Oppidan Education supports children through one to one mentoring. They believe that a good education starts with a focus on confidence and resilience and that every child should benefit from mentoring.

On Tuesday the 8th of October a group of mentors from the London based mentoring organisation went along to KEVICC in Totnes to hold their ‘ROC Workshop’ focusing on readiness, oracy and character.  The following day, Wednesday, 9th October, they brought the workshop to Coombeshead Academy, engaging students in the same impactful programme.

The aim of the workshop is to help students to feel motivated and self-aware, able to think confidently about who they are, what they want to achieve and belief in themselves to make it there.

Keir Starmer has previously promised to weave oracy through a new national curriculum, claiming that speaking skills are critical for children’s future success.  The Prime Minister has spoken about how developing  good oracy skills improves academic attainment, alongside helping children overcome shyness or anxiety.

Poorer children in the South West have the worst educational outcomes in the country – from their early years to A-level results – the South West Social Mobility Commission has warned.  The Commission’s recent report also states that low social mobility in the South West needs to be urgently addressed.

The mentoring sessions were the first held by Oppidan Education in the South West region.  Each day involved 80 students from Years 9 and 10, who came from 6 different local schools. 

The mentors are  impressive educationalists with interesting backgrounds and achievements in their own right.  Those visiting Devon included:

• A fully trained actor with a Masters in History from Oxford
• An Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
• A former TV production apprentice at the BBC who has also taught in Bali

Oppidan Education has provided mentors for children in many different countries and worked closely with Eton College. 

Matthew Shanks, CEO of Education South West said:

“I am so pleased that the mentors from Oppidan Education chose to visit Education South West schools for their first time working in the South West.  Too often the region is overlooked; the challenges families face here unseen.

“It will take more than an academic education to help address the social mobility issues in the region.  It’s important that schools work with leaders across the public, private, voluntary and charitable sectors to help make sure that young people in Devon today have all the life chances they deserve.”

Henry Faber, Co-Founder of Oppidan Education said:

“We couldn’t be more delighted to be travelling to the South West for the first time.  Oppidan Education has been focused on boosting character, oracy and readiness skills for students around the world since 2016.  With these core outcomes evermore needed in our school system here, we’re proud to share our mentors as a valuable resource to schools and their families.”