Your Future Story Begins Here: Tavistock College Welcomes First Cohort and Brings Back Insights from Cambridge and London
What is Your Future Story?
Your Future Story is a new programme designed to support young people in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset to succeed at school and explore exciting future opportunities – including progression to university.
Developed by the Colyton Foundation in partnership with schools across the region, the Sutton Trust, and the Universities of Bristol, Cambridge and Exeter, the programme is fully funded by these partners and offered at no cost to schools, pupils or their families.
From Year 7 onwards, pupils join a long-term cohort that offers academic guidance, personal development, and access to enrichment opportunities not always available through regular school provision. In the early years, the focus is on building confidence and connection, laying the foundation for success so that as pupils grow, they have as many opportunities open to them as possible.
The programme recognises that young people in the South West often face additional barriers due to geography or access to opportunity — and aims to ensure that talent is recognised, supported and nurtured, so pupils can thrive at school, access opportunities, and make informed choices about their future.
What does the programme involve for participating pupils?
- Mentoring: Each pupil has a Teacher Champion in their school to support and encourage them regularly.
- Trips & Visits: Pupils visit universities and employers to learn about future possibilities.
- Workshops: Sessions build confidence, resilience, communication and teamwork.
- Scholarship Masterclasses: Fun, challenging academic sessions that spark curiosity.
- Social Support: Activities help pupils connect with like-minded peers across the South West.
- Family Engagement: Parents and carers are invited to sessions and conversations to support their child’s success.
We are excited to welcome our first cohort on Wednesday 19th November and begin this journey of opportunity and growth. Last week, I had the privilege of representing Tavistock College on the first Leading High Attainment Study Tour, alongside colleagues from across the South West.
The tour took us to three exceptional institutions: the University of Cambridge, Ealing Fields CofE High School, and the London Academy of Excellence (LAE) Stratford.
Across these very different contexts, one message was clear: life-changing opportunities for students must be designed, not left to chance.
Day 1 – Cambridge: Curiosity and “Teachability”
At Downing College and Trinity Hall, we explored how selective universities look beyond grades. They value curiosity, independence, and resilience. A student panel reinforced the importance of key “trajectory-shaping” moments—mentors, guidance, and challenge—that schools must embed deliberately into culture and curriculum.
Day 2 – Ealing Fields: Opportunity Baked In
Ealing Fields demonstrated what it means to make opportunity the norm. High expectations, rich curriculum, and strong pastoral systems ensure every student thrives. Their ethos—“life in all its fullness”—is lived through routines and structures that combine care with academic stretch.
Day 3 – London Academy of Excellence (LAE) Stratford: Exams as Milestones
At LAE, we saw how success at 16 or 18 is treated as a staging post, not the finish line. Their approach blends rigorous academic preparation with confidence-building, ensuring students progress to competitive universities and beyond.
Key Takeaways for Tavistock College
- Opportunity by design: Every student should encounter transformative experiences as standard.
- Culture plus craft: Strong values paired with robust systems.
- High challenge, high support: Ambition matched with care.
- Exams as staging posts: Planning backwards from the futures we want for our students.
The tour was a powerful reminder: when schools are built around curiosity, challenge, and care, life-changing opportunities become part of everyday experience—not a matter of luck.
Mr Palmer
Vice Principal, Tavistock College