Careers Newsletter
Summer 2026
Dear Parents and Carers,
As we reach the end of a busy and inspiring summer term, we are delighted to share the latest edition of our Careers Newsletter. Over the past few months, our students have embraced a wide range of exciting opportunities designed to broaden their horizons and prepare them for life beyond school.
From hands-on work experience placements to engaging virtual work experience programmes, students have developed valuable skills, gained insight into a variety of industries, and built confidence in professional settings. Workplace visits have provided a real-world perspective on different career pathways, while university trips have offered a glimpse into higher education and the many possibilities it holds for the future.
We are incredibly proud of the enthusiasm, curiosity, and professionalism shown by our students throughout these experiences. This newsletter celebrates their achievements and highlights the many ways they are already taking steps towards their future careers.
Youth Futures for Y11’s unsure what to do after GCSE’s
Youth Futures are hosting a series of events, both in-person and online, throughout the county to assist Year 11 who may be unsure of their post 16 plans.
They can help students who want to continue in education, search for jobs, or develop skills and confidence. Scan the QR code for more details.
Placed Academy
In March Elinor graduated from the PLACED academy architecture course. During the past eight months, she has learnt lots of new things about the different skills needed to become an architect; drawing and modelling skills, teamwork and presentation skills.
This journey began in the summer holidays of 2025 where she took part in the PLACED Academy Architecture Summer School at Manchester School of Architecture. Elinor said ‘During the four days we were learning about the different types of roles in architecture and the different types of skills that we would need to become architects. Each group had different briefs to help design the second phase of the viaduct at Deansgate-Castlefield. Our group focused on community and social spaces, this meant that we had to draw a 2D floor plan and create models to our groups own scale. After the two days of designing and building, we had to pitch our ideas to the other groups and professionals, as well as someone from the National Trust, so they could have young people’s ideas put forward into phase two of the viaduct. Our group won most creative response to the brief.’
In addition to the summer work, Elinor travelled once a month for the Saturday studio sessions based in Manchester and Liverpool and worked in groups with a different architecture firm each month. She also attended skills workshops on Tuesdays where she gained knowledge of modelling, photography, portfolio designing/knowing what to include and drawing floor plans.
‘Overall, I enjoyed my time at the PLACED academy architecture course and it has helped develop my social skills and give me confidence meeting new people. By completing this course it has made me want follow a path into architecture.’
There are some examples of the work Elinor did below. Well done Elinor!
Year 10 Work Experience
Careers learning is embedded through ongoing Personal Development curriculum and form-time activities, building early awareness of skills, interests and future pathways.
The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Competition
Congratulations to Valentina Carmignani, who represented LGGS at The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Competition national finals at the NEC in Birmingham in June. Valentina has written a summary of the project and competition.
I recently participated in the Big Bang Competition, where I presented my project, Quantum Logic Visualiser, and was awarded Runner-Up in the Intermediate Technology category. The project aims to make quantum computing more accessible to high school students by transforming quantum circuits into intuitive visual diagrams inspired by Quantum Picturalism by Bob Coecke and ZX-calculus. Originally developed as a Python application using Tkinter, the project has since evolved into a fully interactive website that allows users to build quantum circuits, visualise quantum operations, and explore concepts such as superposition and entanglement through interactive learning.
The competition provided a valuable opportunity to showcase my work to judges, industry professionals, and fellow students. I gained experience communicating complex technical ideas to different audiences, received feedback from experts, and was inspired by the innovative projects presented by other competitors. The experience strengthened both my technical and presentation skills and has motivated me to continue developing the project as an open-source educational tool for learning quantum computing. Well done Valentina for your hard work and dedication. A fantastic example of someone representing the huge talent we have at LGGS.
Year 9 Heysham Power Station Visit and Project
Following the visit to Heysham Power Station in May, Summe, India and Zoe have completed the project to design a power station of the future. We are awaiting the results but they have worked incredibly hard and shown great determination in this project. During the visit in May students took part in a project and had the opportunity to hear a range of talks from successful women in the industry. Pictures are below.
