An Interview with Kizzi Keast, Access & Outreach Manager @ University of Reading

What do you like about CoachBright’s mission and work?

It’s very individual – a young person gets the support that they need as an individual which means it has a great impact. There’s a time and place for whole-year group or cohort interventions but when it comes to attainment and coaching, an individual approach is key. Since working with CoachBright more closely I have also seen the amount of energy and effort that staff put into building positive relationships with the young people and just how powerful that is.

Why did you want to partner with CoachBright?

We were looking for other ways to support our internal Attainment Raising work, especially at Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 and wanted something that was explicitly targeted at the students who would most benefit – not just the “easy wins”. CoachBright was also already working with some of our partner schools and it seemed like a logical decision to join up for greater impact.

What does your current partnership with CoachBright involve?

We currently fund coaching for 200 young people across 5 schools in our local area – a Year 9 and a Year 11 group in each school. We also host graduation trips on campus for these schools and other schools that CoachBright is working with, in the South East. CoachBright makes it really easy to work with them – there’s not that much extra work for us to do.

What impact have you seen on both the pupils on the CoachBright programmes and your own students?

Our partnership is still new but the results from our first coaching cohorts have been really positive in terms of attainment for the pupils involved. We’re excited to see how it progresses over time!

Why do you think other universities should partner with CoachBright?

CoachBright really does have the interests of the young people at heart and the programme has clear evidence of impact. In terms of partnership work, the team at CoachBright are easy to work with and happy to flex and meet your requirements as well as their own. And the young people are amazing – graduation days are always wonderful!

From Coach to Coachee - a Beneficiary Perspective

When did you join the CoachBright programme?

I joined as a peer mentor when I was 16 years old but then when I turned 18 I applied to receive coaching for myself because I felt like my life was falling apart. My father had been diagnosed with cancer and it was really hard to cope. Home wasn’t an encouraging place to be and I just felt like everything was a huge mess beyond my control. It was a scary time.

Unlike most of my peers, I didn’t have anything figured out in terms of exams, university or career goals. I did have a vague idea of wanting to enter the legal profession but with everything going on I just figured it wouldn’t be possible. The pressure I was under was massive and I lost all my self-confidence.

How did Coaching help you?

The coaching I got made a real difference in my life in quite a short space of time. She was like a friend with great listening skills, as well as an adviser and motivator. She was there just for me and she could still see my spark when I thought it had gone and I couldn’t feel it. She kept telling me that I deserved any and all opportunities that came my way.

My coach not only helped me in terms of revising for my exams but made me see the wider picture in terms of university and experiencing a whole new adventure. I started being able to balance my study time better by not putting so much pressure on myself and for this I am forever grateful because it helped me regain confidence. I began to believe in myself – that eventually, I would find a way to figure everything out and that before too much longer I could be whatever I wanted to be. Without a doubt, coaching helped shape who I am today.

What are you doing now?

So let’s fast forward 4 years to now. I completed a further education placement and joined the Witness Service as a volunteer for a year whilst studying at university (yes, I got into university!) In 2021 I took on a team leader role with the National Citizen Service.

Last year I graduated with a first-class law degree! I accepted a graduate role at a high-street law firm. Basically, I took every single opportunity that came my way. A few days ago I accepted a new position with one of Birmingham’s top city law firms! Yes!

That is so inspiring. What advice would you give other young people?

My advice to any other young person reading this is to never underestimate your unique talents. Regardless of your background or personal situation, you really can still achieve anything you want. Ask for help and hopefully, you can get a CoachBright coach. It is about believing in yourself and learning that you can overcome challenges, and never be afraid of the unknown or of trying something new.

What are your future plans?

In the next two years, I will evaluate my experiences post-graduation and figure out if being a solicitor is something I still really want. If the answer is yes then I will begin a master’s, or I might just redirect my strengths and skills into the education sector.

I learned the hard way that life is unpredictable so I’m not going to impose any time limits upon myself – eventually, I’ll figure it all out.

Get to Know our New CEO - Joe McGinn

These are exciting times at CoachBright! At the end of last year, we said goodbye to Robin Chu and we started 2023 with Joe McGinn in the role of Chief Executive Officer. We connect with Joe here to gather some insights, learn about his plans for CoachBright and throw in a fun fact or two!

How was your first day?

Everyone across the whole organisation made me feel welcomed and a part of the team as soon as I arrived, whether that was inviting me to join school programmes, putting 20 minutes in my calendar for an intro chat or just saying hi in one of our offices. It was the warmest welcome I've ever had at a new organisation. 

What was one of your first 'on the ground' tasks that you jumped into upon starting the new role?

I was grateful I had the chance to jump in and support some coaching within my first week. I had a group of Year 11 boys from Harris Academy St John's Wood and ran a trigonometry and probability refresher session (mixed with a bit of job interview practice). I started my career in youth work so it was brilliant to be working with teenagers again!

What insight did this give you into the job that our frontline staff face daily?

Both our Programmes and Volunteer & Partnerships teams do such an impressive job. Delivering a programme that relies on coordinating teachers, pupils, and volunteers - who all have other things competing for their time and attention - is not easy. Making an impact and creating change is tough, sometimes really tough, and I'm constantly impressed by the hard work and commitment of everyone across the organisation.

