Year 10 Futures Day

For our Futures Day 2024, the word ‘future’ has more than one meaning and we looked at it in more than one way.

A huge thank you to year 10's who came to our Futures Days, it was an amazing two days. A big thank you to all involved.

The day was about the future of our planet and all of us who live on it. We hear a lot of alarming things about what the future might be like, but humanity has the power to make a better world for the future in which both human and non-human life can be vastly improved. It just means using our knowledge and understanding in creative and ethical ways.

The day gave students a chance to use their own learning to do just that. Each of the pathways examines issues and problems around the climate and safeguarding the planet. Because we are a Catholic college, we also wanted to look at the ethical and moral questions raised by the projects. Students will come across these issues in their future roles as learner, professional and citizen.

Students also have their own personal future, and we hope that they will spend part of that with us. We saw this day as the beginning of their learning at Holy Cross, giving them a taste of what it would be like to be a student here. Students were able to see the college, work with our teachers, meet our existing students and have lunch in our refectory. In the next few months, students will be choosing Level 3 courses. All the pathways below involved a range of subjects from across the sciences, arts and humanities, students chose one of the pathways to be in for the day, where they were able to use their own unique strengths, talents and interests, and getting a sense of what different courses will be like.

Pathway 1: People & Places

What should our communities look like? How should our states be governed? What should the values and responsibilities of our citizens be? Imagine if you could create a society from scratch, how would you make the most of this opportunity? Imagine if a new island was created by humans to respond to the challenges of population growth and climate change. This island will be an independent state with a clear sense of identity. You are part of a team that will determine how the physical space will be utilised, considering how energy and food supplies will be met. You will decide what rules and systems will be in place to allow the society to function well and the citizens to feel happy, healthy and secure. You will also need to agree how to communicate and trade with neighbouring states in English and other languages. Can you create utopia?

Pathway 2: People & Technology

Our climate is in peril; the environment is a scarce resource that needs protecting. The way we have behaved has led governments globally to rethink public policy. The word ‘net-zero’ is now being built into everything we do. A new travel agent wants to raise awareness of their new ethical holiday destinations; their customers want to be able to experience new cultures, while not contributing to drastically raising carbon emissions. At the same time, the way that we interact with firms have changed. Millions of pounds are now spent on emergent methods of marketing, such as harnessing social media. Your task is to brand an ethical travel package, creating a business pitch that will help your investors see the value in your brand. Think of it like the Apprentice meets Dragons Den.

Pathway 3: People & Resources

A government financial shortage made worse due to COVID19 and the cost of living crisis, has resulted in large scale public funding cuts. This is having an adverse effect on many people living in the UK. One sector that has been hit hard by these cuts is the Criminal Justice System, and in particular probation services. This has resulted in the government outsourcing a significant number of its rehabilitation programmes to private businesses, such as Serco. The UK has extremely high rates of reoffending –around half of all crime is committed by people who have already been through the criminal justice system. This suggests that the criminal justice system is not effective at preventing those with a criminal record from committing further crimes. The cost to the taxpayer of reoffending is estimated to be £9.5 to £13 billion per year. That is a huge sum of money and in our current economic climate, the UK simply cannot afford it.

Pathway 4: People & Science

The space race is on! You have been approached by a billionaire entrepreneur who is offering unlimited resources and funding to arrange a flight into space. Work as a team to design an operational space craft taking into consideration the fuel and material requirements for the trip. All astronauts must also complete a training course to ensure that they are well prepared to deal with the gruelling physical and psychological challenges that await. This option is an excellent choice for those interested in studying biology, chemistry, physics or psychology at A-level. It will provide you with a practical insight into how scientists and psychologists work together in a real-world environment to develop new technologies and the people behind them. This option is an excellent choice for those interested in studying biology, chemistry, physics or psychology at A-level. It will provide you with a practical insight into how scientists and psychologists work together in a real-world environment to develop new technologies and the people behind them.

Pathway 5: People & Creatives

All the world's a stage…. You are part of a working team responsible for staging the Opening Ceremony of The Olympic Games. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has a commitment to sustainability and alongside the parade of athletes, they have requested a performance-based sequence focused on The Future Protection of Our Planet. The board of directors wants the project to be dynamic, visionary and to use the event to globally promote both sport and sustainability. You have received a budget of £10 million to stage the event and you must decide on the logistics of the project, including amongst other things: the choice of event, the venue, target audience, physical resources, transport implications, performance fees, streaming services, and any related marketing. N.B. within this activity, students will be divided into 4 different teams: a Performance team (sub-divided into Music and Drama / Dance); an Art & Design team, and a Business team. These teams will be decided on the day. If you wish to be part of the Performance team, please bring a pair of shorts, joggers or leggings to wear (and suitable footwear). You may get changed onsite, on the day.