Person

Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers

Encounters with Employers and Employees

Experiences of Workplaces

Encounters with Further and Higher Education

Personal Guidance

More info here

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1 A Stable Careers Programme The King’s School encourages every learner to explore future aspirations with confidence. Pupils are supported to have broad horizons, and to focus on the skills they need to realise their goals.

Through the Shell King’s Compass programme, the Middle School Futures Curriculum, and the Higher Education programme for the Sixth Form, pupils are supported from their first entry to the school with an engaging careers programme which helps them to thrive within and beyond school.

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The Shell King’s Compass Introduction from Hannah Warwicker Director of Pupil Futures, The King’s School Canterbury

I am deeply excited to be introducing this collaboration, which brings the best of careers coaching to our unique school setting.

King’s is a school which has long excelled at nurturing future skills in its young people. In particular, our co-curricular and super-curricular programmes are rich in opportunities for pupils to discover their strengths and interests and hone crucial skills. Here we aim to bring much of this personal development under a clear framework, to make it purposeful and conscious, and to help pupils to understand how communication at CCF or collaboration at Crypt Choir map directly onto their aspirations for the future.

We also aim for pupils to have fun. Time and time again, in Futures work at King’s, I notice that pupils here are genuinely excited about the world beyond King’s. I hope the King’s Compass will be a Futures programme which enthuses the young people, which helps them to feel more excited than nervous about life after school, and which equips them to thrive along every step of the way.

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Introduction from Chris Dingle Founder, Infinity Coaching

Today the world is moving faster than ever. Careers are no longer straight lines - they twist, evolve, and challenge us to grow, adapt and explore. That’s why we created the Compass coaching model: a practical, human-centred framework built from real-world experience and designed to help people navigate with purpose.

It’s a huge privilege to partner with King’s to bring this revolutionary, ground-breaking programme to life in the school setting - empowering pupils to take ownership of their future with tools that are relatable, practical, and proven to work.

The Compass is already making an impact in some of the world’s most demanding coroporate environemtns. Now it’s here at King’s to give pupils a head start in building not just skills, but their confidence and mindset to shape their path and own their future.

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Middle School Curriculum Remove Curriculum In Remove and Fifth, pupils continue to hone their pathways and build on their skills. The Futures curriculum is delivered via mentoring and headline events.

Autumn and Lent: Pupils continue to log into Unifrog with their mentors, undertaking quizzes and searching the library. They also continue to use and develop the skills they encountered in Shell from the King’s Compass.

February: Pupils learn about apprenticeship opportunities as part of National Apprenticeship Week.

March: Pupils prepare for, undertake, and reflect on two Workplace Visits, giving them first-hand experience of the world of work.

April: Pupils prepare for, undertake and reflect on their visit to the Futures Fair. This involves the chance to visit career-specific breakout sessions and interact with over 30 institutions including top universities from home and abroad, gap year companies, and apprenticeship providers.

June: Pupils undertake professional development sessions in mentor time, including those on labour market analysis and professional communication.

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Fifth Curriculum Autumn: Pupils begin to hone in on their A-Level choices, using Unifrog and advice from the Futures and 6th Form teams.

November: Pupils undertake professional development sessions in mentor time on 18+ decisions, CV writing, and digital professionalism.

April: Pupils prepare for, undertake and reflect on their visit to the Futures Fair. This involves the chance to interact with over 30 institutions including top universities from home and abroad, gap year companies, and apprenticeship providers.

June: Pupils receive Futures briefings before the summer as part of their Sixth Form taster sessions.

‘The best thing about the Futures Fair was learning about universities that weren’t previously on my radar.’

Fifth Pupil feedback from the Futures Fair 2026

‘The breakout rooms with the specific subject areas were extremely valuable, talking one to one with people in professions helped motivate me.’

6b Pupil feedback from the Futures Fair 2026

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‘The most useful thing for me was having sessions where we discussed uni applications for our specific subjects.’

6b Pupil

‘It was so helpful having a timeline to make sure students are on track.’

6b Pupil

‘I found the Oxbridge talk very useful.’

