Career Speakers

Success is at the heart of our Christian vision at William Ford, and we believe every child deserves to see a future full of possibility, whatever their starting point. Through our Mantle of the Expert curriculum, pupils already experience a huge range of careers within the classroom, from broadcasters to engineers to explorers. Our Career Speakers programme takes this a step further, giving pupils the chance to meet real people from a range of career backgrounds, to hear their stories first hand and be inspired to see where their own future might lead.

How it works

Each speaker visits William Ford and takes part in two parts of school life. First, they're interviewed live on our school radio station, giving pupils the chance to ask questions and hear their story in an informal, engaging way. They then present in our Collective Worship, speaking to the whole school about who they are, what their job involves, and how they got there.

We ask each speaker to reflect on a few key things: what their job actually looks like day to day, the path that led them there, any barriers or challenges they faced along the way and how they overcame them, what school was like for them, and a final message they'd love to leave with our pupils.

A wide range of careers

Over the years, we've been fortunate to welcome speakers from football and sport, journalism, catering, business and finance, politics at both local and national level, and law, among many others. Each visit opens pupils' eyes to careers they may never have considered, and helps them see that success can look many different ways.

Every story matters

We're especially keen to hear from people whose own journey shows pupils that any barrier can be overcome. That might mean growing up in poverty, arriving in the country without speaking English, navigating neurodiversity, or facing any other significant challenge on the way to a fulfilling career. We'd also love to hear from speakers of Christian faith who are happy to share how their faith has shaped their approach to work, though this is never a requirement. Just as importantly, we welcome anyone who has simply found success in their field and wants to inspire the next generation to follow in their footsteps.

Whatever your story, if you believe it could raise the aspirations of our pupils, we'd love to hear from you.

Get involved

If you'd like to volunteer as a career speaker at William Ford, we'd be delighted to hear from you. Please get in touch at office@williamfordschool.co.uk, or contact our Headteacher, David Huntingford, directly via David Huntingford NPQH FIFIP | LinkedIn.

Our previous career speakers