FEATURED SCHOOL: ST.GREGORY’S CATHOLIC COLLEGE, BATH

With help of the local E.B.P., Work  Related Learning teacher, Martin Gailey and I organized a “mock interview” day for year 11 students. Interviewers were asked to rate candidates according to 10 criteria. As a result 4 groups of students were identified with contrasting training needs.

• Students who knew their chosen career paths but not how to research a job before interview.
• Students who needed training in C.V. and business letter writing.
• Students who needed help to raise their self confidence and aspirations.
• Students who scored high in all 10 criteria were selected for advanced leadership training.

This group, called the Head Start group, have been partnered with year 7 students helping them plan homework and work presentation. They are also helped to feel more at home at St.Gs  by getting them more involved in school activities. Each member of the Head Start group meets once a week with his/her “buddy” for an informal discussion. The outcomes of these meetings are shared weekly with BWJ who coaches them in how to ask questions that:

• Encourage younger students to open up to them.
• Avoid vague or evasive responses.

• Reading between the lines: what lies behind an answer rather than accepting it at face value.
• Exploring a person’s motivation. What’s in it for him? Distinguishing negative and positive motivation.
• Encouraging the “buddy” to come up with ideas of her own, rather than offering solutions all the time.
• How to achieve “buy in” from your buddy. People do things for their reasons, not yours.

These 4 projects are running in parallel throughout the year. A consultant’s retainer fee  was paid to BWJ to cover training for a whole academic year. In spite of the whole amount  being