Year 11 London Academy attend last session as mentees

Tuesday was the last time the Hackney ReachOut Academy Year 11s would attend our sessions as mentees, as their ReachOut Academy project finished after 5 years.  It’s been a lot of fun over the years, and I’m delighted that so many of the boys I met back in June 2009 stayed involved to the end.   They’re in full GCSE revision mode now, attending boosters every day after school and even on weekends, and fingers crossed they’ll go on to give a good account of themselves in their exams over the next three months.

As Chloe Holness, our ReachOut Academy Project Officer in London, said to the boys in their farewell – Don’t forget, your GCSEs stay with you for life – and that permanency is important to remember as these boys go into what will be in some ways a life defining period.  It will affect where they go on to study further.  Hopefully it’ll open doors for them to explore new opportunities.

One thing I always try to tell our new volunteers in training is that we want our young people to be able to fulfill their full potential – and to be able to choose their future.  Choice is a fundamental part of personal happiness, and getting those 5 A* - C grade GCSE's including Maths and English is key to preserving our young people’s range of options – or rather their ability to choose what they do, rather than being forced into something they don’t really want through lack of better alternatives.

ReachOut’s work is vital in helping young people achieve those 5 A* - C grades including Maths and English, not just through the direct academic input in our sessions, but also through that time spent with our mentors developing character that enables them to really make the best of themselves  – Good Judgement, Self Control, Staying Power and Fairness – and this character will stand our young people in good stead, both now in their GCSEs, and in the future as young adults in a bright and challenging world.

Pete
London