Earlier this term we had the National Citizenship Service come in to remind students in Yr10 & 11 about the fantastic opportunity that awaits them once they finish their exams in the summer term. The National Citizen Service (NCS) is open to all 16 and 17-year-olds in England. It helps young people build their skills for work and life, while they take on new challenges and meet new friends.

The programme is broken down into four phases:

• In phase one you spend a week at an outdoor activity centre taking part in a range of adventurous activities to help you bond as a team.
• Phase two involves spending the week at a residential centre (usually Hartpury College) where you are trained in the skills you’ll find invaluable for the next phase and life beyond.
• Phases three and four involve taking part in a team project that will help your community.

NCS brings together young people from different backgrounds and helps them develop greater confidence, self-awareness and responsibility. It encourages personal and social development by working on skills like leadership, teamwork and communication.

Participants develop a social action project to deal with a local issue they’re passionate about, and spend 30 hours putting the project into action in their community.

If you're interested visit the NCSyes site and sign up to receive more information and details of how to get involved.