KAN
The Kent Academies Network , run by Sevenoaks School , allows Year 9 students from academy schools – Knole , John Wallis , Skinners ’, Oasis Isle of Sheppey , and The Marsh – to join a four-year university access programme for able , disadvantaged pupils .
Top to bottom : KAN graduation at Tonbridge School ; Isla Phillips ; Hetty
Photos © Jutta Klee
In my first year as an undergraduate at Cambridge , I became a student mentor for the KAN programme . One memory particularly sticks in my mind . At a summer residential , I came across an upset student . She explained that before joining KAN she had thought educational advantage simply meant rigorous academics . However , the residential experience had shown her that it can mean so much more : excellent facilities , incredible experiences , a supportive and motivated peer group , and the confidence and expectation for opportunities , like going on to higher education . This realisation was the first time that she had understood her disadvantage . This student was called Hetty .
Now Hetty is studying History and Politics at Glasgow and working as a KAN mentor herself , describing KAN as the highlight of her secondary school years : ‘ It helped me think outside the box of what I thought I could do and it gave me the confidence to determine where I wanted to be for sixth form and university , which affects the rest of my life .’
With KAN in its ninth year , it is wonderful to have alumni returning as mentors : it demonstrates the sustainability and power of the programme .
I am thrilled to be able to nurture and grow the programme which also had a positive impact on me as a student mentor , helping set me on the path to teaching . As well as adapting to online events this year , we have also made exciting developments , including piloting an additional programme called Aspire , which should eventually double the number of students involved .
We have also started a KAN service group within Sevenoaks to give our own students the chance to understand more about educational disadvantage and roles within the charity and education sectors . Sophie Rayment ( Upper Sixth ) participated , afterwards saying : ‘ Reading testimonies from students who attribute their ambition and accomplishment to the experiences created by the KAN team has shown me the significance of motivating and caring educators . The personal confidence of KAN students blossoms thanks to guidance from mentors , academic enrichment , and the bonds of friendship they forge with likeminded individuals . This insight into KAN ’ s transformative impact has furthered my motivation to become an educator myself , and I hope to become a mentor for the programme while at university .’
Isla Phillips
84 SERVICE AND COMMUNITY