This blog explores the perspectives of volunteering. A collaboration between Programme Manager Jasmin and one of our fantastic volunteers, Roisin.
What is it really like to complete a university placement that allows you to build your skills while making a meaningful difference?
At CoachBright, we work with University students who volunteer in schools to support pupils through academic coaching in subjects such as Maths, English and Science. Through a structured programme of one hour per week across an 8-10 week period, our volunteers help young people to build confidence, develop independence and resilience and raise their aspirations.
Some join us as volunteer Coaches alongside their studies, while others complete these hours as part of a structured university placement. In every case, our volunteers play a vital role in supporting school pupils while also developing their own confidence, communication skills and professional experience.
For students completing placements, the experience offers more than just meeting course requirements. It provides the opportunity to gain hands-on experience while making a real difference in the lives of young people.
But what does that look like in practice? What does a typical week involve and what do students actually take away from the experience?
To explore this, we spoke to Roisin, a Psychology student at The University of Warwick who completed a placement with us. In this blog, Roisin kindly shares with us an insight into her role as a Coach with CoachBright, the skills she developed and how the experience shaped her confidence and future ambitions.
Can you introduce yourself, tell us what you study and share a bit about your interests and hobbies?
My name is Roisin and I’m a final‑year Psychology undergraduate at the University of Warwick. As part of my degree, I completed an outreach and engagement placement with CoachBright in the West Midlands. I’ve always been interested in how psychology can be applied in real‑world settings, particularly education. Outside of my studies, I enjoy playing hockey, cooking, and reading, and I’m generally happiest when I can balance studying with being active and creative.
What were you looking for in a placement and what made you choose CoachBright?
I was looking for a placement that would let me develop my coaching skills, drawing from my psychology background while also contributing to the community. I wanted something that would take what I was learning at university and apply it beyond campus. CoachBright stood out because of its focus on working with pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds through one‑on‑one and small‑group coaching. I loved the idea that, by giving students dedicated time and attention, you can help them see their own potential in a way that isn’t always possible in large classes or busy home environments. I previously found working with young people as an assistant hockey coach incredibly rewarding, so CoachBright felt like a wonderful opportunity.
What did a typical week look like for you during your placement with us?
I was a full‑time undergraduate while on placement, so my weeks involved a lot of time management between my uni timetable and CoachBright hours. On Wednesdays, I coached small groups of Year 9 pupils in English, usually working with one to three students. On Fridays, I supported a peer‑to‑peer programme where Year 12 students coached Year 10s in core subjects, overseeing the sessions and helping things run smoothly.
My week involved planning and adapting sessions, travelling between campus and schools in Nuneaton and Coventry, and collaborating with a range of people including school staff, other volunteer coaches from Warwick and Coventry University, and CoachBright programme staff.
How did you balance your placement alongside your University studies?
Balancing a final‑year workload with a placement was definitely challenging, but it was also one of the most valuable parts of the experience. I had to be very honest with myself and with the programme managers about how much I could commit, especially because we were working with young people and it’s important not to overpromise. If you’ve told a pupil you’ll be there, you need to be able to show up for them.
One of the biggest lessons for me was learning not to spend a long time on session planning. At first, I poured a lot of time into creating elaborate resources, but I quickly realised that sessions often needed to change on the day to meet individual needs. The resources I created early on ended up being reused and adapted, so I focused my effort on designing flexible, reusable activities rather than perfect plans.
Living off-campus meant I would be travellingto the schools. I used that commuting time for admin tasks for either final year or CoachBright. These could be following up on a graduate application or reading up on Year 9 English content to plan later sessions so that once I arrived, I could focus on coaching. I blocked out my week quite strictly and treated travel time as “bonus” working time rather than scrolling on my phone. That combination of time‑blocking and making use of every small pocket of time was key.
What were your main responsibilities as part of your placement with CoachBright?
My main responsibility was coaching small groups of Year 9 pupils in English, usually in groups of one to three. Beyond the academic side, the priority was building a relationship where they felt seen, heard, and understood. I wanted to be clearly different from a teacher figure. I was someone who was there to support them, rather than just deliver content and tell them off if they were not focused on the tasks. My coachees were able to see mistakes as part of learning rather than something to be afraid of.
This meant coming prepared for sessions but also being ready for plans to change. Even within a small group of pupils from the same class, abilities, engagement levels, and preferences can vary a lot. For example, one pupil might fly through a task while another feels overwhelmed and disengaged, especially at the end of the school day. My role was to adapt activities so everyone could access them, sometimes this meant extending a task to make it more challenging for one pupil, while simplifying or reframing it for another.
What skills have you developed through this experience?
The placement really developed my leadership skills. Working in schools means you must be ready for anything: friendship fallouts, pupils who can’t be in the same group, pupils choosing a different core subject for their sessions. I became much more confident in spotting potential issues early and managing them calmly, so they didn’t disrupt learning or anyone’s experience.
I also refined my time management and session‑planning skills. I learned how to design sessions that were structured but flexible and how to use every small slice of time productively, particularly when commuting or juggling placement, finalist work, and graduate applications. Those habits are something I’ll carry into future roles, whether in education, educational psychology, or organisational settings.
How has this placement supported your future goals?
I’m interested in becoming an educational psychologist and, longer term, working in organisational psychology, and this placement has been hugely helpful for both pathways. Coaching young people in small groups gave me concrete experience of supporting pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, which I drew on when applying for opportunities like Teach First. It allowed me to move beyond theory and see what it actually looks like in practice.
A big shift for me was realising that while planning is important, it should never overshadow trust. Through the placement, I saw first‑hand that if pupils don’t feel they know you, or don’t feel safe and understood, they’re much less likely to engage, focus, or share their goals. The most carefully designed session won’t land unless there’s trust. That insight has really shaped how I think about teaching, coaching, and any future role where I’m supporting people. Relationships and rapport are at least as important as the content itself.
What has been the most rewarding part of your placement?
The most rewarding part has been hearing directly from the young people that the sessions made a difference to them. Some of the feedback I received was incredibly touching. For example, a pupil telling me, “I hope you achieve all your dreams,” or another saying, “We really enjoy her sessions; she listens to us.” When you’ve spent hours researching topics, planning sessions, and commuting to schools, it’s easy to forget the impact those small, weekly interactions can have. Hearing that pupils felt heard and supported made all of that effort feel absolutely worthwhile.
What would you say to another student considering completing their placement with us?
I would absolutely encourage other students, especially psychology students, to go for it. It’s a chance to take what you’re learning at university and use it to support the wider community, rather than keeping it within the “bubble” of campus.
Working with pupils facing educational inequality was very different and incredibly important. It made me much more aware of issues like the postcode lottery and the uneven distribution of opportunities and resources between schools. Obviously, one placement isn’t going to “solve” educational inequality, but it can make a real difference to individual pupils. For example, one of my coachees finished the programme talking about wanting to apply to Warwick. University isn’t the only valid route, but her seeing it as a realistic option, and being able to ask me questions as someone who actually studies there, felt significant.
As Roisin’s experience shows, placements with CoachBright are about much more than completing hours. They’re an opportunity to build confidence, develop real world skills and make meaningful impact along the way. While supporting pupils to grow in confidence and raise their aspirations, our placement students are also developing themselves, making the experience valuable on both sides. Many thanks to Roisin and all our 2025/2026 coaches! We couldn’t do it without you.