NHS teams up with schools to boost pupils’ grades and attendance – South London News

A scheme providing information on how the NHS works is improving students at school notes, a hospital trust said.

The trial project, called Aspire 350, is run by Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and provides 40 Year 10 and 11 pupils with “life skills and development opportunities”, a trust spokesman said.

Since its launch in February, more than 50% of participants students they scored higher in their core areas.

One student, Vlada Liashok, 15, from south-east London said: “The course becomes part of who you are – it has led me to the career I want and gives us basic survival skills for life .”

The project, funded by Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charitywork with 40 pupils from three local secondary schools and a pupil referral unit who have been identified by their schools as pupils who would benefit from this opportunity.

Its curriculum, designed with students, consists of weekly one-hour workshops delivered by NHS staff, charities and businesses.

Ms Liashok said the scheme helped her feel part of her new school after moving from Ukraine two years ago.

During the course – in a small class of eight – Ms Liashok learned essential life skills, from financial management to first aid. She discovered she wanted to study philosophy, politics and economics at university and was inspired to think about her future career.

Thomas Soyemi, Ms Liashok’s teacher and Head of Year 11 at one of the participating secondary schools, said: “I’m always nervous about bringing in external groups in the GCSE years as it can be disruptive, but the Aspire 350 was absolutely amazing.”

Another student and aspiring architect, Breanna Davis, said she had never considered a career in the NHS before taking part in the programme.

The 16-year-old from Croydon visited St Thomas’ Hospital with her colleagues to see the roles available within the NHS, including engineering, paramedic and catering.

After her GCSEs, Ms Davis plans to take her T-levels in digital business and then pursue a career in architecture.

She said: “The program has been quite life-changing as it gives you an experience of how hospitals work and makes you want to think about them as a career path. Now I can look at hospital architecture as a career.”

Hayley Robinson-Allen, Widening Schools Participation Manager and Project Lead, said: “As well as developing life skills, we want to help young people in our local community to follow the careers they want, but maybe in the careers they they didn’t know it existed. NHS.”

Once students have completed the project, they are supported with entry-level jobs, apprenticeships and traineeships at the Trust.

Pictured above: Breanna Davis and Hayley Robinson-Allen (Image: Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust)

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