Oppidan Education launched its partnership with The Hewitt School in December 2025.

Founded in 1920 by Caroline D. Hewitt, The Hewitt School is a pin-up for K-12 girls education on the Upper East Side of New York City, just a stone’s throw from Central Park. It’s led by Dr Jennifer Zaccara, and we’ve been proud to partner with Head of Middle School, Dr Paula Cuello. 

Piloting an initial day with the full 8th Grade in December 2025, Oppidan’s team of 4 mentors ran an opening assembly for context on the day, kicking off a packed schedule of 1:1 25-minute sessions for every student involved. 

Oppidan’s ‘Character 1:1s’ include original content and discussions around a student’s values, role models, passions, strengths and weaknesses, before setting SMART goals to hold themselves to account in the days and weeks that follow. Students have the chance to be introspective with an impartial other, engaging with practical ways to focus on their personal development and approach to school life. 

For our work with Hewitt, this day signalled the start of a partnership that will now creep down into the 7th Grade in Spring 2026. As middle schoolers progress towards the high school phase and its increased rigour and pressures, we want the girls to be thinking about who they are, their place in their class, and how they can look to the future. Every student received a 400-600 word written report with tangible feedback and practical takeaways to develop in triangulation with their parents and in-school advisors. 

Hewitt and Oppidan are now developing a more consolidated approach to extend their journey of 1:1 days with Oppidan mentors.  

This collaboration represents an exciting step in equipping students with the skills needed to thrive academically, personally and life beyond school. 

What’s happening? 

Year 12: The Peer Mentor Training Journey 

The Year 12 programme focuses on developing peer mentorship skills, empowering students to become leaders within their school community. Based on Oppidan's successful Peer Mentor Training Journey—delivered to over 150 schools in the UK and internationally—this programme trains older students (Year 12) to mentor younger students (Year 9), fostering leadership, empathy and communication skills. 

The programme consists of three 60-minute modules delivered in small groups led by an Oppidan mentor: 

• Introduction to Mentoring 

• What Makes a Good Mentor? 

• Hit the Ground Running 

Year 12 students will reflect on their mentorship experiences, honing their ability to guide and support younger peers. This initiative underscores Shrewsbury’s commitment to developing global citizens who make a positive difference in the world. 

Year 9: The COR Mentoring Journey 

The Year 9 programme introduces students to Oppidan’s COR Mentoring Journey, a series of termly 1:1 sessions focused on three key outcomes: 

• Character: Building self-awareness, resilience and goal-setting. 

• Oracy: Enhancing communication, public speaking and interview skills. 

• Readiness: Preparing for exams, university and life after school. 

After each session, every student will receive a detailed report with actionable feedback on how to develop the skills discussed in the programme. 

Parents gained insights into understanding their child’s learning style, while selected students participated in an exclusive workshop. We are excited to see the impact of this collaboration! 

Oppidan Education launched its partnership with Franklin School in October 2025.  

Located in Jersey City, a short train ride under the Hudson from Manhattan, Franklin is an innovative offshoot of the Dwight Schools Group, recently awarded ‘Most Innovative School in the World’ by T4 Education. Led by Head of School Will Campbell, Franklin is a new school that prides itself on innovation and student experience. 

Piloting an initial day with a select group of 20 students in 9th Grade, Oppidan’s team of 3 mentors ran opening and closing assemblies for context and feedback on the day, sandwiching a packed schedule of 1:1 25-minute sessions for every student involved.  

Oppidan’s ‘Character 1:1s’ include original content and discussions around a student’s values, role models, passions, strengths and weaknesses, before setting SMART goals to hold themselves to account in the days and weeks that follow. Students have the chance to be introspective with an impartial other, engaging with practical ways to focus on their personal development and approach to school life. 

At Franklin, the timing of this day felt particularly relevant with 9th Grade ‘new joiners’ all getting to know each other, and themselves, as they start their high school journey. Every student received a 400-600 word written report with tangible feedback and practical takeaways to develop in triangulation with their parents and in-school advisors. 

Franklin and Oppidan are now developing a more consolidated approach to extend their journey of 1:1 days with Oppidan mentors.  

Henry Faber, Co-Founder at Oppidan Education: 

“Franklin is an amazing school; a new, standout example of how to do things differently. We have rarely been so well looked after on a school day. Students were grateful and engaged; Franklin is clearly a community that is excited to innovate.”

Located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, St. Bernard’s is one of NYC’s most prestigious and well-respected K-9 schools for boys. 

There are clear comparisons between the UK’s ‘future schools’ process aged 11-13, and the US placement process for 8th Grade students (turning 14 years old) applying to selective secondary schools, both boarding and day.  

With experience of 10,000+ students taking part in Oppidan’s well-known ‘Interview Day’, this experience was transposed into St. Bernard’s New York context, to support 40 boys with the self-awareness and confidence required to make the most of their upcoming interviews. 

Oppidan Education Co-Founder Henry Faber led a team of 6 mentors, beginning the day with a plenary assembly, before back-to-back 1:1 sessions for every boy involved. 

Each student received a 400-600 word written report following the day, with practical feedback and tangible takeaways to support their confidence for interviews. Much more than providing a ‘mock’ experience, Oppidan mentors workshopped reflective skills, using original elements of Oppidan’s own mentoring model to engage students in deeper self-reflective thinking and to model best practice. 

Each has participated in a group workshop and received a 1:1 mentoring session with a personalised report.

E-ACT Partner Schools

Student Voice

E-ACT students rated Oppidan mentoring 8.3/ 10.  

85%
Character

of students agree or strongly agree that they understand themselves and their identity better as a result of their Oppidan programme.

75%
Oracy

of students agree or strongly agree that their communication skills improved as a result of their Oppidan programme.

80%
Readiness

of students agree or strongly agree that they feel more prepared for challenges in the future as a result of their Oppidan programme.

“The mentors were absolutely amazing, they really know how to listen and how to give constructive feedback. It honestly really helps you to understand yourself, your goals and your aspirations.”

Mostafa, Year 9, Heatlands Academy

Teacher Voice

E-ACT teachers rated the impact of the Oppidan mentoring programme 8.5/ 10. 

Teachers rated Oppidan’s mentoring programmes 9/10 and would highly recommend them to other teachers.

“The students showed great confidence, they were made to feel important, like they had a voice that you wanted to hear.”

Helen Evans, DSLV

“Partnering with Oppidan for us at E-ACT aligns with our mission of opening minds and opening doors.'“

Sophie Kayani, Head of Partnerships, E-ACT

Reporting

Each of the 377 students received a personalised report similar to the example report below.

This anonymised report was written for a student at North Birmingham Academy by Oppidan mentor Jeremy.

• Click to view the report

  It was a pleasure to meet X today; she approached our session with enthusiasm and was eager to engage in the conversation. Throughout the session, she showed a great willingness to reflect on her strengths, challenges, and goals for the future. X shared that her immediate goal is to get into the school’s production of Grease next year, a goal she is clearly passionate about. She mentioned her love for the performing arts, particularly drama, and expressed a desire to improve in this area, both in terms of her performance on stage and her confidence. As we discussed her aspirations, it became evident that she has a deep passion for acting, with a particular flair for immersing herself in different roles and conveying emotions effectively.

  During our discussion, X identified several personal strengths that contribute to her success, particularly her energy, sense of humour, and her ability to connect with younger children. These qualities, she mentioned, make her a strong candidate for roles that involve supporting and working with others. X cited several career options where she felt she could thrive, including a dance teacher, nail artist, and childcare worker. Her interest in working with people, especially in supportive roles, aligns well with her aspirations. It was clear that X is a naturally energetic and positive individual, and she displayed a great deal of confidence in expressing these strengths. However, X also recognised areas for improvement, particularly in her approach to drama and mathematics. In drama, she expressed a challenge with memorising lines and maintaining consistent energy levels during rehearsals. X explained that she sometimes struggles to stay focused and energetic for long periods, especially when rehearsing scenes over extended periods. To address this, we discussed practical strategies such as pacing herself during rehearsals and conserving her energy during breaks by engaging in quieter, more restorative activities. Additionally, we explored techniques to help with memorisation, such as connecting drama scripts to subjects that interest her, like history or storytelling, which could make the memorisation process more engaging and enjoyable.

  X also expressed frustration with problem-solving, particularly in mathematics. While she enjoys learning, she finds it difficult to approach problems when they seem too complex or overwhelming. To support her with this, we explored how breaking down problems into smaller, more manageable steps could make them feel more achievable. I suggested that she take a systematic approach to problem-solving, starting with the most straightforward aspects of a problem and gradually building up to more complex elements. By focusing on the process rather than the end result, she may find that problems become easier to tackle. X responded positively to these suggestions and showed a willingness to apply these strategies to her studies in the future.

