We were pleased to welcome Jack Hayes from More Radio back to Durrington for a fantastic Year 10 assembly. Jack spoke openly and engagingly about kindness, confidence and dreaming big, building on the foundations our students explored when they first began the Dare to Dream programme in Year 9. His ability to connect these themes to real experiences really resonated, and the year group responded brilliantly.

This assembly also marks the start of the next phase of the programme. Over the coming term, a group of our Year 10 students will be working closely with the incredible volunteers from Southern Water, who are generously giving their time to mentor and support them. These sessions will help students think about their strengths, goals and futures in a practical and meaningful way.

Dare to Dream continues to be a key part of our wider personal development and careers offer, and we are grateful to all involved for helping to create such valuable opportunities for our students. 

Last week we also welcomed Adam Virgo from the Love Local Jobs Foundation, who presented to Year 8 on the themes of self belief, resilience and dreaming big. Adam spoke about his journey to becoming a professional footballer for clubs including Brighton and Celtic, and how his resilience after a career ending injury at 29 led him into new areas of the game such as commentating and coaching.

Students had the opportunity to ask questions at the end, and we are very thankful to Adam and the Love Local Jobs Foundation team. Any students inspired by the ideas shared can visit the careers library at break times for support with their future plans. We hope the session inspires students to work hard, try new things and believe in what they can achieve.