As part of the Leadership Academy at Woodham Academy, Year 9 and 10 students have been taking part in a variety of workshops with North East Collaborative Outreach Programme (NECOP). These have predominately focused on educating students about their future employability skills. NECOP helped to raise student’s aspirations by demonstrating the options for higher education at a range of Universities. Throughout the session, staff highlighted the range of courses available and students were then able to research appropriate pathways in relation to their future aspirations. Engagement was high and students thoroughly enjoyed these sessions.

Furthermore, within the Leadership Academy, Year 10 students have participated in workshops with guest speakers such as Mervyn Lyn, a famous music producer who has worked with artists all over the world. Students were inspired to hear about Mervyn’s life and how he followed his ambition by totally changing his initial career path. He captivated the audience with his speech and engaged the students by encouraging them to follow their passions alongside their career paths.