London NHS scheme with schools improving grades – hospital

A programme providing insights into the workings of the NHS is improving school students’ grades, a south London hospital trust has said.

The trial project, run by Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and called Aspire 350, provides 40 local pupils in years 10 and 11 with “life skills and development opportunities”, a trust spokesperson said.

Since its launch with the three local schools last February, they said more than 50% of participating students had scored higher grades in their core subject areas.

One student, 15-year-old Vlada, who lives in south-east London, said: “The course becomes a part of who you are.”

The project, funded by Guy’s & St Thomas’ Charity, works with local secondary schools and a referral unit for pupils, who were identified by their schools as students who would benefit from the opportunity.

Its curriculum consists of weekly hour-long workshops delivered by NHS staff, local charities and businesses.

Vlada said the scheme had helped her feel part of her new school after moving from Ukraine two years ago.

She said: “It has led me to the career I want, and provides us with the basic survival skills for life.”

During the course, Vlada said she learned skills including financial management and first aid, and discovered that she wanted to study philosophy, politics and economics at university.

Thomas Soyemi, Vlada’s teacher and head of year 11 at one of the participating secondary schools, said he was “nervous” about disrupting his GCSE classes but said the scheme had been “amazing”.

Another student and aspiring architect, Breanna, said she had never considered a career in the NHS before taking part in the programme.

She visited St Thomas’ Hospital to see the variety of roles available within the NHS including engineering, paramedic work and catering.

Following her GCSEs, Breanna plans to sit her T-levels in digital business and then take up a career in architecture.

The 16-year-old, from Croydon, said: “The programme was quite life-changing, as it gives you an experience of how hospitals work, and makes you want to think of them as a career path as well.

“I can now look at hospital architecture as a career path too.”

Hayley Robinson-Allen, schools widening participation manager and project lead, said the scheme wanted students to think about all career paths but to educate them on “careers they didn’t know existed within the NHS”.