On Wednesday 7 May 2025, we were excited to welcome to Francis Holland Regent’s Park some of the most transformational experts in the fashion and beauty industry for an event designed to inspire secondary school girls to see themselves as future tech leaders.

While percentages of girls studying Computer Science in the UK have dropped from 43% in 2015 to 21% in 2023, Francis Holland Regent’s Park, one of London’s leading independent girls’ schools, has seen a consistent increase in girls taking Computer Science at GCSE over the past four years – a trend which we aim to continue to encourage. Head Katharine Woodcock commented: “I am passionate about encouraging girls into tech. Giving them the confidence and self-belief to explore opportunities is fundamental to a Francis Holland Regent’s Park education. Our ‘Women in Tech’ series brings together transformational experts offering inspiration to our pupils which I hope will go some way towards closing the gender gap in tech. The school is proud to have hosted this event that aligns perfectly with our ethos of nurturing curiosity, creativity, and resilience. Our girls deserve an education that prepares them for the future, and we are proud to be hosting the first of many events in this important area.”

The event was the brainchild of Mrs Woodcock and Louise Laing, founder of Recode the Curriculum, Phygitaltwin.io and mother of two teenage daughters. Louise launched the project after confronting the stark reality of the tech gender divide. “The data was staggering – only 3% of UK venture capital goes to women founders, and just 0.3% of AI investment reaches all-female teams,” Laing said. “But the root of the problem starts much earlier – in the classroom. That’s why we partnered with Francis Holland Regent’s Park and Head, Katharine Woodcock, to ignite a mindset shift among girls before they even choose their subjects.” The initiative brought pioneering women from biotech, gaming, fashion, and beauty tech sectors directly into the classroom to run interactive workshops that went beyond traditional coding lessons.

In offering advice on ‘Why your voice matters’ and emphasising that ‘Tech needs you even if you’re not techy’, this live event acted as a pilot for a wider movement to reshape tech education in the UK, introducing a creative, applied approach to digital literacy, emphasising design, storytelling, ethics, and entrepreneurship alongside coding. Research underscored the urgency: while AI and tech were projected to create 170 million jobs globally by 2030, they would also displace 92 million, demanding urgent upskilling. Yet UK girls are being left behind. Only 15% continued Computer Science to A Level, and women held just 22-29% of tech roles nationally. Confidence, more than competence, was the critical barrier, with studies showing that creative, hands-on learning boosted girls’ engagement and reduced STEM anxiety.

At the event, pupils from both Francis Holland Regent’s Park and partner school St Marylebone Church of England School, heard from five trailblazing women reshaping tech across industries, including biotech innovator Dr. Stasa Stankovic, Co-founder of OvartiX, who is pioneering therapeutics to extend fertility and delay menopause – a potential game-changer for addressing the “motherhood penalty” that forced over 250,000 UK women out of work last year. The panel also featured Dr. Alex Box, Founder of V-Metrics Beauty; Simone Oloman, Co-founder of NIFT; Nona Dimitrova, Content & Community Manager at Whering; and Louise Laing, Founder of Phygen and Phygitaltwin.io. These role models guided pupils through pitching ideas, product design, and exploring technology hands-on, turning abstract concepts into real-world possibilities.

The event was a call to educators, policymakers, and industry leaders: embed digital fluency, critical thinking, and creative problem-solving early in the curriculum and make tech education visible and inspiring for all girls. Without urgent action, the UK risks raising a generation of girls who believe technology is not for them – a future none can afford.

Info about:

Francis Holland School, Regent’s Park, Ivor Place, London, NW1 6XR

  • Academically selective senior school for girls aged 11-18
  • Vision of Knowledge | Compassion | Spirit | Perseverance with emphasis on a sense of responsibility for others, a lifelong love of learning and contribution to the wider community.
  • Winner of Muddy Stilettos Best Schools Excellence in STEM Award 2024; Finalist for London Independent School of the Year 2023
  • Founded in 1878 by Canon Francis Holland as part of Francis Holland Schools Trust with sister schools, Francis Holland, Sloane Square, and Francis Holland Preparatory School (founded in 1881).

Mrs Katharine Woodcock, Head

  • Joined Francis Holland Regent’s Park in September 2022. Bristol – French and Russian Graduate.
  • Formerly Head of Sydenham High School GDST, Senior Deputy Head at Queen’s College, London and Languages Teacher and Housemistress at Oakham School, Rutland.

Visit www.fhs-nw1.org.uk to find out more about Francis Holland Regent’s Park. Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn @FHSRegentsPark

For further information and photos please contact Vanessa McKinley, Director of External Relations at Francis Holland Schools Trust on [email protected] or 07815 618768.