Inspire!’s reputation is attracting work from other boroughs

Inspire! continues to win work outside of Hackney as our reputation grows. We have already secured contracts with Camden to deliver work-related learning activities, including work experience placements for schools. This has recently been supplemented by a request to work with young people in Camden who are NEET (not in education, training or employment).

Last week (18-22 Nov), our primary team helped Newham Education Business Partnership to deliver ‘Work Week’ at Keir Hardie Primary School, Canning Town. Work Week is an innovative programme developed by Inspire! for primary school children. It offers a whole week of themed activities and lesson plans, tailored to different year groups and centred around jobs and the skills needed to do them.

Among the activities, which included visits to Tate & Lyle and law firm, Clifford Chance, was a trip to the offices of Crossrail by 30 Year 1 pupils.

The children, aged five and six, loved the ride up in the lifts to the 28 floor where they were met by Crossrail staff and volunteers. A tour of the offices was followed by a talk about the Crossrail project.

Pupils then had the chance to be architects, engineers and construction staff themselves using raw spaghetti and play dough to build bridges and to design their own train station, deciding which facilities to include inside.

Alice Kestell, Programme Manager, at Inspire! said: “The Work Week connection with Keir Hardie came about because a member of staff used to teach at a school in Hackney and was keen to introduce the programme at Newham. As this was not an initiative that Newham EBP currently delivers, we were able to offer them our support. We are delighted that they are taking the programme forward, delivering Work Week to three more schools this academic year – and with plans to roll out the programme to more primary schools next year.”