Ethics in Business Conference

Ethics, morals and the law

On Thursday 13 June 2024, Queen Anne’s School hosted the Ethics in Business conference on behalf of Ethical Reading.

Our L5 and L6 Business Studies and Philosophy students were joined by students from Downe House School, Leighton Park School and Reading Girls’ School.

The aim of the conference was to help students apply their reasoning and debating skills through discussions led by the nine businesses who supported the event. These businesses shared the ethical dilemmas they face every day and asked students to give their opinion and reasons for them.

The businesses asked a range of questions such as:

Thames Valley Police – Prioritising email inbox and debrief from the night shift team – which incidents should be tackled first according to the code of ethics for policing and national decision-making model. 

NatWest – Should they give a loan to a company that wants to put solar panels on the roof of their buildings but runs a battery hen farming operation?

Page Group Recruitment – Should they offer a contract on behalf of a company seeking to recruit a candidate who is pregnant? 

Our students thought the event was useful in helping them to learn more about the world of business and the different industries that were represented. They asked insightful questions and the L6 students were excellent leaders of their groups.

This event was a real team effort between Ethical Reading, our Careers Team, Events Team and Catering with Thomas Franks very kindly sponsoring the ethically sourced lunch.

With 100 students and nearly 40 adults taking part in the event, it was an amazing experience to be a part of.