Monday the 22nd of April saw the final mentoring session with Year 11 pupils take place in Pen-y-Dre High School.  Throughout February, March and April, Year 11 pupils have been supported and mentored by employers and staff from Dwr Cymru, Future Digital Education, Design and Supply, Aspire Apprenticeships, Tilbury Douglas, MTCBC and Merthyr Valleys Homes as they approach their external GCSE exams.

Pupils have been involved with 3 sessions covering topics such as SMART target setting, revision tips and writing revision timetables. Pupils conveyed how beneficial it has been to receive help and support from outside the school environment and from employers directly working within Merthyr Tydfil. It has also been hugely valuable for employers to understand the challenges faced by our young people and the pressures they experience in the run up to exam season. Annie Smith, Community Liaison Manager at Dwr Cymru, commented on how advantageous the programme had been and stated: “By the end of the programme a number of individuals had clearly gained from the support they were given.” It was also a wonderful full-circle experience for some of our mentors, in particular Leanne Williams, Helen Goode and Mark Boucher, who returned to Pen-y-Dre having been to the school themselves as pupils.

On behalf of the BETP, we would like to say a huge thank you to all employers involved in helping our pupils prepare for their exams and final stretch of Year 11. Pob lwc, pawb.