Tyneside

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We have been working in Tyneside since 2015.


Last year we supported over 90 Future Leaders to realise their potential and plan pathways to their ambitions.

Our partner schools in Tyneside

  • Burnside College   
  • Churchill Community College 
  • George Stephenson High School   
  • Longbenton High School 
  • North Gosforth Academy   
  • Excelsior Academy 
  • Newcastle 6th Form College 

The opportunity to do a residential and to work together with people I’d never met before, especially now that I am at university where that is a major factor in all my course modules. Having already experienced that, doing it at uni has been a lot more comfortable. Again, I also just think my mentoring and coaching sessions throughout my A levels were so valuable.

Caitlin

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My experience with Villiers Park has undoubtedly given me more confidence and improved my communication skills, especially within leadership challenges. It has definitely opened my mind as to what career paths are within my reach which, in turn, has given me so much more motivation and determination to aim higher and to do well and succeed in everything I do.

Elana

The thing I like most about the programme is the bank of opportunities you are offered and signposted. If your coach doesn’t know something they will go away and research it for you and they offer support every step of the way.

Abgail

Before I started on the Future Leaders Programme, I didn’t see myself going to uni. I was planning to join the RAF after sixth form, but through my conversations with Alex I realised that might limit my options later on. I still don’t think I’d have done it without help choosing a uni or with my personal statement - things like that. My parents didn’t go to uni so they couldn’t really help with the process or informing me about what it would be like, and they were really worried about the financial impact.

Lewis

The opportunity to do a residential and to work together with people I’d never met before, especially now that I am at university where that is a major factor in all my course modules. Having already experienced that, doing it at uni has been a lot more comfortable. Again, I also just think my mentoring and coaching sessions throughout my A levels were so valuable.

Caitlin

My experience with Villiers Park has undoubtedly given me more confidence and improved my communication skills, especially within leadership challenges. It has definitely opened my mind as to what career paths are within my reach which, in turn, has given me so much more motivation and determination to aim higher and to do well and succeed in everything I do.

Elana

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Our Activity in Tyneside

Why Tyneside?

In Tyneside, young people from under-represented backgrounds face a persistent gap in educational attainment compared to their peers. The North East has the lowest higher education entry rate in England (32% in 2021), and recent exam results show this gap is widening between the North and South of the country. Challenges like high unemployment, low household income, under-resourced schools, and limited access to technology deepen these disparities. 

Our Tyneside Team

By Bronagh Sumner April 25, 2025
In September 2024, we were thrilled to have Emma Cross join our team as a Progression Coach in Hastings and Bexhill. Before working at Villiers Park, Emma worked as a teacher across multiple schools in East Sussex and internationally. What does your role entail? As a Progression Coach, my role involves supporting young people across Hastings and Bexhill ?" especially those from underrepresented backgrounds ?" in achieving their academic and career aspirations. I provide one-to-one sessions to help students develop confidence, resilience and goal setting skills as well as supporting students in identifying their strengths, interests and potential career pathways. This support could either be through university and apprenticeship applications, personal statements, interview preparation, internships or other alternative career pathways. I have also been involved in organising and delivering workshops around applying for university and managing exam anxiety. What did you do before coming to Villiers Park? I spent some time in Hong Kong studying and teaching English at a local primary school. Throughout my time teaching, I discovered a passion for learning about education in international contexts, so I decided to study a MA in International Education and Development at the University of Sussex. From this, I gained valuable insights on the impact of globalisation on education policy and practice. I also volunteered with the Hastings Sierra Leone Friendship Link, where I had the opportunity to travel to Hastings, Sierra Leone, and work with some amazing individuals, focusing on developing education and healthcare around the surrounding areas of Freetown. What is your biggest project at the moment? My biggest project now is supporting our Future Leaders with their Leadership Challenge projects. I spend a lot of time working with groups, supporting them with their project proposals and implementation. We have some great projects this year, such as a community beach clean, a research presentation around A-Level Law, teaching a Year 7 PE lesson and a whole school football tournament. What is the biggest challenge you are currently facing in your role? The biggest challenge I am currently facing is finding local and contextual apprenticeship and work experience opportunities for our Future Leaders. Hastings and Bexhill have a limited offering for these opportunities, so it makes it difficult for our Future Leaders to feel motivated and involved in apprenticeships. What is your favourite part about your job? My favourite part of the job is seeing the direct impact you have on students’ confidence and aspirations. Watching students grow and see them go from uncertain about their future to feeling empowered and motivated and building strong relationships with young people and being their trusted mentor who helps them navigate challenges. Also, knowing that your work is making a real difference in creating social mobility and giving students access to opportunities, like university insight days, they might not have had otherwise. What is a book you will always recommend? This is How You Lose the Time War, by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone ?" high science fiction meets with poetic love literary! If you could travel to anywhere in the world, where would you go? It has always been my dream to go to Japan! I’m fascinated by the culture and landscape ?" and Japanese food is my favourite!? Or New Zealand to see all the different locations where they filmed the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Who are your two dream dinner party guests? Wow! So many people I would choose... but I would have to go with Chino Moreno from the band Deftones ?" just so I can talk about all the things I love about his music! And Hakuri Murakami to talk all things literature. What would your perfect weekend look like? A perfect weekend would be brunch in my favourite cafe (must have good coffee!), a sunny walk around the South Downs with the dogs, ending up in a pub with good friends, food and a band!
By Bronagh Sumner April 25, 2025
Villiers Park and Roku, a pioneer in TV streaming, are proud to be working together to inspire the next generation of leaders in STEM, technology and entertainment.
September 23, 2024
In July, we were thrilled to hold our 2nd Year 10 residential at the University of Bath. This year 81 Future Leaders from our hubs across the country travelled to Bath, some by coach and some by ...
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