IN THE SPOTLIGHT with schools and as host for several child focus group discussions . Her research report helps Natterhub to share unique insights from young people to highlight their concerns and needs regarding online safety . She also contributed to the promotion of Natterhub ’ s online safety messages to schools through TikTok videos , blogs , and social posts .
What struck me most about Hannah was her focused autonomy to get stuck in and be productive even on the few occasions when she had little direction from the team . Hannah ’ s efficient executive function , drive and ‘ sleeves rolled up ’ attitude is a great credit to Pocklington School !
You recently won ‘ Woman to Watch ’ ( Business Women in Education ) at the 2023 Education Investor Awards . What did this award mean to you ? It was such a brilliant surprise and totally unexpected . I was nominated against eight other inspiring women , and I never imagined for a minute that I would be clutching the trophy at the end of the night ! It was great to be recognised for all the hard work that has gone in to such a mission-led business , but it ’ s been a team effort and so I see the award as being for everyone who has helped us to get to this stage .
What are your ambitions for Natterhub ? Every child has the right to learn the skills and knowledge to thrive online and so we will do everything we can to reach as many children as possible . Natterhub is a solution to the problem that we read about every day in the media – we await the impact of the online safety bill and this is critical that the internet is made safer for its youngest users . It also makes sense to give children the skills to selfprotect , after all , even when there is a zebra crossing and traffic lights , we still want to know that our children look both ways before crossing the road .
AND NOW , HANNAH : Tell us about your internship and what was involved ? My internship began in early September of 2022 . I received a warm welcome from the Natterhub team and I was thrown into a variety of different duties and projects , all of which were things I was happy and excited to get stuck into .
I spent the next 10 months working as the ‘ Trainee Psychologist ’, where I developed my own presence at Natterhub by creating marketing content , writing blogs , creating videos , and even developing and updating the company ’ s website . I also got the opportunity to take the lead on a research project , visiting local primary schools and using Natterhub ’ s platform to teach key online safety lessons .
Working with Natterhub was brilliant ! I loved how creative I could get during each task . I feel as though I have developed key skills such as communication , planning and social media literacy , which I will be able to carry forward and apply to my future career .
How did you fit into the team and how did you develop your role ? Working with such a small close-knit team meant that I was able to fit in and get to know everyone really well . From the moment I started , the team was so welcoming and spared time showing me the ropes . I learnt about each team member ’ s role in the company . I think this really helped shape my role as I was able to see what opportunities I could get to grips with and how I could help each team member .
Caroline gave me the opportunity to get involved with every aspect of the company , which meant I could select tasks and projects that I was passionate about .
What were the biggest challenges during your internship and how did you overcome them ? I was quite surprised by how much I struggled with working from home . Initially , I found it hard to stay focused for an entire working day , which meant my productivity wasn ’ t the best .
However , by slightly altering how I worked , it become a lot easier . I took short 5-minute breaks when I found my focus wavering , and I created a daily schedule which allowed me to break down my time spent on tasks into more manageable chunks . What has been the most successful project you have worked on at Natterhub and why ?
By far my most successful project has been my school-based research project . I loved working closely with local primary schools , using Natterhub ’ s platform to ensure children are prepared for the online world .
I think the success of this project comes down to the phenomenal results I gained . Feedback from the teachers , the team at Natterhub and the students I worked with was all extremely positive . I also found that the children ’ s digital literacy developed greatly as we progressed through the lessons , which was so rewarding .
I discovered so many interesting findings from this project that I was able to write these up into , in my opinion , a fascinating document , displaying what the online world is like for primary aged children .
How did your internship relate back to your degree course ? Developmental psychology was a topic I enjoyed during the first two years of my studies and was always a field I had considered working in , so when the opportunity arose to complete my placement in this area , I was over the moon !
Throughout my internship , I have been utilising my degree knowledge and psychological theories and applying these to tasks such as writing blogs , lesson planning and conducting my school-based research project . It was also helpful to have this knowledge when teaching using Natterhub ’ s platform , as I was able to understand why there was a huge difference in understanding and discussion of key online safety topics between years . It was interesting to see the principles we had learnt at university being demonstrated in a real life setting by real children .
How has what you learned at Pocklington School helped you at university and in your work placement . I found that a lot of the fundamental skills that Pocklington School teaches such as learning to work as part of a team and with peers , have proven to be particularly useful at university . As part of my degree , I have had to complete several group research projects that have required a lot of collaboration . Hence , it was helpful to already have these skills developed .
With regards to my placement , I ’ ve found that leadership and organisation , which developed through being both a drama and a school prefect , have been extremely useful . During my research project , I frequently had to lead groups younger than myself and organise lesson plans , which is something I had already experienced and practised during my time at Pocklington .
What career advice would you give to younger OPs or sixth formers ? I think it ’ s so important to remember that you ’ re only young . It is totally ok to have absolutely no idea what you want to do in life . My advice would just be to jump headfirst into any and every opportunity you ’ re faced with . Everything you do helps develop skills and gives you more experience for later in life , even if it ’ s not in the exact field you eventually go into . I also think it ’ s crucial to do things that make you happy . Pursue a career in something you enjoy and are passionate about , trust me , it makes all the difference !
Thank you , Caroline and Hannah !
If any OPs would like to offer a work placement opportunity to a younger OP , or if any OP students would like help finding a placement , please get in touch via the OP office .
A copy of Hannah ’ s report is available on the OP website ( news > search ‘ Natterhub ’)
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