Ethical Reading’s Business Ethics Schools Fair challenges students to make the right choices

Leighton Park School and Ethical Reading were delighted to welcome 90 students from six local schools to this year’s Business Ethics Schools Fair.

Students from Downe House, Queen Anne’s School, The Abbey, Reading Girls’ School and Reading School joined Leighton Park Sixth Formers on Thursday 19th June.

They enjoyed an introductory talk by Yasmina Siadatan, the winner of The Apprentice Series 5 and successful local businessperson. This was followed by a carousel of three activities in the new Sixth Form Centre, Grove.

Representatives of nine local employers were there. They were eager to share insights into the difference taking an ethical approach can make to an organisation’s wider impact as well as its profit margins.

These included:

• Accountancy firms Grant Thornton and KPMG
• Bank NatWest
• Recruitment company Michael Page
• Thames Valley Police
• Solicitors Blandy & Blandy, Field Seymour Parkes and Shoosmiths
• Building company Francis Construction

Each offered a glimpse into their business decisions and the importance and impact of making the right ethical choice in difficult circumstances.

There were lively discussions around everything from the green agenda to money laundering, from discrimination in the workplace to juggling conflicting priorities.

Sarah Owen is a business teacher and event organiser. She commented: “It’s brilliant for the students. They get to meet loads of different businesses and hear about real life scenarios, which is fabulous. And they get to do some networking, which could lead anywhere.

“There is a nice variety of businesses. Students who are interested in law or accountancy can go to those businesses and find out more.

“I am a real believer in ethics and these will be the businesspeople and changemakers of the future. So, it’s really important that they understand how they can make a difference ethically in the careers ahead of them.”

Ethical Reading Director Graham Roberts added, “Young people benefit from being made aware of issues and concerns that they might have as they come into employment. The organisations learn what their potential employees are concerned about. In doing so, they learn how to attract and retain staff. As the world is changing so rapidly and there are more and more issues arising, Ethical Reading and events like this enable us to come together. It helps us to understand, to discuss and network and perhaps to alleviate some of that pressure by sharing what to do to address those concerns.”

Following the event, Leighton Park student, Arshida (Lower Sixth), reflected, “I think that this opportunity that has been given to us to talk to the ethical businesses, to talk about all the different things that could affect our careers, is really good. We can see how it works and what possibilities we could face in the future. In general it is a good chance for chatting to people who have been along this path and are successful.”

Deputy Mayor of Reading, Councillor Paul Gittings, was also in attendance. He commented, “It’s really important that children are able to develop their own thinking and of course ethics is a hot topic, certainly in the political sphere. So, I think it’s rather interesting that children set their own ethics, their own moral boundaries. I think when you’re developing it’s a good time to do that and to do things outside the curriculum, particularly when they work in teams as they are today.”

Image 1 – Left to Right: Alex Wallace (Academic Deputy Head, Leighton Park School), Paul Gittings (Deputy Mayor, Reading Borough Council), Graham Roberts (Director, Ethical Reading) outside Leighton Park’s Sixth Form Centre.

Image 2 – Nine local businesses spoke to students from six schools about the ethical concerns within their organisations.

Further information

www.ethicalreading.org.uk/programmes/ethics-in-education/business-ethics-schools-fair

Contact:

Emma Randall – marketing@leightonpark.com or 0118 987 9609

Kathryn McCann – kathryn@ethicalreading.org.uk