Don't bow to pressure; excel with xl

School years can be a trying time, but The Prince's Trust xl schemes can help with the pressure of exams or personal problems, say Andrea Petch and Emma Melville-Ross

From School Leaver magazine. Issue 31.6

Published: 31 January 2002

Excel with xl

What is xl?

It is a unique Prince's Trust initiative run in schools for Year 10 and 11 pupils who are disaffected or at risk of exclusion. It encourages reintegration into school by offering a focused guidance programme based on tangible goals. The programme is based around 'xl clubs', which draw young people together and enable them to create their own environment, outside the normal classroom but within the school and under the guidance of a trained xl adviser.

The xl programme helps young people who are socially excluded. Maybe you're finding the work too difficult. Maybe you have a friend who just doesn't seem to 'fit in' at school. Xl schemes can help.

Many issues can lead a young person to underachieve or drop out of school. For example, the move from primary to secondary education can be very unsettling. Early negative experiences at secondary school can have long-term effects on attitudes to learning.

Some young people may feel disillusioned, let down by the education system. Barriers to learning or a lack of self-belief can be frustrating. With xl bringing people together in small groups facilitated by trained advisers, young people are encouraged to take responsibility for the group's development and for their own learning.

What are xl clubs?

These clubs are informal, so as to encourage involvement from pupils. Activities range from learning entrepreneurial skills to outdoor team-building activities. Members participate in workshops on drugs and health, organise fundraising activities and help to run community events. Club members are given structured careers advice and are offered work experience opportunities as well as assistance with interview skills and CV writing. Other aspects include debating and writing skills.

During the two years, the groups complete modules on:

Personal, interpersonal and team skills
Citizenship and community awareness
Entrepreneurship
Preparing for the world of work
Developing a community-based project
Participating in a residential

There are over 300 xl clubs currently run in schools throughout the UK. By 2004, the Trust aims to have introduced xl clubs to 20 per cent of all schools across the UK. The long-term aim is for xl to become part of mainstream provision for those facing difficulty at school.

What are the benefits of xl?

Pupils should be more attractive to employers because they have developed leadership qualities, initiative and enhanced interpersonal skills. The hard outcomes are improved attendance and GCSE results. The most important result is that they learn to value themselves and re-engage in learning. This means they are less likely to suffer the problems of social exclusion in the future.

Tell me more!

For further information about xl, contact any of the team at the Princes Trust:

Andrea Petch, director, 020-7543 1394

Andrea has been involved in youth work since she was 18. She went on to work for the SPACE project, targeting young people at the risk of offending. As a deputy head teacher she co-founded the charity Oasis, developing after-school activities in Leeds schools. Andrea has helped to establish work placement programmes for young people with special educational needs and developed a peer mentoring programme, a buddying project and a community strategy to establish a youth club and after-school activities.

Julie Murray, development co-ordinator, 020-7543 7459

After graduating in languages, Julie moved to Italy, where she worked as a freelance English teacher and language consultant. While there, Julie worked with people of all ages and social backgrounds: from teenagers to pensioners, manual workers to high-level professionals. Julie developed linguistic abilities in young people, giving emphasis to the use of games and communication activities in language learning.

Paul Novak, programme developer, 01392 217334

Having qualified in the early Eighties, Paul worked for five years as a full-time further education teacher in Lancashire. He also did voluntary youth work. He then moved to Devon to become a youth worker and spent 13 years targeting his work at "older" young people who were considered "at risk or in trouble". Paul was responsible for programmes ranging from street-based detached work, through the provision of LEA maintained youth centres to the establishment of an informal Pupil Referral Unit. Paul became head of community education, managing a Youth Work team, and an Adult Education team responsible for Community Education across part of Devon.

Caroline Shorey, administrator, 020-7543 7315

For many years, Caroline combined working for Midland Bank with talent scouting for a model agency, looking for potential models, interviewing, organising portfolios and finding work for individuals. She has also trained people in London and the west of England in customer service call centres.