Mind the Gap students visit Linklaters

Students from the The Urswick School (formerly Hackney Free & Parochial) or The Petchey Academy enjoyed a day at City law firm, Linklaters with the opportunity to develop their work-related learning skills.

The 16 students are participants in the ‘Mind the Gap’ initiative run by Inspire! and funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation. It is designed to help children make a smooth transfer from primary to secondary school.

During the summer, having left their respective primary schools, the pupils attended drama workshops that culminated in a theatre performance at The Arcola Theatre. Recently, they came together again to watch a video of their theatrical piece. The Linklaters visit reunited them and showed them what it is like to work in a big City business.

The young people were given a tour of the building and were particularly impressed by the gymnasium and the ‘sleep pods’. Staff explained that employees involved on an important case or deal, sometimes, have to work round the clock but can grab a few hours’ sleep in the ‘pods’ that are like hotel bedrooms.

Next there was an enterprise challenge, undertaken with the help of Linklaters’ volunteers. Students were asked to design a T-shirt and come up with a plan and budget to manufacture, market and sell them, all set against a budget of £12,000. Divided into four teams, the budding entrepreneurs then had to pitch their ideas to the rest of the group.

“It costs £2 each to make our t-shirts and we’re going to make a big profit by selling them for £5,” said 12 year-old Bobbie Riddick, now an Urswick School pupil.

Asked what he liked best about the day, Petchey Academy’s Zahid Bajuny was quick to respond. “I liked the tour best. We went to the conference room and saw four different screens showing four different countries.”

Filling in their evaluation forms after the event, one student wrote: ‘Lots of things surprised me today. Mostly about the building and what happens.’ Another said they had learned that ‘you have to work with people you don’t get along with’.

The students will be supported with access to mentors throughout next term and encouraged to start enterprise projects in their schools.