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A group of Year 9 students from Westminster City School visited Mills & Reeve LLP on Tuesday 13 October for a mentoring session as part of the Envision programme, where they worked with professionals from the company to develop their communication, teamwork and problem-solving skills.

Students were introduced to their mentors through a series of activities designed to encourage conversation and build confidence. Working in small groups, they demonstrated active listening, asking follow-up questions and taking an interest in what others had to say.

The programme is designed to help them focus on four essential skills: creativity, communication, teamwork and determination. During this session, students concentrated on communication and how asking thoughtful questions can lead to better conversations and stronger working relationships.

Reflecting on the session, Year 9 student, Zack said:

"The mentors were really nice. I enjoyed the questioning activity and learnt how to ask more questions to get to know someone. It was good to put into action what we did which included speaking to lots of different people."

Jasiyah really enjoyed the opening activity. He shared the following:

"I enjoyed the carousel activity and coming up with questions to ask because it helped us get to know each other better. The necessary skills are really important."

Students also began planning their social action project which included choosing to address littering and encourage greater care for the school environment. Working alongside their mentors, they discussed how to turn their ideas into a practical plan by breaking the project into smaller and manageable steps.

Eshaan said:

"I learnt how to start a plan by breaking it down into small steps. I enjoyed communicating with other people and being able to express our ideas for our project."

The mentors at Mills & Reeve were also very pleased with the students' contributions and mentioned how they confidently engaged in discussions as the session progressed.

Ms Allen, Inclusion Manager at Westminster City School had lots of positive feedback for the group. She said:

"Congratulations and well done to all students on their conduct and engagement throughout the trip. Although some students were initially nervous, they soon settled into the activities and impressed their mentors with their willingness to participate. It was truly a pleasure to take them."

Now that the project is up and running, students will be putting their ideas into action as they consider how to reduce littering and encourage everyone to take greater responsibility for the school environment.