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PLANTING THE SEEDS
Confidence First, Futures follow.
A CHEXS growth initiative connecting year 10 students with relatable local business role models.
Helping young people see what is possible
What helps a young person begin to believe that a positive future is possible for them? Sometimes it starts with one honest conversation, one relatable role model or one moment when somebody helps them recognise a strength they had not yet seen in themselves.
Planting the Seeds brought CHEXS, Goffs Churchgate Academy and local professionals from Synergy Hertford BNI together for a different kind of futures event. Through practical activities, small-group conversations and real stories from working life, Year 10 students explored confidence, communication, resilience and the many routes that can lead to a fulfilling future.
WHY IT MATTERS
Young people receive careers information at school, but information alone does not always remove the barriers that can stop them engaging with it.
A student may be unsure how to speak to an unfamiliar adult, worried about saying the wrong thing, unclear about their own strengths or unable to picture themselves in the opportunities being described.
Planting the Seeds works on those foundations before the pressure of major decisions becomes too great. Year 10 is a key stage when identity and self-belief are still developing, while work experience and post-16 choices are moving closer. Our aim is to prepare, not pressure: to widen horizons, build confidence and help students recognise that there is more than one route to success.
OUR AIMS
Planting the seeds was designed to:
HOW IT WORKS
Planting the Seeds is the purpose, and the CHEXS GROWTH approach provides the delivery model. The session was shaped around four connected principles:
WHAT WE DID
On 1 July 2026, around 120 Year 10 students from Goffs Churchgate Academy took part in the first Planting the Seeds session. Students attended in two half-year groups and moved through a series of interactive activities led by local professionals, with support from CHEXS and school staff. Rather than listening to formal presentations, they were encouraged to ask questions, join conversations and explore themes such as confidence, communication, trust, teamwork and the different routes people can take into working life.
What students told us
Students completed an anonymous follow-up survey, so these findings are encouraging early evidence rather than a measure of the whole year group. Of those who responded:
What we learned
The strongest message was that students wanted more. Their suggestions were practical and constructive: longer sessions, more time for conversation, smaller groups, a wider range of professionals and clearer information about how to take the next step towards particular pathways.
Those comments will shape the next version. We will also collect student feedback before participants leave and invite structured reflections from business volunteers, giving us a fuller picture of what worked and what should change.
What happens next
CHEXS wants to build on the pilot and develop a growing network of local businesses willing to support future Planting the Seeds sessions across schools. As the network expands, volunteers can rotate between events, bringing different sectors, life experiences and perspectives into the room.
The commitment is intentionally manageable: one morning, an honest story and a willingness to engage with young people. Together, those contributions can create a community movement that helps young people feel better prepared for work experience, apprenticeships, training, employment and the choices ahead.
COULD YOUR BUSINESS HELP PLANT THE NEXT SEED?
Give one morning of your time, share what you have learnt and help a young person see what might be possible.
With thanks
CHEXS would like to thank Goffs Churchgate Academy, Synergy Hertford BNI, every participating local professional, and the students who brought their questions, energy and ideas to the pilot. Planting the Seeds worked because people came together around a shared belief: young people deserve opportunities to build confidence, understand their strengths and imagine a future that feels possible.
