Parents and Learners
Learner Stories
Welcome to our Learner Stories page, where we share the journeys and achievements of young people at Red Balloon of the Air.
Each story reflects growth in confidence, learning and future aspirations through personalised support and mentoring.
Learner 1
When I first started at Red Balloon of the Air, I felt like a broken girl, failed by the educational system. I felt unwilling to learn as my passion for everything had slowly drained away. Very gradually the teachers here chipped away at the shell mainstream school had created; I started to enjoy my lessons online and got more enthusiastic about attending them. I began to love my subjects and my weekly mentor visits. Last May, I completed three of my GCSEs, something I believed to be impossible. This year I continued to study an Arts Award.
Attending the Centre was something I had refused to do from the beginning, worrying it would be too similar to school but from the minute I walked through the doors, I knew I was wrong. The friendly, welcoming faces soon became familiar to me as I came every Friday. I can’t imagine not coming in; my Fridays at the Centre really are the highlight of my week. In September, I am going to college to study construction; if you had told me this two years ago, I would have laughed as that was such an unimaginable thought.
I knew I hated school and I never dreamt of going to college, but from my time at RBAir I have learnt to love school and learning again. College doesn’t seem so daunting anymore and I feel excited for this new chapter in my life. I still get goosebumps when I think about how far I have come; I have so much to thank RBAir for.
Being at RBAir has allowed me to find myself; I stopped wearing a uniform and I began to recognise who I was as a person instead of who people wanted me to be. I embraced my funky clothes and I bloomed into the person I was meant to be from the start. I truly believe I would not have been able to achieve any of this if it hadn’t been for RBAir.
I want to say the biggest thank you to all the wonderful staff working at RBAir, from the teachers who got me through my GCSEs to the warm, friendly faces I saw every Friday morning. I have met such incredible people throughout my time here, from my AMAZING art teacher, to my two awesome mentors!
Thank you everyone at RBAir!
Mum of Learner 1:
My child had been out of mainstream education for over a year and her prospects didn’t look great. She had lost all interest in learning and her confidence was so low, but with the amazing support from RBAir, she has flourished: not only has her passion for learning returned, she has successfully sat GCSEs as well as Functional Skills Maths and the Silver Arts Award.
My child now visits the Centre on a weekly basis – something we couldn’t imagine a couple of years ago. She interacts with her teachers verbally, which is a huge step as she never spoke whilst in mainstream secondary school.
The environment RBAir has created for learners is amazing: from the first day we have felt supported and part of a school even though it was online, and the mentor support has also been incredible – it has helped my child to build up the confidence to attend the Centre. It has been an extraordinary journey and one we will always be very grateful to RBAir for.
Learner 2
Learner 2’s Mentor:
From April to June, one of my mentees undertook some photography work experience with Bob, a retired photographer who has been involved with RBAir for different events in the past. He kindly offered his time and expertise to my mentee and on a weekly basis they met to undertake some photography sessions. My mentee was able to learn different skills, different types of photography (macro, landscapes and people). Photographing people was one of the hardest challenges for my mentee but he grabbed the opportunity to photograph another RBAir learner.
After two failed attempts due to the weather, we were all able to meet in Ferry Meadows in Peterborough, with another learner. As mentor for both learners, I knew the day was going to be a challenge in different ways for them both; however, they pushed themselves out of their comfort zone, one to be the model and the other the director of this shoot. It was an incredible session and they both did amazingly well. The photos really speak for themselves.
Learner 2’s feedback about the photography work experience:
I feel truly grateful for what an amazing opportunity this has been for me; Bob has broadened my knowledge as to how to take a proper photo both technically and artistically. I feel far more confident not only with choosing the correct camera settings but also what makes a good photographic composition. It has just been a pleasure to have worked with Bob and learnt from his experiences. Not only has this been great for my mental health but it has also given me more overall self confidence. Beyond this I have lots more insight as for future possibilities in respect of career options. Thank you for setting the whole experience up for me, it really has been such a wonderful opportunity.
Bob’s comments:
It was a pleasure to spend time with this young person and I’m so pleased that he got so much out of it – I did too. He’s a lovely young guy and I know he’ll do well at whatever he decides to do in the future.
The session with went so smoothly considering that neither learner had done anything like this before (and they had only just met for the first time!).