Year 11

Year 11 girls really enjoyed their afternoon at Bolton Lads and Girls Club in March, where they have been encouraged to take part in National Citizen Service; it is a scheme for school pupils aged sixteen and above, offering young people a chance to develop themselves and their citizenship skills outside of school time. A key aim of the programme is to engage young people in volunteering by showing them that it is something fun that can also benefit them. Pupils taking part in NCS are placed in groups alongside other young people from schools around Bolton: each group therefore has a unique mix of students, and offers the participants the chance to make new friends. The groups take part in a residential outdoor pursuits week, also involving team-building activities, to get to know one another and build their confidence. They are given a taste of university life with a second residential week in halls at the University of Bolton; this gives them the opportunity to learn life skills and find out about the issues facing the local community. During the final two weeks of NCS, the group plans and delivers their own community project, which counts as 40 hours of volunteering.