What core areas have you identified that are critical to our future?

The charity has experienced such phenomenal growth recently, practically doubling in size in each of the past three years. So the main priority for us over the next three years, where we have planned for a slower period of growth, is to continue to build and improve our internal processes to ensure we can be a truly sector-leading charity in the next 3-5 years.

Aside from that, the current pilot of our Lifecycle programme, which supports disadvantaged young adults at university or in the early stages of their careers, will open up new areas for us to create impact. We are currently piloting the programme with Winchester and Plymouth universities, and are looking to begin a corporate pilot in the next two months.

What do you look forward to learning more about?

I can't wait to start my coach training over the summer! I've seen both our internal team and our volunteer coaches employ the core tenets of coaching in everything from team meetings and line management to the academic coaching we do in schools. I really believe in the coaching model's power to help develop confidence and independence, and I'm excited to get trained up.

What is the biggest barrier to improving social mobility?

In my view, it’s a lack of joined-up policymaking. Housing, access to healthcare, low pay, insecure employment and many other factors restrict social mobility just as much as educational inequality does. We aren't under any illusions that improving educational outcomes for disadvantaged young people is the single silver bullet that will solve this challenge. It needs to be complemented by progress in these other areas. However, we know we have an important role to play and are passionate about the impact that we can make in this complex jigsaw.

What’s one word that best describes your leadership style?

Authentic.

What do you like to do outside of work?

I'm always aware of how non-original my interests and hobbies are when asked this question; but I genuinely love spending as much time as I can reading, cooking, running, cycling, suffering as a Spurs fan, and (currently) planning a wedding :) 

Partnership with University of Reading

We are delighted to announce a new formal partnership with the University of Reading. Through our collaboration, hundreds of Reading pupils will get tutoring in English, Maths or Science from trained students as part of a joint scheme run by CoachBright and the University of Reading.

 The scheme seeks to improve grades and confidence for 200 young people at local schools who may be struggling due to the impacts of poverty and other challenges in their lives.

 Kizzi Keast, outreach and access manager at the University of Reading, said: “There are young people missing out on higher education who really deserve to have the opportunity to be at university.

 “In some cases, these pupils are not able to achieve the grades they need to go onto higher education, because their lives outside school are really challenging.”

 “The aim of this new partnership is to make sure that more pupils from Reading are leaving school, better equipped to go on to university. This is a key part of our ambition to be a University for everyone in Reading, and we are really looking forward to seeing these young people succeed and thrive.”

Our University of Reading and CoachBright partnership is designed to complement the University’s existing Reading Scholars and Students in Schools schemes for widening participation in higher education. It will extend the scope of this work, and, it is hoped, the impact on young people’s lives. The schools that take part in CoachBright will also take part in the Reading Scholars project.

Sadie Middleton, Head of South East at CoachBright said: “Young people of disadvantaged backgrounds deserve the chance to choose how they want their lives to go.

 “Partnering with the University of Reading allows us to begin forming more stable foundations for those young people, where they are able to truly curate their own futures.”

 “I am incredibly excited to be working closely with such passionate individuals, as we would not be able to fulfil our own vision without them. My goal for the next year is to implement and witness the immediate impact that our programmes have within these Reading area schools. I hope to hear comments from pupils, such as ‘I want to go to University now!’ or ‘I can do this!’ and watching every young person become a more confident, resilient and motivated individual.”

 The university tutoring programme will take place over one term. It will consist of weekly after-school tutoring sessions, group workshops and a visit to the University of Reading campus.

Students who undertake CoachBright’s training will be trained to lead effective tutorials, build relationships with a young person and use principles of coaching to boost their confidence and independence.

 Original article on University of Reading website here.

New CoachBright CEO Appointed

CoachBright are delighted to announce the appointment of Joe McGinn to succeed Robin Chu as Chief Executive Officer.

Joe is currently Head of School Partnerships at ImpactEd, an award-winning social enterprise that supports schools and education organisations to evaluate their impact, learn from it, and prioritise what is working best to improve outcomes for young people. Previously he was Programme Director at social enterprise Volunteer It Yourself - supporting some of the country's most disadvantaged young people to learn trade skills, improve their local community, and boost their employability - and is currently a sitting magistrate.

Joe is passionate about improving social mobility, and is excited to use his experience to help improve life chances and pupil outcomes with CoachBright.

Qamar Riaz, Chair of CoachBright: ``We are grateful for the support and guidance of all at Berwick Partners in securing a highly diverse and creditable shortlist of candidates for this critical post. We are thrilled to have recruited Joe to deliver on our recently devised strategy. Joe comes with considerable experience in delivery, research and evidence-informed practice that will be invaluable to the future growth and development of CoachBright. We were impressed with his passion and commitment to reducing inequality, increasing opportunity and maximising the potential of all children, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds."

——

Joe McGinn, new CEO of CoachBright: “I am extremely excited to be joining CoachBright at such a critical point in its journey. Educational inequality was already worsening before the pandemic, and has been exacerbated in the last year. CoachBright's unique model of combining executive coaching and academic tutoring to support some of the most disadvantaged pupils in the UK is inspiring, and Robin should be extremely proud of what he and his team have managed to achieve over the last nine years. I'm looking forward to leading the next phase of CoachBright's development, as we look to increase both our reach and impact across the country. “

Joe will be taking over in December from our founder and current CEO Robin Chu who will be stepping down after 9 years at the helm.

