Dame Rachel de Souza visit to Scunthorpe

When the Children’s Commissioner for England, John Leggott Alumni Dame Rachel de Souza, returned Scunthorpe recently, her visit highlighted something that matters deeply to us at John Leggott College: giving young people the knowledge, support and opportunities they need to shape their own future.

Rachel grew up in Scunthorpe and returned to the town as part of her work on The Big Future, speaking to children and young people about their hopes, ambitions and concerns about the future. During her visit, she met young apprentices at British Steel before visiting John Leggott College to hear directly from our students.

Her reflections on the visit provide an important insight into what young people need from education and the world of work.

Helping young people see what is possible

One of the themes running through Rachel's visit was the importance of young people feeling that they can make a difference.

Speaking with apprentices at British Steel, she heard how much they valued being part of a team, learning practical skills and becoming people that others could rely on. One young apprentice described wanting to become someone with the knowledge and experience to support the next generation.

That idea of finding your place, developing your skills and becoming confident in what you can contribute is something we see every day at JLC.

Young people do not always arrive at college knowing exactly what they want to do. Sometimes their plans change. Sometimes they discover a career they had never considered. Sometimes they need help understanding which qualifications will take them towards the future they have in mind. Our role is to help them explore those possibilities.

Education that connects to the future

During her visit to John Leggott College, Rachel spoke with students and apprentices about their experiences and the support they receive.

She heard from Ellie, an apprentice who had changed their career plans, explored different opportunities and found new directions. 

For us, this is an important part of education - there is no single route to a successful future. What matters is having the information, guidance and opportunities to make informed choices along the way.

Rachel also heard from students about the importance of understanding which qualifications connect to the careers they are interested in. This is a key part of the support we provide at JLC, helping students understand not just what they can study, but where those choices could take them.

From our careers guidance and enrichment programme to subject-specific opportunities, university preparation, employer engagement and specialist support such as our Medicine, Veterinary and Dentistry provision, we want students to leave us with a clearer sense of what their next step could look like.

Creating opportunities to discover your future

Sometimes it takes an experience outside the classroom to help a young person discover what they really want.

During her visit, Rachel de Souza heard from a student who had been able to explore her future through an overseas opportunity. Experiences such as these can help students develop confidence, broaden their horizons and discover possibilities that may previously have felt out of reach.

That is why opportunities beyond the curriculum are such an important part of life at JLC. Our students have opportunities to work with employers, visit universities, take part in competitions and enrichment activities, explore careers and develop skills that complement their qualifications.

We also recognise that young people do not all follow the same route. Our work with electively home educated students and families is another example of how education can provide a pathway back into learning, helping young people access tutoring, examinations and the support they need to move forward.

There is no limit to what young people can achieve

Rachel's visit also brought together two important parts of Scunthorpe's future: education and employment.

Her reflections on the young people she met at British Steel and at John Leggott highlight the importance of giving young people both knowledge and opportunity.

For us, this is at the heart of what we do.

We want every student who comes through our doors to have the opportunity to discover their strengths, explore their interests and build the confidence to pursue their own hopes, dreams and aspirations.

That might mean university. It might mean an apprenticeship, employment or further training. It might mean changing direction along the way. Whatever their destination, our job is to help students understand that their future is theirs to shape.

As Rachel reflected after her visit to Scunthorpe, there is no limit to what young people from this community can achieve. We could not agree more!