Surge Start-Up Academy 2025

North London Collegiate School is a top three independent day school for girls aged 4-18, where bright young minds come to explore, question, and thrive. Since 1850, we’ve created an ambitious yet supportive environment where every girl can grow in confidence and discover what excites her. With world-class teaching, extraordinary opportunities beyond the classroom, and a community alive with curiosity, NLCS is a place where she’ll be challenged and encouraged to be completely herself.

To earn this badge, recipients must successfully complete the NLCS SURGE entrepreneurship academy, which includes:

Launch Day Participation - Attendance at the immersive launch day programme (11:00-16:00), including keynote presentations, entrepreneurship toolkit activities, and founder panel discussions Weekly Workshop Attendance - Completion of minimum 7 weekly 70-minute sessions covering:

• Finding the Gap: Problem identification and market analysis
• Start-up Culture: Entrepreneurial mindset development
• Which Way Forward: Business strategy and planning
• Building a Team: Leadership and collaboration
• The Art of Persuasion: Pitching to investors
• Connecting with Your Crowd: Marketing and brand development
• Challenge Day preparation

Challenge Day Participation - Active engagement in the culminating event, including problem-solving activities and presentation of solutions to industry judges

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies: Badge holders have demonstrated competency in:

• Business Fundamentals: Understanding of 25 core business terms including revenue, profit, MVP, scalability, product-market fit, and business models
• Market Analysis: Ability to conduct market research and competitor analysis to identify business opportunities
• Strategic Thinking: Development of business strategies including value propositions, target market identification, and growth planning
• Financial Literacy: Understanding of key financial concepts including cash flow, ROI, break-even point, and customer acquisition cost
• Communication Skills: Ability to pitch ideas effectively and engage in professional networking
• Leadership Development: Understanding of team building, stakeholder management, and collaborative problem-solving
• Entrepreneurial Mindset: Demonstrated resilience, adaptability, and creative problem-solving capabilities

Assessment Evidence:

• Successful completion of Launch Day business terminology challenge (team-based collaborative activity)
• Active participation in industry-led workshops with partners including Century Tech, Pinterest, Oliver Wyman, Vestd, and Oatsu.
• Contribution to Challenge Day collaborative problem-solving and pitch presentations
• Engagement with reflective learning activities throughout the programme

Programme Standards: This badge represents approximately 15 hours of direct instruction and collaborative learning with industry professionals, plus independent reflection and networking activities. The programme adheres to NLCS's Excellence Framework values: Community, Purpose, Commitment, Curiosity, Aspiration, and Courage.