Bridging the Gap: From School to University and Work
Venue: Lady Eleanor Holles School
Date: Tuesday 3 November 2026
Timings: Reception from 6.30pm; Forum 7–8pm
How can we help young people navigate uncertainty, make confident choices and thrive beyond school to university and the workplace?
On Tuesday 3 November 2026, we will be bringing together an expert panel of speakers including Prof. John Gallacher from Oxford University, experienced careers consultant, Bella Eccles and adolescent life coach, Rosie Rainford together with LEH Sixth Form students, parents, teachers for a Thought Leadership event exploring practical strategies for managing the next stage.
As young people move towards university and work, the transition can bring excitement and opportunity, but also comparison, uncertainty and anxiety about the future. The evening will explore what students and the adults around them can do to build the confidence, wellbeing and sense of agency needed to navigate change.
The forum will draw on insights and data from BrainWaves, to explore how we can build the confidence, agency and wellbeing needed to navigate change in the all-important steps toward university and career success. From sleep, exercise, relationships and meaning, to managing uncertainty, listening rather than advising, understanding our strengths and preparing for life beyond school, the conversation will focus on what we can do now to support better outcomes in the next destination.
These are not simply lifestyle considerations. They can play an important role in helping young people feel well, develop resilience and take greater ownership of the choices and challenges ahead.
The importance of agency
A central theme of the evening will be agency: the belief that we can influence what happens next, and the confidence to take action.
For students, that means understanding their own strengths rather than feeling they need to match somebody else’s ‘superpowers’, finding meaning beyond themselves and recognising that there is no single route to a successful future.
It also means understanding that agency continues to matter beyond school. In the workplace, the idea of collective efficacy highlights the importance of believing that, together, we can make a difference.
The parental challenge
For parents, the challenge can be different. How do we provide direction and support without taking away a young person’s ownership of their decisions?
The evening will explore why adolescents are, at times, particularly skilled at finding their parents annoying, and why listening can sometimes be more powerful than giving advice. Drawing on approaches from motivational interviewing, including OARS (Open Questions, Affirmations, Reflective Listening and Summarising) and ‘rolling with resistance’, the discussion will consider practical ways for parents to support young people while allowing them to develop their own agency.
Asking the difficult questions
The evening will explore how we can build the confidence and agency strategies for career success. These include:
- Where does fear and anxiety about the future come from?
- What can help bridge the gap between school, university and the workplace?
- How can we make change happen, starting with the belief that we can change things?
- How can parents balance empowerment with direction?
- How can young people understand and build on their own strengths?
- How can finding meaning and purpose help us avoid unhelpful comparison?
The conversation will connect audience questions, student voice and real-world barriers with BrainWaves data, creating a practical discussion focused not just on understanding the challenges, but on what we can do about them.
Event details
Bridging the Gap: From School to University and Work
Tuesday 3 November 2026 Lady Eleanor Holles School Reception: 6.30pm Forum: 7–8pm
For Year 11–13 parents, students and teachers.
The Brainwaves Project at LEH
We are delighted to be at the forefront of developments in young people’s wellbeing and mental health and are proud to be part of this collaboration both by contributing to the long-term cohort study whilst actively integrating the BrainWaves Hub curriculum into our Academic Enrichment and student wellbeing programmes.