By Mrs Simms (Business and Economics Teacher)

On Friday 13th October, the Upper Sixth Business students were invited to The Future Laboratory in London to experience a little of the work of a trend forecasting company.

It was a terrific opportunity to see many of the concepts learned in their A-level syllabi being used in a real business workplace. We made our way down to London by train and walked through Haggerston to get to the Future Laboratory offices. The company is based on the fifth floor, and we enjoyed some amazing views across London.

We were given a presentation by the Head of Strategy, Rachele, and Louise, the Strategy Director. They explained what businesses look for in trend forecasting and the process through which Future Laboratory goes to meet its client brief. We saw some really interesting (and top secret!) examples of projects that the company had completed recently for some amazing clients (including Lush, and eBay), and an insight into some of the macro trends to watch out for.

Rachele and Louise then talked us through their backgrounds, their university degrees and work experience, and finally gave us an insight into what they look for in their new hires - and what our students could be doing now to help them stand out from their peers.

The office tour was absolutely brilliant, with terraces, dog baskets (for their five dogs which are allowed to come to work with them!), and their very inspirational décor.

Millie Partridge (Upper Sixth) reflected: “The business trip to The Future Laboratory in London was an amazing experience. It was a fantastic way of showcasing how empowered women can lead the business industry. The presentation was delivered in an intriguing manner, leaving me eager to learn more about the industry of predicting trends through original research, analysis, market intelligence and qualitative insights to assist in making informed decisions about the future."