  One key takeaway from our session was X’s excellent self-awareness. She demonstrated a strong understanding of her strengths and challenges, and she was eager to improve in areas where she felt less confident. As she continues to work on her energy management during rehearsals and her line memorisation, as well as honing her problem-solving skills, she will be well-equipped to achieve her goals. X is clearly driven by her passion for the performing arts, and her determination to succeed in the school’s production of Grease is a great motivating factor. With continued focus on her development, I have no doubt that X will thrive in her future endeavours and achieve the goals she has set for herself.

This flagship programme is a two-year personal development programme for Year 5 and 6 students to learn the essential skills for secondary school assessments and interviews.  

The Prep Journey focuses on both character education and excellent future schools' outcomes.  



Bespoke, long-term approach 

Students benefit from highly personalised sessions and workshops across both Years 5 and 6. 



Meets ISI (2023) personal development expectations 

The programme develops pupils’ self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence (ISI, 2023). 



Inspirational team of mentors 

Our mentors reflect a diverse and exciting professional group that energise and inspire students. 



Reporting for both teachers and parents 

Wetherby receives a full impact report, whilst parents receive individual reports on their child’s progress.

This flagship programme is a two-year personal development programme for Year 5 and 6 students to learn the essential skills for secondary school assessments and interviews.  

The Prep Journey focuses on both character education and excellent future schools' outcomes.



Bespoke, long-term approach 

Students benefit from highly personalised sessions and workshops across both Years 5 and 6. 



Meets ISI (2023) personal development expectations 

The programme develops pupils’ self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence (ISI, 2023). 



Inspirational team of mentors 

Our mentors reflect a diverse and exciting professional group that energise and inspire students. 



Reporting for both teachers and parents 

Pembridge Hall receives a full impact report, whilst parents receive individual reports on their child’s progress.

Outcomes 

In a recent survey, Pembridge Hall pupils rated Oppidan mentoring 9.2/ 10 and submitted the following testimonials:  

'It was amazing and I learnt so many points to help me in my next interview.' 

'It helped me feel much more confident with the interview process' 

'I think that the programme definitely gave me a very comfortable and clear view of what the interview would be like' 

'It was all great. No feedback' 

'I think you did a great job to help us focus on our targets' 

“We are very proud to be working with Oppidan Education ensuring our girls have the best preparation for their future.”

Sophie Banks
Head, Pembridge Hall School

We were working with students from: 

• Coombeshead Academy  

• Dartmouth Academy 

• Kingsbridge Community College 

• South Devon UTC 

• Teign School 

• King Edward VI Community College 

These students, taken from the pre-GCSE cohorts (Years 9&10) worked with their mentors to foster their character (building a better understanding of self and core values, as well as current strengths and areas to develop), oracy (speaking and listening skills) and their readiness for the opportunities and challenges ahead this year, through horizon scanning, learning about navigating failure and goal setting. 

As elsewhere the three key outcomes were: 

1. Readiness - Being prepared for academic tests and success after school 

2. Oracy - speaking, listening and understanding 

3. Character- self-reflection, identity, values and goals 

Next term each student will receive a bespoke 1:1 session focused on these 3 strands with a view to developing their academic engagement and enjoyment of school.  

Learn more about our mentoring in schools.

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The programme involved group training for student leaders within the community.  

During the group work, students were asked to think directly about their role as mentors receiving training in communication and leadership for their personal development and the wider school community's betterment. 

We are looking forward to returning to Wellington soon to develop the work on a wider scale with the full cohort.  

Learn more about our mentoring in senior schools.

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Students in Year 6 experienced the Oppidan Interview Day, part of our wider prep programme, popular with prep schools around the U.K.  

The Prep Journey is a two-year personal development programme for Year 5 and 6 students to learn the essential skills for secondary school assessments and interviews. 

The students had the opportunity to hone their interview skills with 1:1 sessions with a mentor and a school-specific mock interview. 

Learn more about how our Prep Journey can impact your school.

Get in touch →

The programme involved group training for student mentors and a follow-up private mentoring session.  

During the group work, students were asked to think directly about their role as mentors receiving training in communication and leadership for their personal development and the wider school community's betterment. 

The experience finished with a 1:1 and accompanying report – directly mentoring students for their next steps as sixth formers and providing actionable feedback to take forward as they continue their academic journey. 

Our mentor Adam launching the programme at the school in early September 2024.

Learn more about our mentoring in senior schools.

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The programme involved group training for student mentors and a follow up private mentoring session.  

During the group work, students were asked to think directly about their role as mentors receiving training in communication and leadership for their personal development and the wider school community's betterment. 

The experience finished with a 1:1 and accompanying report – directly mentoring students for their next steps as sixth formers and providing actionable feedback to take forward as they continue their academic journey.  

Learn more about our mentoring in international schools.

Get in touch →

The programme involved group training for student mentors and a follow up private mentoring session. During the group work, students were asked to think directly about their role as mentors receiving training in communication and leadership for their personal development and the wider school community's betterment. 

The experience finished with a 1:1 and accompanying report – directly mentoring students for their next steps as sixth formers and providing actionable feedback to take forward as they continue their academic journey.

Wellington’s Head of IGCSE said the following:

“We welcomed Oppidan at the start of the academic year to work with our Year 12 students and have since had the pleasure of hosting them for a return visit more recently to work with our Year 10 students. It has been a rewarding experience partnering with Oppidan, who are also collaborating with other leading international schools across Bangkok and beyond. Throughout their sessions, Oppidan encouraged our students to reflect on how to be successful in their studies, while also promoting independence and autonomy. The feedback from our students has been fantastic, with many eager for the opportunity to work with Oppidan in future years. We look forward to expanding this partnership with further visits and welcoming Oppidan back next academic year and beyond to continue supporting our students’ growth and offering personalised mentoring to foster excellence.”

Learn more about our mentoring in international schools.

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On their website, the CEO Luke Sparkes introduces Dixons as follows:  

Founded by Dixons City Academy, our trust has over 30 years’ experience in transforming education through our network of high-performing, non-faith academies, and now operates in Leeds, Bradford, Liverpool and Manchester. 

Our schools include primary, secondary, all-through and sixth form.  We focus exclusively on sponsored turnaround academies to address educational failure, and on new free schools to meet growing demand.  Our diversity is a real strength of our model, balancing common alignment with the autonomy to innovate. 

We have achieved a great deal in a relatively short time, which gives us a solid platform from which we continue to build responsibly: our trust will continue to expand, going from almost 14,000 students in 2022 to at least 20,000 by 2025. 

Eight of our mentors traveled to Dixons Broadgreen (with students from Dixons Fazakerley too) in Liverpool to support Y9 students with a group workshop focused on readiness for GCSEs, oracy skills and character reflection. This was formatted as the ‘Motivation Day’ similar to what students from the E-ACT trust had received the week before.  

The Motivation Day chapter list appears as follows: 

Therefore, these students, taken from the pre-GCSE cohorts (Years 9&10) worked with their mentors to foster their character (building a better understanding of self and core values, as well as current strengths and areas to develop), oracy (speaking and listening skills) and their readiness for the opportunities and challenges ahead this year, through horizon scanning, learning about navigating failure and goal setting. 

As always the three key outcomes were: 

1. Readiness - Being prepared for academic tests and success after school 

2. Oracy - speaking, listening and understanding 

3. Character- self-reflection, identity, values and goals   

Learn more about our mentoring in senior schools.

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Schools Manager Ben Barber ran two seminar sessions on 'The Art of Negotiation', with a particular emphasis on Oracy, one of our three main outcomes in schools.  

The sessions were built around two key themes: how to 'sell yourself', with a focus on four key communication tools, and active listening, emphasising that good listening is often even more powerful than what we say in any negotiation.  

Sessions were fast-paced and gamified, with feedback very positive from the students involved, including:  

'I really liked the negotiation session. This was my favourite of the day’  

'The workshop on negotiation and communication was really useful';  

'It was interesting and well given'.  

Learn more about our mentoring in senior schools.

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Eight of our mentors went and delivered seventy-two 1:1 sessions, with a focus on helping students to develop their interview and communication skills, as well as helping to prepare them for their next steps including university and the world of work.  

These sessions were built around our three core outcomes: Readiness, Oracy and Character. 

Our key outcomes in schools: readiness, oracy and character | Oppidan Education 

Learn more about our mentoring in senior schools.

