Danny Lye, Headteacher
"When I first heard about the National Talent Academy I knew this was something we needed to get involved with. The support, and programmes, offered by the team and National Talent Academy align perfectly with our vision to develop world ready and career ready students. Without a doubt, our investment in the programme has been well worth it. It’s been fantastic to see the growing confidence, skills and raised aspirations of those students who have taken part. Hearing the young people talk about their heroes and those who inspire them, as part, of the programme was pretty special too. I am confident that involvement in the programme boosts our students chances of future success, that is why we have committed, again, to working in partnership with the National Talent Academy."
“I am confident that involvement in the programme boosts our students chances of future success.” Danny Lye, Headteacher
Learner Success
Raihan Chowdury
Raihan's experience with the programme has been transformative. It sparked a proactive approach, leading him to pursue additional opportunities, which resulted in a valuable work placement in property management within a renowned construction/engineering firm in London's Docklands.
Rayan Kabondo
Rayan's latent talent for public speaking was uncovered during the course. Surprising both himself and others, he demonstrated a natural calmness and effectiveness as a speaker, gaining confidence in his newfound ability.
Mahir Ahmed
Mahir, a lifelong car enthusiast, envisioned a future as a mechanic. The programme, however, has shifted his aspirations towards the business aspects of the car industry.
Raihan Chowdhury, Bow School
Rayan Kabondo, Bow School
Mahir Ahmed, Bow School
“Rayan's latent talent for public speaking was uncovered during the course.”
What inspires you?
Hodo Mohamud, Careers Lead
School Context
Bow School is in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets (East London). We have 1,300 learners from years 7 to 13: 34% female, and 66% male. 47% of learners are Pupil Premium Recipients. We are a diverse school, students with Bangladeshi background forming the largest group.
“These programmes reinforce our school values of determination, responsibility, adaptability, curiosity, and respect.”
Raising Aspirations
We used National Talent Academy courses with a post-16 group last academic year. This year we are expanding to include the ‘Introduction to futureproof career skills’ course, for all year 10 and year 12 learners, which we have bought for three years. These programmes reinforce our school values of determination, responsibility, adaptability, curiosity, and respect.
Our school vision, 'World ready, Career ready,' focuses on preparing learners not only to achieve academically but to become well-rounded individuals. We want all our learners to be ready for the world beyond education, not just get amazing grades. And we want them to have an idea of what to expect and what's an offer after school.
“All of them will do well in interviews now.”
Interview and Presentation Skills
The learners' progress in the ‘Speaking confidently in public’ course was remarkable. Despite initial nervousness, they showed consistent improvement, applying the techniques learned, such as effective body language, vocabulary use, and storytelling.
All of them will do well in interviews now. They know how to talk about themselves because they've taken on board the growth mindset promoted by the National Talent Academy. If given a presentation task at an interview, they will excel, because they know they’ve got the skills.
“Our learners are interested in the economic aspect of careers..”
Portable Skills
I knew we would have a good interest in the National Talent Academy because our learners are interested in the economic aspect of careers. All the post-16 learners who started the programme remained engaged throughout.
Initially, I thought they might have a predisposition towards entrepreneurship, but the programme opened their eyes to other opportunities. The ‘Finding a futureproof career’ course, explained the main types of roles in the workplace i.e. Portable Skills, which wasn’t covered elsewhere. When I visit employers, they are all talking about this. It's something unique about the National Talent Academy.
A lot of our science learners want to get into either medicine or pharmacy. The National Talent Academy courses can open their eyes that there are other roles within healthcare. Not everyone has to become an actual doctor.
“When I visit employers, they are all talking about Portable Skills.”
David Jaffa, Founder, National Talent Academy
"Bow School has been a wonderful partner in this programme. I'm absolutely delighted with the positive impact on individual learners.
What made the work at Bow School different from previous programmes was re-engineering our online courses to run without us being physically present. The courses now run without requiring a specialist on-site or the need for specific teacher training at a very low cost per-learner. This is important because it helps us to widen participation. The news that NCFE are endorsing our courses is also extremely welcome. We now look forward to rolling out to more schools, colleges and other organisations, as we continue our mission to help learners gain the knowledge, skills and confidence for successful and futureproof career."
What made the work at Bow School different from previous programmes was re-engineering our online courses to run without us being physically present. The courses now run without requiring a specialist on-site or the need for specific teacher training at a very low cost per-learner. This is important because it helps us to widen participation. The news that NCFE are endorsing our courses is also extremely welcome. We now look forward to rolling out to more schools, colleges and other organisations, as we continue our mission to help learners gain the knowledge, skills and confidence for successful and futureproof career."