Year 8 Megaday Digital Careers
Twelve Year 8 students recently visited Lancaster & Morecambe College as part of the MegaHub Digital Careers programme. During the visit, students explored a range of exciting opportunities within the digital sector, learning about different career pathways and the skills needed for future employment. They also took part in a team competition, where they used their creativity, problem-solving, and digital skills to tackle a real-world challenge. The visit was an engaging and inspiring experience, giving students valuable insight into the fast-growing world of digital careers.
Cyber First Gold Award
We are proud to celebrate our school’s outstanding achievement in being awarded the prestigious CyberFirst Gold Recognition. This accolade highlights our commitment to delivering high-quality computing education and inspiring the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.
The CyberFirst programme, led by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), recognises schools that demonstrate excellence in developing students’ digital skills, particularly in the field of cybersecurity. Achieving Gold status is a significant milestone and reflects the dedication of our staff, Miss Clapham and Mrs Foster, the strength of our curriculum, and the enthusiasm of our students.
Receiving the CyberFirst Gold award not only recognises our achievements so far but also motivates us to continue expanding opportunities for students in computing and cybersecurity. We look forward to building on this success and empowering even more young people to explore exciting futures in the digital sector.
Year 7 Workplace Visit to Jodrell Bank
Year 7 students enjoyed an exciting visit to Jodrell Bank, where they gained a fascinating insight into the work that takes place at one of the UK’s leading science and research centres. Throughout the day, students learned about the important activities carried out at the observatory and explored the wide range of interactive exhibits and experiences on offer. The visit provided an engaging opportunity to develop their understanding of science, technology, and future careers, while inspiring curiosity about the universe around us.
Year 12 Work Experience (May 2026)
In May, our Year 12 students completed a highly successful week of work experience, gaining invaluable insight into the world of work across a wide range of industries and professions. From healthcare and engineering to education, business, law, and the creative sectors, students embraced the opportunity to develop new skills, build confidence, and explore potential career pathways.
Employers praised our students for their enthusiasm, professionalism, and positive attitude, with many making a lasting impression through their commitment and willingness to learn. The experience enabled students to apply their learning in real-world settings, strengthen employability skills, and gain a greater understanding of the opportunities available to them after sixth form.
We would like to thank all the employers, organisations, and parents who supported this important programme and helped make the week such a valuable and memorable experience for our students. We look forward to building on this success in future years. Some photographs from the week below.
University Open Day Visits
Year 12 students have been visiting university open days this term, helping them to make informed decisions about their next steps. These visits included campus tours, subject taster sessions, and Q&As with current students.
In June, thirty Year 12 students took part in a STEM Taster Day at Lancaster University, taking part in activities related to Mechanical Engineering, Computing, Psychology, Environmental Science and Chemical & Nuclear Engineering.
Making Connections for Future Career Pathways
On 14th July we will be holding our first ever LGGS Alumni Summer Social event in school. We are excited to be building an empowering network of alumni who can easily connect with each other as well as with our Sixth Form students. Students are already benefitting from the opportunities that come to us through these alumni connections, and we will be building this much bigger in the year ahead.
Several of our Year 12 students took part in the prestigious Fairfield x AmplifyMe Academy programme in February half-term, a 3-day programme that gave participants a Level 4 Diploma in Trading and Financial Market Analysis. This opportunity came to us through our developing alumni network and we look forward to many more opportunities for our students in the year to come.
We encourage any LGGS Sixth Form alumni who are on LinkedIn to add Lancaster Girls’ Grammar School as a place of education: Lancaster Girls’ Grammar School: Overview | LinkedIn.
Next Year
We’re excited to continue developing our Careers Programme in 2026–27. Plans include:
- More workplace visits for students across year groups.
- A wider range of employers and professionals visiting school.
- Expanded work experience opportunities.
Can you help?
We’re always looking to strengthen our links with the world of work. If you’re a parent or carer who could support our Careers Programme by:
- Offering a workplace visit.
- Providing a work experience placement.
- Delivering a talk or workshop.
- Helping with mock interviews.
…we’d love to hear from you!
Please contact Mr Green (Careers Lead) on the school number or via email at d.green@lggs.lancs.sch.uk.