Pupils from Osmani Primary School, Barham Primary School, Larkswood Academy and Parsloes Primary, together accompanied by their teachers, families and proud mentors came together at the event held at the London offices of global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright to celebrate their achievements and share their experiences in taking part in the Mosaic Primary School Programme.
Keynote speakers on the day were Co-Founder of Muslim Women Connect, Board Secretary and Young Peoples Advocate at the EY Foundation, Noreen Niazi and Norton Rose Fulbright’s very own April Birring.
One mother in particular, whose daughter Alysia attends Parsloes Primary School shared a particularly touching story on the day of just how much the programme has had such a positive impact on her daughter:
“I genuinely can’t thank Mosaic enough for what it has done for Alysia. Before the programme she had such a defeatist attitude to everything and would just give up so easily. But now! Not just me but everyone else around her has been noticing the difference in her. She asks more questions, she sees anything she does through till the end, she shows more interest and even her teachers were so positive at her parents evening just recently. I couldn’t be more grateful” said Lydia. “She loves her mentor and I couldn’t recommend the programme enough!”
Haleema Ali, Education Executive responsible for the South and compere on the day, said: “The primary school graduation ceremony today was such a delight! I saw a massive change in the students, many of whom at the start of the Mosaic mentoring programme were very shy, but now they were exuding in confidence. It was heart-warming seeing the students perform their presentations – we even had a Mosaic song performed, which certainly triggered some tears in the room!”
Mentor at Larkswood Primary School, Holly Bathgate was delighted to join her school and fellow mentees on the day: “The kids really did look amazing collecting their certificates in their caps and gowns!” She said: “The highlight for me was seeing how proud the parents were!”
Mosaic’s primary school mentoring programme aims to raise aspirations of young people, and to help empower their parents so that they are better able to support their children fulfil their potential. Volunteer mentors from professional backgrounds act as role models to the pupils and encourage them to aspire to careers in a range of different sectors.
You can learn more about the programme and how you can get involved as a volunteer mentor here.
Having written a film about Muslims and Jews - which involved, whilst working with members of both communities, discovering what a fantastically creative space exists in the arena of interfaith relations - I support everything Mosaic have done and is continuing to do, particularly in promoting understanding, tolerance, and joint...