According to a study conducted by the National Literacy Trust, children who grow up in homes with fewer than 10 books achieve lower scores on reading tests and are less likely to go on to further education. As I reflect on my own upbringing, my home was one of those with few books, yet I am not a product of that environment. Despite the odds, I persevered and transformed from a disengaged student to a passionate advocate for education. Today, as I pursue my master's degree and work in education management, I am driven to empower young people to believe in their potential and achieve their dreams. Looking back on my journey, I realise that it was the small moments that led me to where I am today.
I’ll be the first to admit that I wasn't the easiest student to deal with in school, but to be fair, the school wasn't exactly designed with students like me in mind. I never shied away from expressing my disdain for the educational system, which I saw as nothing more than a glorified prison. As I walked the corridors of my hometown secondary school in 2014, I couldn't shake the feeling that I did not belong there, and that things needed to change. For years, this small town had been the only home I had ever known, a place where everyone knew each other's name and the boundaries of our dreams were defined by the limits of our surroundings. Five years have passed since I left school in 2018, yet the same challenges that once weighed heavily on me still linger in most students ’daily lives.
At school, I felt like we were just going through the motions. The rules seemed pointless and arbitrary, and we were discouraged from expressing our individuality. It was like we were just sheep, blindly following along with whatever the system told us to do. As a working-class student, I felt like I didn't fit in anywhere, the students at my school were either struggling in poverty or solidly middle-class, with very little in between. Teachers told me I only needed to be concerned with passing, and at home, I saw that people like me left school at 16 and 'just got a job.' With no real sense of direction or guidance, I began to lose sight of my aspirations and accept that this was simply my lot in life.
However, a turning point came when I found support from some unexpected allies: my teachers. Rather than dismiss my grievances, they listened to me and even encouraged me to use my voice to effect change. With their guidance and support, I began to channel my energy in more positive ways, working to make changes in my school and community. Unlike my peers, who had their educational journey planned before they were born, I knew that every step would be a challenge. For me, the first step was simply passing my GCSEs so that I could secure a place in sixth form. It wasn't easy, but with the help of my teachers and a newfound sense of determination, I was able to exceed my own expectations and achieve the grades I needed.
Becoming a student leader was not something I would have ever signed up for on my own. It was an opportunity with Schools of Tomorrow (www.schoolsoftomorrow.org) that was presented to me by my teachers and that I almost turned down out of fear and self-doubt. Schools of Tomorrow is a mutual social enterprise, owned and led by its member schools, and open to all schools who share a strong commitment to transforming education, including by empowering young people to lead change in their schools and communities.