Bristol

Bristol Aerospace Museum – 12th / 13th of March 2026

GCSE Boost is important for learners in Bristol, as it demonstrates our clear commitment to protecting the wellbeing and aspirations of young people through a dedicated careers and wellbeing experience for Year 11 students sitting their GCSEs in the city. GCSE Boost is designed to support all students, regardless of academic ability. What unites learners is the range of pressures they face throughout the year and during exams, including anxiety, mental health challenges, and low self-esteem. Year 11 is an especially stressful and uncertain time, with many students navigating expectations from parents, carers, and their social circles.

Bristol is home to a diverse student population from across the world, a diversity that is widely celebrated and continues to grow throughout the city.

GCSE Boost intends to support not only students in mainstream education but also learners who may not have followed a traditional school route. GCSE Boost celebrates and invites the most academic students, neurodiverse students, hard-to-reach students, and those in care. We see all students and want them to experience a sense of well-being and encouragement.

GCSE Boost also aims to align with schools by supporting the updated Gatsby Benchmarks, as well as being PAL-compliant through our delivery of apprenticeship awareness. This is not only to help with student knowledge but also to ensure teaching staff have the right information to feel supported in organising external trips and to justify them to SLT, parents, and carers.

With increasing focus on mental health, concerns around youth unemployment, and ongoing demographic change across Bristol, the need to provide an inclusive experience addressing all three elements is fundamental for students preparing to leave school—particularly in a city that is passionate about change and open to innovative, inspiring ways to engage young people.

Launched in Bristol in 2025, GCSE Boost worked closely with secondary schools across the city to earn their trust through IAG personal development and apprenticeship programmes. This enabled the team to gain valuable insight into the needs of learners preparing for their GCSEs, while also building strong relationships with teaching staff, senior leadership teams, and local businesses—many of whom funded exhibition stands for the first show in 2025.

We were able to engage 1500 year 11 students and work with 15 businesses to allow GCSE boost to become a success in our pilot year in 2025.