Students get first taste of the Square Mile

Sixth formers have been given their first taste of the City of London as part of a push to make the Square Mile feel more accessible to young people who may see corporate life as distant from their own.

Woolwich Polytechnic students were joined by Lady Mayor Dame Susan Langley DBE during their visit to asset management firm Schroders.

As one of only three women to serve as lady mayor in the role's 700-year history, Dame Susan has argued that the City must play an active role in helping young people see themselves as part of its future.

The Square Mile is a major employment hub with 670,000 people working across finance, law, technology and professional services.

The visit formed part of one of Dame Susan's City Insights Days - an initiative to encourage diversity.

Explaining her focus on widening access, Dame Susan said: "I passionately believe the city has a responsibility to do something about it."

"I was born within the sound of bow bells, so I can claim I'm a real East Ender and a Cockney," said Dame Susan.

"My dad was an electrician, my mum was a housewife, but they always told me that anything was possible and how hard can it be.

"Not all kids are lucky enough to have the encouragement that I've had."

Many of the students from Woolwich Polytechnic, aged 17 and 18, arrived with a mix of nerves and excitement.

Some said they rarely meet anyone who works in the City.

For them, the skyline is striking but unfamiliar, a place that appears busy and impressive, but not necessarily designed with them in mind.

Inside Schroders, they were given an introduction to the world of finance, guided by staff who explained the range of jobs available and the routes into them.

Some employees spoke about their own experiences, showing the students that the pathway into such firms was not always as exclusive as it could appear from the outside.

Throughout the day, discussions centred on social mobility, confidence building and understanding how the financial sector works.

Students explored meeting rooms overlooking the City skyline, took part in workshops and asked staff about pay, careers and day-to-day life inside the Square Mile.

Schroders solicitor Emily Naylor: "My mum and dad are from very ordinary kind of working class jobs.

"It's so important that kids come into these spaces, know what the City's like, know what working in an office like this is like in this environment and know that they belong here and that they can see a future for themselves in somewhere like this.

"They deserve to be here."

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk