News
Rangers B Team Players Join Pupils At Tournament To Celebrate Building Brighter Futures
Fri 24th March 2023
Rangers B team players Jack Harkness and Mackenzie Strachan joined school pupils at a football tournament to celebrate building brighter futures in education and employment.
The academy stars presented the winners of the SQA Programme of Wider Achievement inter-school football 7-a-side competition at the Ibrox Community Complex on 24 March 2023.
Teams from Bannerman High School, Hillpark Secondary, St Andrews Secondary, John Paul Academy, Whitehill Secondary, St Pauls High School, Cleveden Secondary, Kings Park Secondary and Govan High School were all represented by pupils who had attended the programme each week throughout the school term at Ibrox stadium.
S3 – S5 pupils from this group of local schools attended the Ibrox Community Hub every week for assistance with additional qualifications, vocational experience and real coaching sessions to prepare them for the next steps in their education or careers.
Hillpark Secondary were crowned the eventual winners of the tournament and were presented with the trophy by Harkness and Strachan.
Jamie Duncanson, Community Programmes Manager at the Rangers Charity Foundation said:
“It was fantastic to see the Wider Achievement candidates enjoying themselves in what was a big celebration of everything they have achieved with the Foundation since the beginning of the school term in August 2022.
“We have over 132 pupils from various partner schools who attend the programme one full day per week at the stadium working towards SQA, First Aid at Work and First Aid for Mental Health awards as an additional widening access to their school curriculum.
“This vocational way of learning allows them to experience crucial live environment exposure that supports their journey towards the world of work.”
Jo Donaldson, Deputy Head of S3s at Whitehill Secondary School, said: “The reason we got involved with the Wider Achievement programme was that, after Covid and coming back to school, we realised we had to give the pupils more opportunities than sitting in a classroom to learn.
“Classrooms aren’t always suited full-time for some of the young people that attend the Wider Achievement programme. So they go off campus to learn and go through the different qualifications there which is beneficial for them because they get out and about, they learn different skills and work as part of a team.
“They love it, they really love the difference in learning. When they come to Ibrox they are being taught by coaches who are not their teachers and sometimes that is a bit of a novelty for them.
“As a school we are looking at alternative pathways for the young people because we are well aware the traditional route through school, National 5s and Highers and so on, is not for everybody and it’s not the be all and end all for young people now. They have to learn employability skills, skills that are for the world of work.
“We are taking part because we realise that this is an alternative for them that’s beneficial and they get the qualifications at the end so it’s not just a day out of school.”
As an SQA Approved Centre, the Foundation can therefore offer SQA qualifications which recognise wider achievement and the development of skills which will help learners to succeed in today’s world. First Aid and Mental Health First Aid are examples of the accreditation available.
Dylan Klieve, Biology Teacher and Principal Teacher for Wider Achievement at Cleveden Secondary, added: “The Wider Achievement programme has helped a group of pupils grow in confidence, develop personal skills and increase their capability to be independent learners and people. The staff get such respect from the pupils in order to help them achieve to their highest potential.”
Wider Achievement recognises the life and work skills that come from a wide range of activities which can include sport, mentoring, voluntary work or fundraising activities — whether they take place at school, college or elsewhere.
If your school is interested in taking part in the Wider Achievement programme, please contact jamieduncanson@rangers.co.uk.
