Oldham specialist school gifts laptops to departing Year 11 leavers

Back -Tyler, Cody, Zack. Front - Tillie, McKenzie

A specialist school in Oldham has presented its departing Year 11 cohort with a laptop computer to support their applications for college places and employment and hosted a celebratory dinner for pupils and their families to mark the end of the academic year.

Chances Mentoring, a specialist school that grew from an informal mentoring initiative into a registered educational institution, provided the devices to ensure its leavers have the practical tools needed to pursue post-16 education, training, or employment independently.

The school also funded a celebratory meal at the Indish restaurant in Chadderton on June 12, 2025, bringing together the Year 11 cohort and their families to mark the conclusion of their secondary education.

Callum Siddall, proprietor of Chances Mentoring, said the decision to provide each pupil with a laptop was driven entirely by practical need rather than any desire for recognition.

"They were all given a laptop, not because it will look good, but we genuinely want them to be able to do what they need now they have left," he said. "It was never intentionally the idea to make a school, it was just about supporting children but it has progressed with the demand and growth."

Cody, the departing headboy, said: "My time at Chances has been really good. I have enjoyed every minute of it. When I started I was only supposed to be here for 6 weeks, that turned into 2 years, but I'm not complaining.

"Being here has helped me realise how important education is. I've gone from never picking up a pen to completing my GCSEs."

Chances Mentoring began as a small, informal project to support vulnerable young people before expanding rapidly in response to growing regional demand for alternative provision placements. The organisation became a registered school as demand outpaced its original structure.

The departing cohort holds particular significance for the school, with a number of pupils having been with the provider since its earliest, less formal days.

"These Year 11s have been a special group, with some of them being with us since our early days, and seeing them grow and develop has been amazing," Siddall said.

The school said the laptops are intended to give leavers long-term independence as they move into the next stage of their lives, whether in further education, apprenticeships, or the workplace.

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