HOW IT WORKS
Our team connects schools with inspiring and influential people for impactful school talks, helping young people to think big and aim high – all for free.
APPLY TO HOST SPEAKERS
- All UK secondary state schools, academies and colleges across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are eligible to apply for a talk.
- To take part, a school/college (Headteacher, Deputy, selected coordinator) must submit a completed application on behalf of their institution.
- Applicants must understand the commitments outlined in the application form when applying for a talk.
- To find out about our speakers and who we work with click here
MATCHING SPEAKERS WITH SCHOOLS
When matching a speaker to a school, we consider:
- The school’s application and teacher statement
- Which speaker might be suitable
- Speaker availability and location
- When the school last hosted
We prioritise under-served schools in high-need locations and aim to reach students with the least access to outside speakers. Unfortunately, schools cannot apply for a specific speaker or specific dates.
Each speaker has different availability and commitments, often with challenging diaries. We work to find a date that suits both parties. For this reason, we ask that schools reply as soon as possible when offered a speaker so that neither party is disappointed!
GETTING READY TO HOST
- Once we’ve confirmed a school and speaker, we will put you in touch with one another.
- You must have at least one phone call to agree the talk format, key messages, audience age and size.
- You can find a full guide for planning your in-person talk here and our full guide for planning your virtual talk here
- Of course, we are here to help if you have any issues.
PREPARING FOR YOUR TALKS
- In-person SFS talks are one hour long in total. Virtual talks are around 40-60 minutes long in total.
- A key part of any SFS talk is the Q&A session.
- For in-person SFS talks we ask that speakers leave 30-40 minutes for a Q&A, allowing for maximum student participation.
- For virtual talks we ask speakers to leave around 15-20 minutes of the talk for Q&A.
- We advise students to prepare in advance, so they can make the most of the event.
- The school/college should be on hand to facilitate the Q&A with a few questions prepared to get the ball rolling.
- We have a handy guide to help with student prep here.
HOW DID IT GO?
- Following the talk, we ask the speaker and the school to return a short feedback form about the event
- This is essential to our monitoring and ensuring we create the best quality and most impactful events for your students.
- You can see more about our impact here