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The focus of the day were the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The workshops were designed by Eton’s Sustainability Team to inspire and empower students to act for causes they feel passionate about, with Oppidan mentors helping students to develop their understanding of SDGs and how they are interconnected while working and collaborating in groups to build teamwork and presentation skills.

Learn more about how our programmes can impact your school.

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Oppidan x St Dominic’s

2023/4 Programme

In January 2024, Oppidan begun a partnership with our first Sixth Form College partner, St Dominic’s Sixth Form College in Harrow on the Hill.

In 2023/4, Oppidan started work with a motivation day for Y13 students, with six mentors delivering an assembly followed by a series of 1:1 sessions for fifty students ahead of their A Level exams. The sessions focused on three key outcomes: readiness, oracy and character. 'Thank you very much to the school Principal, Andrew Parkin, for his support and to our school lead on the programme, Pavandeep Gill (Assistant Principal), who had this to say about the programme:

Student testimonials from 2023/4 programme:

• How would you rate your experience on your Oppidan programme out of 10? 8.6/10

• ‘It was amazing it gave me back hope that even though I feel down right now I can still build myself back up and make something of myself.’

• ‘It was good to talk about both personal and academic growth and goals. It was a useful session for me and I enjoyed it. I would recommend it for fellow students who are struggling.’

• ‘My mentor was super helpful and understanding! They went through all the advice really well.’

Oppidan were delighted to co-lead a workshop with Pavandeep at the Sixth Form Colleges Association Summer Conference in June 2024. The workshop was titled 'Mentoring the hard to reach' and shared learnings from Oppidan's partnership with St Dominic's.

2024/5 Programme

After the success of the first year of the programme, Oppidan’s partnership with St Dominic’s has expanded for the 2024/5 academic year to include three touchpoints across our full COR Mentoring Journey. We have really enjoyed running these days, with Pavendeep sharing the following feedback:

The following student feedback was shared via student self-reported surveys about their experience on the most recent Oppidan programme:

8.4/10

How would you rate your experience on your Oppidan programme out of 10?

Character

88% of students agree or strongly agree that they understand themselves and their identity better as a result of their Oppidan programme.

Oracy

84% of students agree or strongly agree that their communication skills improved as a result of their Oppidan programme.

Readiness

67% of students agree or strongly agree that they feel more prepared for challenges in the future as a result of their Oppidan programme.

Student testimonials from 2024/5 programme:

• ‘It was lovely and really helpful. I spoke to people in my year group I’ve never spoken to before. The workshop really helped with how I express myself and how to set goals correctly.’

• ‘The mentors were very helpful and friendly, making me feel comfortable to express myself.’

• ‘The mentors were so kind and understanding, I had a good time today.’

• ‘I really enjoyed this experience and it allowed me to better understand myself and my future.’

• ‘It helped me to recognise different ways to approach challenges and how to overcome them.’

Learn more about our mentoring in senior schools.

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This was facilitated by the innovative work of the Eton Star Partnership. 

About ESP, Eton has said the following: 

In 2020, faced with the pandemic and various social issues it exposed across the country, Eton’s Leadership Team decided that it needed to respond by taking a decisive step forward as an institution. Eton has therefore formed a partnership with the outstanding multi-academy trust Star Academies to establish a series of sixth-form schools on the model of the highly successful London Academy of Excellence (LAE). 

As with LAE, these schools – which will be in Dudley in the West Midlands, Oldham in Greater Manchester, and Middlesbrough in Teesside – will be selective state-funded sixth form colleges opened as part of the government’s transformative free school programme. 

These new schools will focus on taking talented and ambitious young people, often from the most disadvantaged communities, and helping them achieve places at the very best universities. To achieve this, an extraordinary educational model is now being designed that will offer an intensive academic A level curriculum enhanced by extra study, enrichment lessons and volunteering. 

Oppidan started work with a motivation day for Y9 students helping them to establish their goals and develop an improved attitude to school and learning ahead of the GCSE process.  

Working in groups, mentoring content was focused around three key outcomes: readiness, oracy and character (ROC) that is the bedrock of everything we do in schools.  

With a successful first day, Oppidan are delighted to be returning to The Oldham Academy North for a 1:1 mentoring for students in June 2024.  

Sessions are 1:1 delivered by individual mentors paired specifically according to student interests.  

More generally, Oppidan's mentoring content hooks onto our core outcomes of readiness, oracy and character. 

Learn more about our mentoring in senior schools.

Get in touch →