Spring term 2026
January
January began on a strong note for our Young Leaders as they dived into the ‘Insight into Law’ session led by lawyer, Tishiloh, who is an inspirational role model. Through engaging discussions and activities, the students have been learning about young people’s rights, how the UK legal system works and how laws shape our everyday lives.
Junior team challenge – bridge building literally and metaphorically!
They also explored how Parliament operates, gaining an understanding of the roles of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, how laws are debated and passed, and the importance of democracy and representation. The session encouraged thoughtful questions and helped the students begin to see how the law can influence fairness, responsibility and decision-making in the UK.
The Young Leaders also learnt about financial literacy, learning valuable skills about managing money. These sessions introduced the importance of saving, understanding bank and savings accounts and making responsible financial decisions. The Young Leaders have shown great interest in planning for the future and how good money habits can help them achieve their goals.
In addition, they have been developing their enterprise skills. They explored ideas around creativity, problem solving and how small ideas can grow into meaningful projects or initiatives. These sessions encouraged the students to think confidently, work collaboratively and develop a mindset that values initiative and innovation.
February
Our online ‘Ambition’ session included talks from EYLA Alumni sharing their experiences of higher education and pathways to employment – Big thanks to Iyanu (chemical engineer), Keza (doctor) and Jemimah (on a degree apprenticeship in network engineering with Arup).
Eastside Boys’ Group at Woodrow High House – personal development “each day, every day!” (Hoodies thanks to The Black Heart Foundation).
During Half-Term one of the highlights of the week was an introduction to coding, where the young leaders were given the opportunity to explore the basics of computer programming. Coding helps children develop logical thinking, problem-solving skills and creativity as they learn how to give instructions to a computer in order to make things happen. During the session, the Young Leaders were especially excited to design and build their own car racing game using coding, applying what they had learned to create something dynamic and interactive.
The Young Leaders also took part in a range of games and creative writing activities, encouraging teamwork, imagination and communication. These sessions provided a great balance between learning and enjoyment, allowing the students to express their ideas while working collaboratively with their peers.
Our Boys’ Group continues to thrive and has been a fantastic source of connection and growth. They enjoyed an exciting residential at Woodrow House, which was filled with energy, laughter and meaningful learning experiences. The trip provided a wonderful opportunity for the boys to strengthen friendships, take part in team-building activities and develop resilience and confidence in a new environment.
When you realise the team-building exercise didn’t mention the mud spa upgrade… and now there’s no elegant way out.
Young leader thinking: ‘This is NOT in my job description… but here we go!’
They came, they saw, they… actually made fire!
That moment when you question every life decision… right before jumping anyway.
March
The Leadership Coaching group run by Justin Muston from Rugby School, continues to go from strength to strength. Through guided reflection, discussion and personal goal setting, the Young Leaders are digging deeper into their own self-improvement journeys.
Seniors in discussion mode: "Future leaders in action — solving the world’s problems one debate at a time."
These sessions have been helping students to develop self-awareness, build positive habits and recognise the power they have to shape their own futures while building their confidence.
The second half of the Spring Term has been focussed on different types of ‘Communication’ - learning how to make clear, concise announcements with confidence while connecting effectively with the audience. This led on to persuasive writing in preparation for an exciting debating experience plus code switching and monologue workshops!