University College London Consultancy Challenge

In June this year CoachBright was lucky enough to be selected as one of 6 charity partners to participate in UCL’s pilot Charity Consultancy Challenge. Here at CoachBright, we view social mobility as a fundamental concept within the wider context of education in this country,  and including university student voices as a key aspect to this. We were so excited to be a part of this inaugural programme at UCL and be joined by motivated  students engaged in contributing to the charity sector and making a difference in young people’s lives. 

During the Challenge Week  a team of seven UCL student volunteers were tasked with helping to redesign CoachBright’s recruitment and retention strategy. At the end of the week, the team presented back their findings to us and to a panel of judges.

The greatest benefit in having university students consultants is that they act as one of our key stakeholders: our volunteer coaches. The consultants’  insights into our recruitment and retention strategy has been invaluable, in understanding key pressure points of how best to attract volunteers and upkeep engagement. 

Throughout the week with us they worked collaboratively and proactively and acted as fresh sets of eyes to identify the pressure points where we lose coaches in recruitment and retention and prototype solutions. They were solution-focussed and innovative in their approach and came up with many pioneering and exciting solutions. 

They structured the week by running focus groups with members of staff , coaches and various other stakeholders as well and surveying our existing procedures.  They then gathered the results and evaluated them to complete the findings and make recommendations for their final report and presentation. The seven consultants presented back to the panel on the final day after a week of impressive work. Their main conclusions were improved use of the website including using the website as a community space to reflect the originality of CoachBright's approach. 

Since the challenge week, the CoachBright team has been at work affecting  the changes the consultants have suggested. We have discussed them regionally and recently rolled out a Website Hackathon day where many of the suggestions put forward were put into effect. Our website now reflects the updates of one of our key stakeholders: university students - our volunteer coaches! It’s been so exciting to see the change in only a few months of these dedicated students' work. 

We are incredibly grateful to both students and staff at UCL for the time and engagement they afforded us throughout our week with them. We have been able to learn so much about stakeholder engagement as well as impart direct changes already and are keen to take more of our learnings from the week on! 

Link to youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-Z8bh-87EU

Crest Summer School

As the first person in my own immediate family to attend university, having the opportunity to join CoachBright as a social mobility charity has been a particularly rewarding experience for me. Both my experiences as an English coach working with year 11 students, and as a coach in the recent summer school set up for incoming year 7 students have been amazing opportunities, and I have been fortunate enough to make memories I will carry with me for life.

During the recent summer school it was fantastic to see how the children developed their friendships over the three days, from nervously introducing themselves to each other, to eating lunch together, laughing and confidently playing various sports in the playground at breaktime. During our final day of the summer school it was amazing to see all of the children’s hands go up when asked whether they had made any new friends over the three days. From my own experience I know how much easier and less nerve-racking this will make their transition to secondary school when joining in September.

Not only was it an opportunity for the children to create friendships, but also as a coach I got to know so many great people during the summer school. Making the decision to join classes with another coach in an effort to maximise the benefits of the summer school for the children ended up making the experience particularly special for me, having the opportunity to also make a new friend during the experience really showcased how the lessons we aimed to teach the children about creating friendships are ones which you apply and carry forward throughout your adult life as well.

It was also great to see the children enthusiastically complete the various tasks given to them each session, often with an impressive amount of ease and confidence! From the very first day they all managed to work well together despite not knowing each other very well, and the way the children helped each other work through tasks as a team was particularly heart-warming. They all were a real pleasure to teach as a group and get to know on an individual level, encouraging the children through the framework of the themes set out for the three days that they could achieve anything they put their mind to was a really fulfilling part of the experience.

The team at CoachBright did such an amazing job of planning and organising the three days and I feel that their hard work really did pay off in the end. Overall I’m sure all the children and coaches would agree that the summer school was a great success!

Grace Francis is currently studying anthropology and law at London School of Economics and coached as part our summer school at Crest Academy

Social Mobility Workshop

In early July CoachBright was lucky enough to get to work with the pupils of West Walsall E-Act Academy, with colleagues from our West Midlands Team delivering a series of workshops all about social mobility and how it relates to the lives of young people. Here at CoachBright, we see social mobility as a fundamental concept within the wider context of education in this country. Ensuring pupils in the UK can determine their own futures and are not held back by their ethnicity, postcode, gender, family wealth or anything else isn’t just important, it’s mission critical!

Our workshops began with a ‘Vote with your feet’ exercise with pupils moving to one side of the room depending on whether they agreed or disagreed with a certain statement- turns out West Walsall pupils prefer Youtube to TikTok and have little confidence that ‘It’s Coming Home’ for the Three Lions in Qatar!

After breaking down what social mobility actually means, we zoomed out to look at social mobility throughout the whole UK and understand how social mobility is tied to income inequality which affects which regions are the most prosperous. We then zoomed in to look at the West Midlands region specifically and highlight some local social mobility champions (Benjamin Zephaniah, Ellie Simmonds, and Zarah Sultana to name a few). Whilst we at CoachBright think it’s important to show an honest picture of the extent of inequality in the UK, it’s even more important pupils have role models to look up to and feel empowered to take charge of their own learning!

