Worksop graduate gives back to former school with new tutoring position

John Copping, 22, from Worksop, graduated from Liverpool University with a degree in business economics.

After successfully completing a summer internship with a multinational accounting firm - John has found himself back in the classroom, now working alongside his old teachers at Worksop school Outwood Academy Valley.

John now works with students in years 7, 8 and 9 and is now considering training as a teacher thanks to an in-school tutoring programme, Yipiyap which got him the position at his old school.

John said: “I wasn’t getting much satisfaction from office-based work.

“These year groups have been really affected by the pandemic, so I’m helping them get used to the classroom environment again and filling in their knowledge gaps.

“It was quite surreal at first, working alongside my old English teacher and headmaster, but I’m settling in and absolutely loving the challenge.”

Principle Mr Cavill of Outwood Academy Valley said: “John has already made an impact on the learners he supports – he was a fantastic pupil, so we were delighted to welcome him back.

“Peer learning certainly helps with pupil confidence and we have already seen students start to improve and thrive.”

Yipiyap, founded in 2012, saw a record number of applications this year as students chose to help schools and colleges after deferring university or travel plans.

Anne Morris, founder of Yipiyap said: “We’re delighted that John’s experiences have already been so positive.”