This year we've been working closely with Becky Fox at Leeds Co-Op Academy to develop a bespoke programme for a specific cohort of Year 7 girls. to develop their ambitions, confidence and sense of belonging. I absolutely love any time I spend at Leeds Co-Op Academy - the diversity, quirky nature and gratitude of the students always remind me of my time teaching in London!
My first session with the girls was focused on developing a rapport. It's important that they got to know me and for me to learn a bit about them. It was also great for them to see that, although they had lots of things in common with each other, there were lots of diverse experiences in the room. We personalised our packs, played diversity bingo and completed a personal fact file with important information. Just from our initial meeting, I knew there would never be a dull moment with this group!
Our second session continued this theme of identity and we delved into what was important to the girls. I used bracelet making as a tool for self expression, which they then shared with others. During this session we used conversation cards as a relaxed way to get them talking about topics they might not have considered before.
Just before Christmas, we thought it was important for the girls to consider the themes of kindness and gratitude at this time of year. They shared many people in their lives they were grateful for and some heart warming reasons why. As a kind act, they created keyrings and magnets for these individuals to give to them. The Christmas spirit was definitely in the air this session, we had some singing and dancing to popular Romanian Christmas songs!
Our latest session incorporated the use of vision boards. The girls started by thinking of all the things they wanted to do in their lives; the experiences they wanted, the dreams they had and the careers they wanted in the future. There were lots of future drivers and holidays in Dubai in the room! Going into the public sector or into law was also a popular choice. The girls really surprised me with the amount of goals they had, considering they are only 11/12 years old! It was lovely to dedicate time and space to talking about all of these future ambitions!
The second half of the programme will be focusing on getting the girls to think independently and building their confidence to use their initiative. Leeds community watch out - there are some random acts of kindness coming soon!!