As Billie Jean King, tennis champion and equality activist, says, ‘You have to see it to be it’. 

The second half of our workshops were really student led, focusing on the social mobility picture in Walsall in 2022. Pupils got stuck into in-depth research activities, first honing in on quantitative data and finding out what kind of jobs people do in Walsall, the average incomes, the average population age, and many other really informative statistics. Pupils then presented the research they’d done in groups, and we were blown away by the insights pupils were drawing from the data. CoachBright might be in the know about social mobility, but West Walsall pupils taught us a great deal about their local area.

Finally, pupils turned their attention to qualitative research, discussing in groups what it feels like to live in the area, and how they might want to change things. Groups were animated about potential improvements, clearly articulating a desire for greater investment in the area to foster a stronger sense of community. 

We are incredibly grateful to both staff and students at West Walsall E-Act Academy for the support and engagement they afforded us throughout our week with them. We came away having learnt a great deal about how social mobility relates to the fantastic pupils of Walsall, and are keen to see how other schools take on the challenge!

Coach Spotlight - Yumi

At first, I wanted to start volunteering in a new city, but I had no idea where to begin. Then, I came across Coach Bright through the LSE volunteering centre. I was not particularly looking for any tutoring opportunities, however, I did more research about Coach Bright. I found out that the organization’s vision is inspiring – to promote social mobility from the educational aspect. To me, it is a privilege to be educated in LSE. Therefore, this is an opportunity to give back to the community, to those who do not have the chance to receive adequate educational support.

My experience with Coach Bright was meaningful and worthwhile. My highlight during my volunteering was that I developed a great bond with my coachee. He was shy and a bit reserved at the beginning. As time went on, we managed to build a positive and trustworthy relationship. The process was rewarding because I saw how he improved slowly but surely. On top of that, I was tutoring English Literature, which was one of my favourite subjects in school. Therefore, it did not feel much of an effort to prepare for my sessions.

In terms of skills development, I think volunteering with Coach Bright will boost your confidence as you have lots of opportunities to meet new people, both tutors and students. In fact, I have made an incredibly good friend outside of university because of Coach Bright. Regarding workload, I do not think that it will take up much of your time. As long as you bring enthusiasm and patience into the classroom, I am certain that your students will receive it in a positive way.

Overall, I highly recommend working with Coach Bright. If you have no idea how/ where to start volunteering, Coach Bright is a wonderful place to begin. The staff are friendly and passionate, and they will certainly guide you from the beginning.

Yumi Tsang is currently in their second year of studying international relations and history at London School of Economics and coached as part our year 11 programme at Ark Evelyn Grace Academy.

CoachBright CEO stepping down at end of 2022

Our Founder and CEO Robin Chu is stepping down at the end of this calendar year (2022). Having grown and led the charity for nearly 9 years, he will be moving on to new pastures. With this in mind, the search begins for our next CEO and we are working with Berwick Partners to find the best person to lead our charity through its next stage of growth and impact. Link for the job description here.

Founded in 2014, CoachBright exists to make social mobility a reality. Through coaching programmes in partnership with schools and employers, we support young people to become more independent and resilient so they can lead the lives they want. Traditionally, this has been through training university students or senior pupils to work with a disadvantaged pupil to improve their grades, confidence and independence. 

From a classroom of 12 pupils in Elephant and Castle to now supporting over 4000 young people each year, the charity operates across London, South West, West Midlands and the South East. For the last 2 years, independent evaluator ImpactEd has observed that our programmes made “Positive changes across all social and emotional skills for CoachBright pupils.” This has had a tangible difference -  with many of our pupils becoming the first in their family to go to university or enter a professional industry.

CoachBright is currently part of the Department for Education’s National Tutoring Programme, supporting over 65 schools. We have a team of over 25 staff, and have connections with leading employers and universities such as the Cabinet Office and the University of Exeter. All united with a desire to make sure the postcode lottery no longer exists.

Having set a 3 year strategy around supporting the Whole Child over the Whole Lifecycle - there is no more exciting time to be joining and leading the organisation.

Chair of CoachBright Qamar Riaz said: ‘We are looking forward to appointing an exceptional candidate to implement the recently approved strategy which we hope will ensure CoachBright becomes a leading social mobility charity. 

I would like to thank Robin for all he has done since the inception of CoachBright to improve the life chances and unlock the potential of so many children. He leaves CoachBright in a position of significant strength and ready for the next phase of its development and growth.’

Robin Chu, founder and current CEO of CoachBright stated that, ‘It has been the biggest privilege to lead CoachBright. At our best, our interactions with young people can be the difference maker helping them push forward in school, that extra confidence to challenge for that university place or get the next step they want. 

I’m grateful to have played my part in founding the organisation and will be cheering on from the sidelines. Having led CoachBright since the age of 22, I believe now is the right time for me personally to move on. What a privilege its been! This will allow a brilliant leader to take us onto the next stage of our impact supporting young people. Onwards.’

Berwick Partners will be leading the search of our next CEO. If you are interested and would like to have a confidential conversation please email Will at William.Pringle@berwickpartners.co.uk directly. The Job Description for CoachBright CEO is also here.

