I began tutoring GCSE maths students on a weekly basis at Holloway School five years ago. I decided to volunteer primarily because it is a chance to do something different, away from the corporate world, and to hopefully make a positive contribution to society.
Each week I work with between one and three students, providing focused support on the more challenging aspects of the maths syllabus and feedback on mock exam questions. To begin with, many of the students either lack confidence in their abilities, or haven’t had enough time to focus on fundamentals before moving on to more advanced concepts. However, with the focused support that these tutoring sessions provide, most students are able to progress from borderline C/D grades to safe C or even B grades.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the Born to Be programme: it’s been a great opportunity to give something back to society and do something different from the day-to-day grind. The experience also inspired me to become a governor at my local primary school.
My best memories are of light bulb moments: when students see the link between two ideas they hadn’t previously connected, or when they tentatively mutter an answer they’re not sure about but which turns out to be right. It’s a great feeling.
The mentoring programme is run in partnership with Deutsche Bank’s youth engagement programme, Born to Be. Employee volunteers are matched with 11-15 year olds in schools across London and Birmingham to coach them in either maths, English, foreign languages or financial literacy. Volunteers provide essential one-to-one or group support to build skills, knowledge and change attitudes, helping to break down barriers faced by young people moving from education into employment.