Suzanne Miller, Head of PE at King’s Leadership Academy Hawthornes, has recently launched two exciting schemes as part of the school’s Athlete Mentor Programme. King’s Hawthornes students have been invited to take part in the AQA Mentoring Programme - a transformational mentoring programme delivered in partnership between AQA and the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust. The students selected were required to show commitment, enthusiasm, determination, and integrity in order to be accepted into the programme.
As part of the AQA Mentoring Programme, students are allocated a mentor – a professional athlete who aims to raise students’ aspirations and expectations for future life goals, equipping them with a winning mindset that’s ready to achieve. King’s Hawthornes students are being mentored by Neil Danns, British and European champion of skateboarding. Neil states: “I love to see the change in the young people as you work with them, particularly on the AQA programme as you spend almost a year working with them, seeing their resilience get better and their confidence grow.” The students will undertake ten mentoring sessions in total, three of which take place off-site in Manchester and London. The AQA Mentoring Programme is a first for Hawthornes, and it is hoped that the students taking part will benefit greatly in terms of their confidence, independence, and positive mindset.
The academy is also delivering its Set for Success programme for the third year running, after taking part in the successful pilot phase. Set for Success is an intensive youth leadership initiative funded by the Wimbledon Foundation, in partnership with Barclays and delivered by the Youth Sport Trust. It seeks to support young people at risk of becoming NEET (not in education, employment, or training) or otherwise not achieving their full potential. The programme supports young people through a series of sessions delivered by inspirational athlete mentors and teachers, focussing on active learning and sport. Year one of the programme consists of eight mentor visits and eight teacher sessions, culminating in an end of year event. The second year of the programme consists of three mentor visits and three teacher sessions.
King’s Hawthornes students are working with athlete mentor and hockey champion Charlotte Hartley, who won a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games and a gold medal at the Sydney Junior Olympics. Charlotte’s ethos is that you must always continue to work on yourself to succeed: “I always had to work hard to be the best version of myself, nothing is ever given to you on a plate. Success is earned, not given.” By taking part in the Set for Success programme, King’s Hawthornes’ Year 9 and Year 10 students will be supported to improve their life and employability skills, their engagement at school, and their confidence, aspirations, and self-esteem.