BBC Spotlight - Social Mobility within the South West

Last Thursday saw the release of a landmark report exploring social mobility within the South West of England, conducted by researchers at the University of Exeter. The report, headed by Anne-Marie Sim and Lee Elliot Major, found that the South West has ‘the worst educational outcomes for disadvantaged young people in the country, and low social mobility compared with other areas.’ 

Some of the key research findings included: 

• School attainment gaps between poorer pupils and the rest are the largest of all English regions at the end of both primary and secondary school

• Just 40% of disadvantaged pupils attained a standard pass in GCSE English and Maths in 2019 compared with almost 60% in Inner London 

• 17% of disadvantaged students within the South West went on to university in 2018/19 – the lowest rate of all English regions – compared with 45% in London 

The report explored some of the reasoning behind the poor social mobility within the area, citing low earnings and poor pay, lower than average school funding, and the recruitment and retention challenges faced by schools located in rural areas. 

Professor Lee Elliott Major emphasised the importance of social mobility, stating that: "Improving social mobility is about ensuring that all people fulfil their potential and lead full lives in the communities they come from."

CoachBright was honoured to contribute towards this report, which suggested a university-led tutoring scheme targeted specifically towards disadvantaged pupils. Alongside other interventions such as flexible post-16 learning, a free 16-19 travel pass, and school-centred community hubs to provide support to under 21 year olds, coaching schemes such as CoachBright could play a vital role in improving social mobility across the region. 

Robin Chu, our CEO at CoachBright, stated that: ‘The fact is that social mobility within the South West is so poor is simply not good enough. We all have a responsibility to play in changing this and ensuring that those from disadvantaged backgrounds receive the support to lead the lives that they wish. At CoachBright, we are really excited to play our part in this by joining school pupils with our wonderful university student volunteers in order to boost their confidence, attainment, and prospects after school.’ 

Following the report, we were thrilled that BBC Spotlight joined us at West Exe school, based in Devon, to see one of our sessions in action and catch up with some of the brilliant young people that we work alongside.

Watch our BBC Spotlight feature here, as well as a link to a copy of the Social Mobility in the South West report here.

Coaches - You Shared, We Listened, Now Let’s Take Action

At the end of our Autumn term programmes, we asked our coaches to share their feedback and tell us what they’d like to see from CoachBright as we grow and develop as a charity. Here’s what we found and what we’re planning to do about it. 

We read through all the wonderful evaluation form responses and pulled out some key themes. Firstly, that having an impact on a pupil’s life and networking opportunities were coaches' main reasons for volunteering with us. Secondly, we can do more to support our coaches to plan their sessions during the programmes. 

Networking

What you shared:

When we asked what you would like to gain from a CoachBright community, the majority of our coaches said they want to meet people - whether to form friendships or professional connections.

What we’re doing about it:

We’ve introduced pre-programme Coach Coffees and Welcome to the programme calls to start to build those friendships and sense of community at the beginning of a programme.

We’re planning a series of end of term events across the country to connect you with other coaches in your region and our network of industry partners. Here, we’ll take a moment to celebrate the impact we’ve had over the last academic year thanks to coaches like you. 

Save the date:

• London - 31 May 2022

• Birmingham - 27 May 2022

• Exeter - 2 June 2022

More information to come - watch this space!

Session Planning

What you shared

On the whole, coaches reported feeling supported by your Programme Officer and Head Coach but the biggest area you wanted more support was in how to plan and deliver a session and more resources to help you do this.

What we’re doing about it

We’ve redesigned our Google Classroom to make it a comprehensive ‘Coach Handbook’ - let us know if there’s anything else you’d like to see here. We are also in the process of revising our training ready for next academic year.  

We’re planning a new approach to our ‘Mid-Programme Workshops’. These will be an open space for coaches to share feedback and advice with one another, to share what’s working well and what’s not and exchange creative activity and session ideas. We hope this informal roundtable discussion, led by all of you, will support you in your development as a coach.

Thank you to every single coach that took the time to complete our post-programme evaluation form at the end of last term. Your feedback is so valuable and is helping to shape the future of CoachBright. 

Teacher Spotlight Alexa Holt at King's Academy Prospect

By Ellis Carpenter, Programme Officer

Read on for the start of our series spotlighting schools and brilliant school coordinators who make the running of the programmes as impactful as possible. Our very own Ellis sits down with Alexa Holt, the More Able Student Co-Ordinator and History Teacher at King’s Academy Prospect to get her take on all things CoachBright. For the last 3 years, together we have been running our Peer to Peer programme where Year 12’s support Year 10’s.

How did you first hear about CoachBright and what we do?

Our Headteacher David Littlemore met CoachBright CEO Robin at a training event and was really impressed by the potential of the programme. Robin came into school with other CoachBright staff and launched the programme to our first cohort of Yr 12 and 10’s in Autumn 2019. I have co-ordinated the programme at school ever since.

What is a typical co-ordinator day like for you? Talk us through it.

Alongside my co-ordinator role I am also a history teacher. I fit in the organisation of CoachBright and other programmes with my teaching commitments. I keep things organised by sending a weekly update email to all staff and students involved so everyone is in the right place at the right time! Support staff help me in ensuring that everything is set up for CoachBright and the sessions can start on time, as soon as normal school lessons have finished. I really like catching up with the students and CoachBright programme officers - Shanon, Loui and Ellis- every week.

