On board with…Role Models Founder Hugo Shephard

05.09.2016 ,Sarah Ashman

Sarah Ashman talks to Hugo Shephard, the Founder of London’s specialist childcare and Education provider, Role Models.  Here we find out more about what Role Models has to offer and about the man who is quietly revolutionising childcare and the education system in the UK.

1.    What is Role Models?

Role Models provides dedicated childcare and specialist courses in London with an emphasis on character development and holistic education.

Aside from our original childcare services (‘childcare with a difference’), we are perhaps best known for our popular Confidence and Resilience courses, as well as our holiday Special Educational Needs camps for children with mild to moderate learning difficulties. However, we are really excited to have launched our new Leadership Programme for kids aged 11 – 14 years.

Our Leadership Programme, has been specially designed and developed by Katy Granville-Chapman, Director of the Wellington College Leadership Institute.  Katy has also advised on character and leadership at 10 Downing Street, the Cabinet Office, England Rugby, and for a vast array of schools and charities from over 20 countries.

The aim of the Role Models Leadership Programme is to develop young leaders with the passion, character and skills to make a positive difference in the world. The programme comprises eight 90-minute one-to-one sessions with exceptional Role Models [the name given to our inspiring team of childcare providers] trained in delivering leadership education.

We also offer parents versatile and ad-hoc childcare support with our specially chosen Role Models, who have extensive childcare experience, as well unique talents, which means we can match them with children who are interested in a similar area. For instance, if a child is interested in sport or the arts, a parent can select a Role Model with a sports or artistic background, ensuring that the child’s needs are properly met and their particular interests harnessed and nurtured.   Our Role Models will also travel abroad for work or on family holidays if needed – that way the world’s your oyster and you don’t have to plump for a hotel with a dedicated kids’ club!

What do you mean by character development?

We want to develop children’s softer skills, which we believe are so fundamental to a happy, successful life.  These softer skills are aspects of their character.  Our ability to negotiate life stems from our determination, empathy, imagination and other non-academic skills that don’t always receive the focus they deserve.  Just think of your greatest achievements and how you achieved them; it’s likely that the majority were a result of your mindset – not your academic ability.

What inspired you to set up Role Models?

I did a degree focused on the promotion of healthy child development, and I also provided childcare myself during my student days, so I felt I had a good understanding of what children need to develop in a healthy way. I was also inspired by a lovely French au pair, who refused to play cricket with me – she gave me the idea of tailoring childcare to meet the needs of the child – what works for one child, won’t necessarily work for another, which is why Role Models is made up of people with different abilities and talents.

In my time as a student, school governor and professional in London, I have been fortunate to know aspiring actors, dancers, musicians, sports people and teachers, all of whom have the talent and time to help enrich children’s lives. My idea was to provide an opportunity for these Role Models to share their talents with the next generation.

I also felt that there was a need to develop specialized courses for children, since too often in schools the emphasis has been on pure academics.  I am pleased to see this is changing and schools are increasingly looking for more rounded individuals.  There is greater demand from schools for resilience in particular.  Children need to learn how to deal with failure and setbacks, and how to problem solve, just as much as they need to learn how to read and write. Role Models courses aim to develop this emotional intelligence, so that children can react positively to setbacks, learn from adversity and hopefully turn it into triumph.

According to an article in Psychology Today, emergency calls to Counselling services offered by Universities have more than doubled over the past five years, whilst faculty members have noticed that students’ emotional fragility has become a serious problem when it comes to things like grading.  There are other studies that show that girls in particular lose confidence as they get older, and at Role Models, we want to help children learn to have the right mindset to be able to deal with whatever problems may come their way throughout their life. We aim these courses at children so that they can develop an emotional toolkit that they can also use as adults – we want to support them in finding their inner strength. Kids need to learn that failure isn’t a bad thing; it’s a useful tool that we can use to help us evolve and grow.

How will children benefit from doing a Confidence and Resilience Course?

The courses are designed to help build and develop children’s characters in a fun and creative environment. The courses will nurture the core competencies looked for by the top secondary schools, as well support children moving from primary to secondary school, or indeed support children facing any new challenge. Our testimonials show that after completing a course children become better at problem solving, as well become more empathetic and generally, more confident in their own abilities.  We also teach them the importance of imagination and collaborating with others.

What sort of activities will children get up to during the Confidence and Resilience courses?

The courses promote technical skills such as team building exercises, public speaking and debating, as well as tasks which test the children’s ability to problem solve. For instance, one of the exercises the children did last year saw them making a helicopter out of various materials without any instructions. Getting children to work things out for themselves is one of the key aims of Role Models. The courses also feature lots of fun sports and games to keep the children active.

 

Do you think that schools could do more to nurture technical skills such as leadership, debating and public speaking?

The courses have been developed through extensive feedback from head teachers and deputy head teachers at London’s primary and secondary schools, so I think a lot of schools are already becoming more aware of the importance of nurturing these skills in children. I would like it to become a more important part of the curriculum overall since good interpersonal and communication skills are essential for navigating life as both a child and an adult.   We are delighted however to now be hosting Confidence & Resilience courses in several London schools.

What are the advantages of hiring a personal Role Model for your children?

The main aim of Role Models is to inspire children to create and learn, whilst having fun at the same time.  Not only do our Role Models have extensive childcare experience but they are super talented in at least one specialty, be it music, arts & crafts, drama, sport or homework (many also come with other talents such as cooking or languages).

What’s more, they all love sharing their passion with children – the job isn’t just a means to an end for them! Since we match the Role Model to the child, this means that the child is that much more likely to be inspired. For instance, if your child is interested in music, we’ll match them with a Role Model who loves music just as much!  Of course, so much of this is also beneficial to the child’s confidence.

What does it take for someone to become a Role Model?

You have to be an experienced child-carer who is talented, enthusiastic and dynamic or ‘TED’ as we like to call it!

Do you have any more projects in the pipeline for Role Models?

We’ve already trebled the number of Confidence & Resilience Summer holiday courses this year, as well as announced new weekend and half term courses; these will focus on helping children with their transition to a new class or school. We are also looking into doing residential courses during the school holidays, so that families who live outside of London can benefit too.  We get a lot of requests from further afield!

We also have plans to develop courses focused on social character (e.g. emotional intelligence) and intellectual character (enterprise & creativity) so that we are not purely concentrating on ‘character strengths’.

Of course, we look forward to further rolling out our Leadership Programme and getting the word out there amongst parents and schools!

You say it is important that your Role Models all excel in at least one area of the arts.  Why?

Numerous educational studies* have shown the positive impact that extra-curricular activities can have on a child’s creativity, cognitive & sensory development, spatial-temporal reasoning, social skills and self-esteem. Our Role Models use their skills to harness children’s creativity, whether that be through music, sport, theatre or just general play. Furthermore, it’s highly beneficial for children to spend time with ambitious, successful people whose attitude to life will be absorbed through osmosis.

Bookings: info@rolemodels.me / 020 3637 7107 / www.rolemodels.me 

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