Mosaic is delighted to be working with Aylward Academy, a coeducational secondary school in Edmonton, North London, that serves 11-18 year olds from its hugely diverse local communities.

That diversity manifests itself in school through 67 spoken languages and a range of ethnic minority groups represented. Having worked with Mosaic at a previous school for a number of years, Fasal Hussain, a history teacher at Aylward, approached the charity and helped establish a new partnership.

Aylward currently runs both the Enterprise Challenge and Secondary School mentoring programme and Fasal believes both initiatives have made a significant impact at the school.

He explained: “The mentoring schemes have provided students with a framework to appreciate the importance of endeavor and application at a crucial stage in their academic careers, raising their aspirations and instilling belief.

“They have been afforded access to truly inspirational mentors that have enabled them to envisage life and opportunities beyond their immediate and often limited, experience. The mentors have imparted advice, confidence and essential life-skills but of more significance, serve as an embodiment of opportunity and success.”

The Enterprise Challenge programme has been particularly popular at the school. Fasal said: “It has provided students with a real-life opportunity to apply business principles that they have learnt in the classroom. Alongside consolidating their understanding, it has bolstered their entrepreneurial acumen.”

Fasal also believes the opportunity to visit working environments has been a powerful motivational tool for students.

He added: “We have been given consistent access to unique events affording our disadvantaged students access to exciting and potentially career defining opportunities.

“I too have benefited from using these opportunities as an amazing networking tool, to speak with like-minded individuals and institutions. Working with Mosaic has been a real privilege and we look forward to a continued relationship.”

Mosaic would like to thank our headline supporter the Al Faisal Foundation, alongside the Sir John Cass Foundation and the players of the People’s Postcode Lottery for their generous support of the secondary school mentoring programme.