Tyneside

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

Smiling person in a gray sweater standing indoors against a light curtain backdrop

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

Our Activity in Tyneside

Two people crouch over a white circle on a carpet, using a smartphone and touching a small object.

Robot challenges at the University of Sunderland

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Group of people standing beside a white van in a gravel lot on a cloudy day

Yellow robot dog on blue carpet beside three people in a room, with posters on the wall.

Students control Bernard the robotic dog at the University of Sunderland

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Man in a red shirt speaking into a microphone at an indoor event, with audience and banner behind him

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.