Reflections from our City Year Mentors at Duke’s Aldridge Academy

Just one month into the new school year, Team Inspiration is already making a meaningful impact at our partner school, Duke’s Aldridge Academy. Our City Year mentors have jumped straight into supporting students, both in and out of the classroom, helping them grow academically, emotionally, and personally. Along the way, they’re learning and growing too. Read on to hear their reflections and discover the powerful connections they’re building every day.

Shola-David, City Year Mentor:

“At Duke’s Aldridge Academy I really feel I made a significant difference amongst the year 11s, both in class and outside class. Even though it has only been three weeks of serving in school, I have seen the change and the growth with some of my students that I work closely with.

Some of my students, when I had first met them, where disruptive in class and were constantly truanting instead of going to lessons. But because I was once in year 11, I understood why they were acting how they were acting. So simply sitting with them and having a conversation about how I was when I was in secondary school and how I changed during the later years of school, really helped my students because they felt encouraged.

In terms of outside of class support – the way I supported my student was by reintroducing them to football again. Because they told me that they used to take the sport seriously but recently stopped. But as they were talking I could see that they missed the sport. So having small conversations about upcoming football games in the week and inviting to play two-touch during lunch pushed them to get more involved into football again.”

Yashasvi, City Year Mentor:

“I currently volunteer as a City Year mentor at Dukes Aldridge Academy, supporting Year 8 students with their academic progress, personal development, and wellbeing.

In this role, I guide students through challenges, help them build resilience and confidence, and encourage them to develop positive habits that will support their future success. Some students can be rebellious or hesitant to ask for help when they need it – and that’s where patience, consistency, and understanding become so important. By building trust, I can reach those who might otherwise hold back and give them the support they need to thrive.

It’s incredibly rewarding to see students grow in self-belief and to know I can play a part in their journey. At the same time, this role is helping me strengthen my own skills in leadership, communication, and mentorship – making it both a fulfilling and inspiring experience.”

Ellie, City Year Mentor:

“At Duke’s Aldridge Academy, I feel as though I am already making an impact during in-class support with both Year 9s & 10s. This was evident especially in the core subjects (e.g. Maths, Science).

Many of the classes I have been in have been relatively disruptive. However, it has been made clear to me that the reason for this is that many of the students do not understand the work but do not want to ask for help or just give up.

Simply approaching them in class and asking if they need help or getting them to explain to me what they are learning has been a very effective method in gauging the academic levels of these particular students and what they struggle with.”