Prospect Year 12 example session resource for their English coaching

What has been your biggest win from coordinating so far?

When I arrive in the room after a busy teaching day to find that the coaches and coachees have already got themselves settled into pairs and are working together. I also love seeing the students at graduation when they reflect on how far they have progressed.

How has coordinating helped with your own professional development?

I have met lots of new people - both CoachBright staff and people at out local university. It has helped me develop my organisational skills, but mostly it has taught me not to underestimate what the students can do to help each other!

Why do you recommend others join CoachBright programmes?

CoachBright is a great benefit to both the coaches and coachees. I have had positive feedback from every student involved in the programme so far. I really like the fact it is so personal and allows the coachee to steer the topics and pace so they really feel the benefits.

Anything else you’d like to add?

I’m really proud of all our students who have taken part in CoachBright. They have all surpassed my initial expectations of what could be achieved.

In 2019 all our pairs worked successfully through the 7 weeks, making up any sessions missed during registrations and after school. In 2020 the pairs managed the additional challenge of online mentoring (due to Covid bubbles which meant that pairs couldn’t meet live). In 2021 we had our first set of coachees who became coaches. Wow! :-)

It is so lovely to see the potential teachers of the future delivering their first lessons!

CoachBright - National Tutoring Programme 2021/22

We are delighted to be an approved Tuition Partner of the National Tutoring Programme for 2021/22.

We know the effects Covid-19 is having on our most disadvantaged pupils and we are actively seeking out schools at secondary and primary level to partner with to ensure pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds receive the additional tuition they need.

Please feel free to email our CEO who is working with new partners at robin@coachbright.org or feel free to fill in the form at the bottom of this page. See below for some quick FAQ’s.

“The National Tutoring Programme with CoachBright has provided an exceptional service to the students of Bacon’s College particularly during the challenge of school closures and remote learning.

Tutoring sessions were delivered weekly to provide the students with the much needed opportunity to connect with a familiar and friendly face, and overcome difficulties that they may be facing in their chosen core subject.”

— Lionel Bush, Assistant Head, Bacon's College

WHO ARE WE?

At CoachBright we are an award winning social mobility organisation that exists to help young people from disadvantaged backgrounds become more independent and resilient so they can lead the lives they want.

We do this by running academic tutoring programmes with primary and secondary schools to help pupils improve their grades, confidence and independence.

WHERE DO WE WORK?

• West Midlands

• East Midlands

• South East

• London

• East of England

• South West

WHAT TYPES OF SCHOOLS CAN WE SUPPORT?

Primary mainstream and Secondary mainstream

WHAT MODES OF TUTORING DO WE OFFER?

1-2 online; 1-2 in person; 1-3 online, 1-3 in person.

WHAT SUBJECTS AND STAGES DO WE OFFER?

• English KS2

• English KS3

• English KS4

• Maths KS2

• Maths KS3

• Maths KS4

• Science KS3

• Science KS4

HOW MUCH DO SESSIONS COST?

• Secondary: Total cost for 15-hour block of tuition: £330

• Secondary: Cost to school of 15-hour block with NTP subsidy applied £99

• Primary: Total cost for 15-hour block of tuition: £300

• Primary: Cost to school of 15-hour block with NTP subsidy applied: £90

WHO ARE OUR TUTORS?

Trained university students and recent graduates who will tutor to the school’s curriculum.

All have DBS checks and safeguarding trained.

HOW DO WE RECRUIT OUR TUTORS?

Tutors must meet eligibility of having worked to a high level in their subject (either degree, A/B at A- level or A*/A at GCSE). They apply by filling out an application form. Then, attend an assessed training day. Tutors all agree to our safer recruitment policy and must pass a DBS.

HOW DO WE TRAIN OUR TUTORS?

Initial tutor training is a day long focussed on understanding our mission of working with disadvantaged pupils and making social mobility a reality, session planning, how to build relationships with pupils and safeguarding. We run ongoing CPD throughout the programme in subject-specific groups and open drop-ins to plan sessions with the CoachBright team.

HOW WILL WE COMMUNICATE WITH YOU?

Each school has an allocated CoachBright staff member who will support in identifying pupils, fixing dates for the programme and quality assuring sessions.

Throughout, schools input onto our online system topics for pupils to focus on and can see and provide feedback on how each individual session is going.

HOW WILL WE KEEP TRACK OF PUPIL PROGRESS?

We collect attainment data before and after programme to assess how CoachBright pupils do compared to those not on the programme in their tutored subject.

Throughout the programme, we collect pupil, tutor and teacher feedback.

All our information is shared with the school weekly and we provide an end-of-programme report.

CoachBright officially becomes a charity

We’re delighted to announce that the Charity Commission has approved our application to become a registered charity as CoachBright Charitable Trust. Our charity number is 1194092.

Set up in 2014, our vision is to create a world in which every young person’s destination is based on their choice, ambitions and talents, rather than their background.

Since then, CoachBright has supported thousands of disadvantaged pupils, across the country, improve their grades, confidence and independence which in turn will help make this vision a reality. This is reflected in the fact our disadvantaged pupils on average improve nearly half a grade more than their non-CoachBright peers from similar backgrounds in the same academic year.

