Cooking Introduced To Get More Out Of Premier League Inspires Session
- Premier League Inspires Plus is delivered by Inspires Mentors in Beaumont Leys School
- Rahul takes part in one-to-one mentoring sessions with Leicester City in the Community
- After low-level behavioural issues, Rahul has made improvements throughout the academic year
- Using his love of cooking, he has learned life skills such as problem solving
A Beaumont Leys School pupil has been impacted from the benefits of the Premier League Inspires Plus programme.
Funded by the Premier League Charitable Fund (PLCF) and the Professional Footballer’s Association (PLPFA), Premier League Inspires Plus aims to benefit those in secondary schools who have become disengaged from education.
After being identified as someone that was struggling in a school environment, Year 9 pupil Rahul was referred to the PL Inspires mentoring programme.
He began one-to-one mentoring sessions with John Olaleye, Education Engagement Manager at Leicester City in the Community, in which they would cook a dish together and discuss his behaviour throughout the week.
“He completely knows his way around the kitchen and knows exactly what he wants to do,” John explained. “With that, we’ve got a base – through the sessions, we talk about the previous week and some challenges that he might have faced.
“What I have seen is he is more aware of his choices and decisions, but also the consequences of his decisions.”
The weekly one-to-ones have seen the pair make different dishes, ranging from chocolate chip shortbread to chicken wings.
Rahul’s sessions with John have included Black History Month-themed sessions about Nelson Mandela and improving teamwork skills.
Through PLPFA funding, Rahul was also able to put his teamwork skills into practice by attending the PL Inspires school holiday provision at Leicester Outdoor Pursuits Centre, where he was able to build on his relationship with John outside of a classroom setting.
Speaking during one of his sessions at Beaumont Leys School, Rahul expressed that in the future he would like to open a restaurant of his own.
“At home, my mum’s always cooking, my brother’s always cooking – I just like it,” Rahul said. ”I think I’ve progressed a lot because of John teaching me things, such as being respectful and controlling my impulses.
“I think I’m in a better place now than I was in September – I’m focusing on school more.”
You can watch John and Rahul’s cooking session, HERE. Please contact Education Engagement Manager, John Olaleye on john.olaleye@lcfc.co.uk for more information on the Premier League Inspires programme.