A middle school has become the first school worldwide to be chosen to fully spearhead a new youth mentoring programme.

St Bede’s Catholic Middle School in Redditch has announced it will be piloting the 'Everyone Needs a Mentor: Young Person Edition' programme.

This was developed by renowned coaching expert, Professor David Clutterbuck, who co-founded the European Mentoring & Coaching Council (EMCC), and wrote more than 80 books about coaching, mentoring, and leadership.

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The programme, which is set to run throughout the academic year, targets year five and year seven students, offering opportunities for them to cultivate vital life skills for their future.

Through one-on-one mentoring, group activities, and practical tasks, students are expected to develop essential abilities like building trust, effective communication, and giving constructive feedback.

St Bede’s Deputy Headteacher Mr Shires said: "We believe this mentoring programme perfectly aligns with our school’s mission to foster the development of our students.

"By participating in the programme, our pupils will gain invaluable skills that will benefit them throughout their lives.

"We are deeply grateful to Clutterbuck Coaching and Mentoring International for selecting our school for this initiative."

Professor Clutterbuck added: "Our goal is to enable future generations to make better decisions than those before them.

"This programme is a practical step towards creating five million school-age coaches and mentors around the world in the next five years."

Thomas Leverage, the CEO of the multi-academy, said: "Our motto is 'To have life and have it to the full', and this programme reflects our commitment to go beyond academic excellence and invest in the all-round cognitive development of the pupils within our care."

Students successful in the new programme will be awarded an ENAM (Everyone Needs A Mentor) certificate.

Staff members will also have the chance to earn EMCC Global EIA (European Individual Accreditation) practitioner accreditation to enhance their own development.