6b Pupil

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Sixth Form Futures Collaboration between the Futures Department, Sixth Form Team, and well-trained Sixth Form mentors ensure our Sixth Formers are supported every step of the way. ​ rom shortlisting higher education F options together on Unifrog, to examining the detail on gap years and degree apprenticeships, we provide expert guidance for pupils to hone their options. The Futures Fair, with a dedicated 6b programme, devotes a full day to thinking about this, with many experts and institutions on hand to answer questions. ​ We also run regular briefings, UniPrep sessions delivered by subject experts, and weekly Oxbridge Plus meetings for those making competitive applications, in addition to our Oxbridge Information talk for pupils and parents.

and preparation. Similarly, we work with trusted partners in some specialist areas such as international applications.​ At our Application Day, pupils are fully supported to begin applying to higher education, from the granular detail on visas to the shape of their personal statements. Applications are then reviewed continually by our team of experts, while those going for the most competitive institutions receive help with submitted work, entrance tests, and interview preparation, including the opportunity to sign up for our Mock Interview afternoon.​ Our friendly drop-in sessions at the Futures department, King’s specific Futures Chatbot, and online UniChats programme with OKS all ensure pupils have as much information as possible at their disposal through this process.

For subjects like Architecture and Law we engage trusted external mentors to assist with strategy

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2 Learning from Labour Market Information Our pupils are explicitly taught in mentor sessions what labour market information is and how to analyse it.

They are invited to consider future skills and skills gaps from their very first sessions with us on the Shell King’s Compass. In addition to receiving personalised guidance and information from Unifrog on the world of work, they also have a number of opportunities to glean labour market information from real employers, such as at the Futures Fair, Remove Workplace Visits, and Economics Futures events.

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‘I almost felt too well-prepared!

The emphasis the Oxbridge Plus programme put on wider reading helped me so much when I arrived at university.’

OKS at Cambridge University

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3 Addressing the Needs of Each Pupil From the outset of our King’s Compass programme, pupils are invited to begin exploring their individual needs, preferences, and aspirations.

This is further developed and supported through our mentoring programme which focuses on 1:1 coaching. Our Higher Education programme for the Sixth Form also provide a considerable amount of 1:1 time, including via the mentor, Uniprep teachers, and directly from advisors in the Futures department.

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4 Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers At King’s we understand that careers must be woven through the curriculum rather than considered an adjunct, which is why you will see Futures featured on all of our Schemes of Work. We focus in particular on the skills that each course can provide for our pupils’ futures, demonstrating links from the syllabus directly to the workplace.

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‘Having then succeeded and failed to get jobs following the interview stage as well, I’d also be more than happy to provide tips and guidance on interview preparation.’

Freddie Clough Co-Founder and Director of Warrior Sq., and OKS Mentor

‘I enjoyed talking to people whose jobs I didn’t know existed!’

Remove Pupil

‘At the healthcare talk I went to, I realised that there are a lot of different paths I can follow.’

6b Pupil

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5 Encounters with Employers and Employees King’s pupils encounter a wide range of employers and employees via our annual Futures Fair, including those working and hiring in fields such as Engineering, Architecture, Law, Academia, Performing Arts, Design, and more.

Pupils are also given opportunities to engage with our broad OKS network, both at panels and events and as part of the OKS mentoring programme which they can sign up to from 6a.

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6 Experiences of Workplaces Remove Workplace Visits ensure that encounters can happen in the workplace context, giving pupils invaluable insight into the ways real businesses function. Pupils are supported when applying for work experience both in person and virtually, and receive advice on CVs and vocational interviews from our Director of HR during their journey through the school, to ensure that they find the best opportunities in the workplace.

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‘The CV and job interview talk was really helpful as I have an upcoming interview.’

6b Pupil

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‘Through the Futures Fair, I first fully understood that there are more paths available than just university.’

Remove Pupil

‘At this year’s Futures Fair, I discovered a course I wanted to do at LSE, learned how to write a CV, and found out more about the requirements for Oxbridge.’

6b Pupil

‘I found the chats with each individual university really helpful as it allowed you to ask niche questions.’

6b Pupil

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7 Encounters with Further & Higher Education Our annual Futures Fair is attended by all year groups, who have the opportunity to speak to over 30 higher education providers, gap year schemes, and other institutions from the UK and abroad to help inform their decisions.

Encounters with these stallholders early can make a real difference to our pupils’ plans and strategy for the future.

Pupils are given a chance to prepare in mentor time ahead of the event, ensuring they do their research and plan their approaches with questions in hand. They are then given time to reflect on their experiences and next steps with their mentors, supporting them to make the most of this opportunity.

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8 Personal Guidance Through our 1:1 coaching both in the Futures department and with mentors, pupils develop goals specific to them, details of which are logged in their individual OneNote.

This includes discussion on subject choices for GCSE and A-Level, higher education options, gap year considerations, and future career prospects.

In the Sixth Form, we assist all pupils in creating suitable shortlists for higher education via Unifrog, talking through details and preferences with them. We aim to ensure that all pupils have aspirational yet realistic choices ahead of them.

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‘My friends at university who have come from other schools are envious of how well-supported I was through this process.’

OKS

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For more detailed information about Pupil Futures at King’s, please scan this link.

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