In light of Covid-19, our work has become even more vital. As one of 33 National Tutoring Programme Tuition Partners, a Fair Education Alliance Intrapraneurship Award winner, and partnering with leading Multi Academy Trusts and Councils we are playing our part in making education fairer.

This is reflected also in our five appointed trustees who, as leaders in their industries, will be working to lead the governance and oversight of the organisation. These are:

• Qamar Riaz (Chair): Headteacher at King Edward VI Handsworth Wood Girls’ Academy

• Sasha Hardman: Global HR director at Allen & Overy

• Geoff Lane: Former partner at PwC and Vice-Chair at Earthwatch Europe

• Kelly Mcaree: Head of OTT Product Strategy & Transformation at Sky

• Muzna Mahmood: Finance Business Partner at Nuffield Health 

Robin Chu, CEO of CoachBright said: “Becoming a registered charity is the natural next step for us. As an organisation it will embed our social purpose. We exist to eliminate the postcode lottery in the UK and we know Covid-19 has impacted our most disadvantaged communities the most leading to greater inequality. As a charity we are able to widen the ways we can achieve our vision and it also means that we have a wider scope to support as many disadvantaged pupils as we can.”

Qamar Riaz, Chair of CoachBright said: “After a wide and extensive search I am pleased with both the diversity and calibre of our founding Trustees who have joined us at this important transition for CoachBright. During the recruitment process, all were able to demonstrate their unwavering commitment to social mobility and the transformative impact education can have on the life chances of disadvantaged children. I am looking forward to working with fellow Trustees, Robin and his team to deliver on our shared vision for the charity.”

If you would like more information, please contact Robin directly on robin@coachbright.org 

InSight Series Edition 4 - A look into a career in dentistry

ABOUT THE INSIGHT SERIES 

At CoachBright, we launched our InSight webinar series to help pupils to find out more about potential careers, routes and pathways into a range of fields and hear from those currently in a variety of roles across the country. 

In the midst of the pandemic and a very uncertain time, we believe that it’s even more important for pupils to get well-rounded and detailed careers advice so that they can make informed decisions about their future. 

While pupils aren’t able to attend careers events and visit workplaces, we aim to bring the workplace to them. We’ve embarked on a mission to cover as many careers as possible through engaging webinars with people passionate about sharing their experiences. 

Our first webinar kicked-off the series in December 2020 with  ‘InSight into the Civil Service’, with other instalments this year will include journalism, law, teaching, nursing, paramedicine, dentistry, tech and engineering.  

EDITION 4 - INSIGHT INTO DENTISTRY

In our fourth edition, we continued looking at careers within the medical field but this time had a spotlight on careers in dentistry with Sean, who works as a dental surgeon in a practice, a career to which he switched after working in engineering. 

As well as providing pictures that are surely to encourage you to maintain your brushing routine, Sean gave an insight into what it takes to become a dentist, what are the different roles available within a dental practice and what are the highlights of his day to day work.

If you’re considering a career in dentistry, please do give it a watch or a listen and if you have any questions you’d like us to ask Sean, submit them here and we can pass them on! Here is the link: http://bit.ly/insightdentistryvideo

To find out more about careers in the dental profession, have a look at the links below:

• https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/dental-team

• https://bda.org/advice/Documents/Careers%20in%20dentistry.pdf

Upcoming events

Next month, we are hosting an InSight into Law where we will be joined by a trainee solicitor who will share their experience of entering the profession. To sign up, please follow this link: https://bit.ly/insightlaw

Insight Series edition 3 - Nursing

This month in our February edition of the the InSight webinar series, we stayed within the work of the health profession and turned the spotlight to look at careers in Nursing. 

ABOUT THE INSIGHT SERIES 

At CoachBright, we launched our InSight webinar series to help pupils to find out more about potential careers, routes and pathways into a range of fields and hear from those currently in a variety of roles across the country. 

In the midst of the pandemic and a very uncertain time, we believe that it’s even more important for pupils to get well-rounded and detailed careers advice so that they can make informed decisions about their future. 

While pupils aren’t able to attend careers events and visit workplaces, we aim to bring the workplace to them. We’ve embarked on a mission to cover as many careers as possible through engaging webinars with people passionate about sharing their experiences. 

Our first webinar kicked-off the series in December 2020 with  ‘InSight into the Civil Service’, with other instalments this year will include journalism, law, teaching, nursing, paramedicine, dentistry, tech and engineering.  

EDITION 3 - INSIGHT INTO NURSING

In our third edition, we explored routes and a career in Nursing with Ash, who is currently working as a GP Practice Nurse and has worked in A&E and Oncology departments before.

Ash talked through her route into nursing from choosing to do BTECs, from choosing nursing over careers as a doctor or a paramedic whilst also joining the army reserve. 

Some key questions Ash gave insight on was: 

• What it is like to be a nurse (even giving us a sneak peek of the equipment used!)

• Her volunteering experience with St John’s Ambulance and working in a hospital

• Working as a nurse throughout the global pandemic and how that has affected how busy she is on a day to day basis

If you’re considering a career in nursing, please do give it a watch or a listen and if you have any questions you’d like us to ask Ash, submit them here and we can pass them on! Here is the link: http://bit.ly/insightnursingvid

Please also see below for links that would also be useful if you’re interested in getting into nursing

Infographic:

https://www.nhsemployers.org/-/media/Employers/Publications/Workforce-Supply/NurseSupplyInfographic-2019.pdf

NHS Employers Routes into Nursing info:

https://www.nhsemployers.org/your-workforce/plan/nursing-workforce/your-future-nurses 

Insight Series edition 2 - Medicine

“I’ve spent all of my time from 18-35 years old looking after people. That’s why I go to work - to look after people” 

Steve - Junior Doctor 

From blood and boats to exams and entry requirements, our January addition of the InSight webinar series took a look at careers in Medicine. 

