Liverpool encourages students to make the most of their summer
SUPPORTING views from 200 secondary
school teachers across the UK as part of a study from National Citizen Service (NCS),
Paul Dickinson agrees that students who have tried something new during the
school holidays have a more positive attitude , and are more focused than their
peers on returning to school. He also often sees students who have not kept
themselves occupied over the holidays and agrees they can be less productive and
find it difficult to concentrate when they return to school.
Paul supports hundreds of teachers across the country, including stars of
Channel 4's Educating the East End and Educating Essex, who are encouraging
teens to reset after an intensive academic year and instead seek new and
exciting opportunities. He recommends taking part in National Citizen Service (NCS),
a 2 to 3 week programme for 15 to 17 year olds across England and Northern Ireland,
offering fun and discovery, whilst developing skills for work and life.
Paul Dickinson says:- "Having experienced a challenging year at school,
[insert location] students should be using the summer to let off some steam and
have fun in order to be fully prepared and refreshed for the year ahead.
However, this doesn't mean their development needs to stall. There are many
valuable lessons that students learn outside the classroom that impact, not only
their performance when they return to school, but their life beyond that too.
We all remember just how inspiring school holidays can be. I'd urge teens to use
their freedom to harness the opportunity the summer brings through experiences
like NCS, a programme we recommend at Archbishop Beck that is open to all 15 to 17
year olds across Liverpool. The programme which offers 2 to 3 weeks of fun and
discovery gives teens the chance to make new friends, grow in confidence and
learn valuable work and life skills, helping them to re-focus their minds ahead
of the new term."
The research from NCS amongst 1,000 teens shows despite opportunities like NCS
being available to them, more than 4 in 10 students expect to run out of things
to do and 1 in 3 are already experiencing:- "FOMO" (fear of missing out)
towards their friends' plans. On average, teens will cost their parents more
than £500 over the 6 week holiday period, despite planning to spend 84 hours
lying in, 75 hours watching Netflix and 44 hours taking selfies.
NCS is open to 15-17 year olds in England and Northern Ireland and takes place
outside of term time in a 2 or 3 week full time programme focused around fun and
discovery, plus 30 hours committed to a community project that benefits both
young people and society. Teenagers on NCS build skills for work and life, while
taking on new challenges and adventures, making new friends, and contributing to
their community. The programme is recognised by UCAS and helps teens frame their
skills and experiences for interviews and university applications. Government
backing means that it costs £50 or less to take part, with bursaries available
for those who need them.
Advice from teachers on how teenagers can best use the summer holidays:-
1. Socialising in person rather than online (46%)
2. Having fun and discovering new experiences (45%)
3. Taking up challenging activities (38%)
4. Interacting with new people and making new friends (30%)
5. Learning new skills (28%)
6. Attending youth programmes offering fun and new challenges with new people their own age (27.5%)
7. Taking up or continue sports to help channel their energy through the summer (25%)
8. Volunteering in the local community (24.5%)
9. Holidays or excursions with family (24%)
10. Work experience/employment (24%)
The NCS summer programme is open now, for further information or to sign your teenager up, visit:- ncs-yes.co.uk.
