Haileybury pupil makes history at Royal Institution Youth Summit
Seventeen-year-old Ella, Upper Sixth pupil, Head of School, and founder of the Haileybury Space Economy Society, made history this week when she became the first ever student speaker at the prestigious Royal Institution Youth Summit.
The annual Summit, held at the Royal Institution in London, is a sold-out event that brings together young people and renowned scientists to explore themes related to the Institution’s world-famous Christmas Lectures. Traditionally, speakers have included Nobel Prize winners, PhD researchers and leaders in science. This year, for the first time, a school student was invited to join the main stage.
Ella delivered a keynote talk on the future of the Space Economy, broadening the audience’s view of space as a subject that now stretches far beyond rockets and exploration. She demonstrated how the Space Economy encompasses disciplines as diverse as medicine, law, climate science and artificial intelligence, and how developments in space will increasingly shape life on Earth.
Ella was joined on stage by Dr Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock (Professor and 2023 Christmas Lecturer), Kathrine Mathieson (Director of the Royal Institution), and other guest speakers who explored themes including AI, robotics and the future of human exploration. Together, they contributed vital perspectives on how today’s young people can lead in science and society.
As part of her address, Ella also introduced the work of the Haileybury Space Economy Society, along with its international sister groups. The Society’s board members and the Master of Haileybury attended the event to support Ella and represent the School and Society in front of a national audience.
The day concluded with breakout sessions in which students from schools across the country debated questions linked to this year’s Christmas Lecture theme of space. Their insights will help shape the final Lecture Series, which has engaged public audiences for nearly 200 years.
Speaking afterwards, Ella said:
“It was such an honour to be the first student speaker in the Summit’s history. I wanted to show that space is no longer a niche topic, but one that connects with every field and every young person’s future. I’m proud of the work our Society is doing to build this conversation.”
The School and Society are immensely proud of Ella’s achievement, and of the opportunity for Haileybury pupils to play an active role in shaping national discussions about science, innovation and the future.