About the InSight series 

At CoachBright, we launched our InSight webinar series to help pupils to find out more about potential careers, routes and pathways into certain fields and hear from those currently in a variety of roles across the country. 

In the midst of the pandemic, we believe that it’s even more important for pupils to get well-rounded and detailed careers advice so that they can make informed decisions about their future in what is otherwise a very uncertain time. 

While pupils aren’t able to attend careers events and visit workplaces, we aim to bring the workplace to them. We’ve embarked on a mission to cover as many careers as possible through engaging webinars with people passionate about sharing their experiences. 

Our first webinar kicked-off the series in December 2020 with  ‘InSight into the Civil Service’, with other instalments this year due to include journalism, law, teaching, nursing, paramedicine, dentistry, tech and engineering.  

Edition 2 - InSight into Medicine

In our second edition, we explored Medicine with Steve and Amber who are both currently working in hospitals in the West Midlands during the pandemic. 

Steve gave us a breakdown of what a night in the life of a junior doctor looks like as well as an unconventional route into medicine after getting B,C,C at A-level. 

Amber talked us through some common ups and downs of working as a doctor, whilst giving us some ideas of where people can take their career. Highlights included working as the solo doctor on a ship in Antarctica and medicine in the Honduran rainforest. 

“There’s a real scope to do whatever you want with medicine, that’s one of the things that is so good about it - everyone in the world needs a doctor” - Amber

Both doctors give a detailed and honest account of what studying medicine and working as a doctor is like. The webinar covers topics including pay, holidays, what to expect on a shift, exams to be taken, patients you might see and what it’s like sleeping during the day. 

If you’re considering a career in medicine (at any point) - we’d highly recommend a watch! 

LINK to webinar here

Watched and still have questions? 

We’re keen to answer as many questions as possible to help you find out the things you want to know. 

If you have anything that you’d like to ask Steve or anyone in medicine, please follow the link below to submit it to us and we’ll get an answer to you asap! 

SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS

Links to other editions of the InSight series

Here’s a list of all of our editions so far, and the links to access the webinar recordings:

Civil service

Medicine

Sixth Form whole trust wide partnership with Academies Enterprise Trust (AET)

One of the largest academy trusts in the country - Academies Enterprise Trust (AET) - is teaming up with us at CoachBright to help students from predominantly disadvantaged backgrounds progress to university.  

Sixth formers across all AET sixth forms will be paired with a university student to help improve their academic grades, confidence, independence and awareness of higher education. Sixth Form students will be tutored by a current undergraduate student from the academic discipline they are interested in.

Undergraduate tutors will support sixth form students with their academic studies as well as provide a personal insight into the university application system and student life.

AET and CoachBright had already successfully worked together in a pilot programme before Covid19 and are now rolling out this support across all of its Sixth Forms this academic year as we return not to a ‘new’ normal but to a ‘better’ normal. This collaboration is crucial in helping to inspire pupils about what is possible in the future and to make them aware of the pathways available.

The Education Policy Institute (EPI) announced in their Annual Report on Education in England that the disadvantage gap between those from poorer backgrounds and the rest is no longer closing and both AET and CoachBright are determined to work together to address this.

The university tutoring programme will consist of weekly after-school tutoring sessions, group workshops and a visit to a local university campus. All university students take part in a CoachBright training programme to make sure they are rigorously equipped to understand how to lead effective tutorials, build relationships with a young person and handle safeguarding concerns.

The students will be from universities across the country including the University of Oxford, University of Birmingham, University College London, King’s College London, Plymouth University and the University of Exeter. 

CoachBright has been running tutoring, coaching and leadership programmes in UK schools for six and half years. They mainly work across the West Midlands, South West and London area. Since March, CoachBright has been running online tutoring programmes to help young people through lockdown. The organisation also hopes to be part of the government’s National Tutoring Programme launching later this year.

David Hatchett, National Director of Secondary Schools at AET, said: “I am delighted that we are working in partnership with CoachBright to improve the life chances of the young people in our care. Supporting and increasing the number of our pupils, and particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, who progress to University is a key part of our five year strategy as we help inspire our pupils to lead a remarkable life. Tutoring and support from undergraduates who have themselves made the transition from sixth form to a high performing University will help raise our pupils’ aspirations of what is possible.  I am excited at the prospects of what we can achieve by working together”.

The CEO of CoachBright Robin Chu said: “It’s crucial that young people are given the support they need to catch up after being out of the classroom for six months. By being paired with a university student these young people will get extra academic tuition to improve their grades, receive support on choosing their next steps after school and gain further understanding on what university life is like.

“We are delighted to be supporting AET, a truly inclusive Trust, on their journey to helping as many young people achieve their future dream destinations at the university of their choice.”

For more information about the partnership please feel free to email Robin at robin@coachbright.org