Power Education supports the learning of local secondary school children with weekend study sessions and has gone from strength to strength since its formation in September 2023. In this blog, they share how this remarkable educational resource came to be.
The origin story
All stories have a beginning, and this one starts with an idea. Our protagonists, Ilyass Amin and Habby Salaben, knew they belonged to a community in need; they saw it and felt it, but they also knew they could do something about it.
Ilyass already had a MSc in Water Treatment Engineering before moving to the UK, but he had dreams of becoming a teacher and educator. The first step was as a science technician, firstly at Bristol Grammar School and then at Cotham School.
Joining Cotham School was the catalyst for change. Here Ilyass met Simon Neville, and they began to have conversations about the Bristol education system, its inequalities and what could be done to improve it. They shared the concern that young people – from marginalised communities from areas such as East Bristol – were being left behind and needed extra support to fulfil their educational potential. Ilyass also became interested in training to be a science teacher via the PGCE programme at the University of Bristol.
Over the subsequent 10 years, through different iterations, the concept of Power Education began to take shape. The aim was to create a tutoring programme for young people, supporting them in their learning journey and their route to success.
In 2022, Ilyass and Simon discussed some of the post-pandemic changes in the Somali community; such as a sharp increase in the number of students dropping out of A-level courses, poor GCSE results and increasing rates of crime. Although Ilyass was well known for his work within this community and had a waiting list of young people wanting support, he was unable to support large groups due to space constrictions when working from home. The situation had become critical, and we needed to act.
It quickly became clear that the next challenge was to find their ‘bat cave’, a location that could house this symbol of hope, and where they could logistically run a tutoring programme on the scale envisaged. This is where Simon stepped in again; now working at the University of Bristol, the Barton Hill Micro-campus was identified as the perfect space to make the next stage of this dream come true.
The Barton Hill Micro-Campus allowed them to offer tuition for 11-16 years olds in maths, science and English, every Saturday, Sunday and Monday evening. There are tutors and guest speakers as well as trips to local engineering and science companies and landmarks.
Our superheroes become defined as their powers become honed. Habby is the backbone of administration and ensuring attendance as well as maintaining contact with parents and families. Ilyass is the mainstay of the maths and science tutoring , managing new tutors and supporting staff; a mix of local teachers, University staff and students. Ilyass and Habby give hope to the young people who attend their programme, and have built trust with the community through patience and tenacity over these past years.
The ongoing story
Power Education officially opened its doors in September 2023, marking ten years since the Cotham catalyst moment. The tutoring programme has now been running for 20 months with great success. Students have stayed with the programme, and around 100 students are taught every week. The second group of Year 11s will take their exams in summer 2025, and the original Year 7 students will be GCSE-ready by 2028.
Having supported the first Year 11 cohort through GCSE examinations, we now have evidence of these results. In 2024, of the 26 students attending Power Education tutoring sessions, 100% achieved Grade 4 or above in Science, 73% achieved Grade 5 or above in Maths, and 76% achieved Grade 5 or above in English. A fantastic outcome for their first year, which we aim to build on this summer.
The team have enlisted the support of the University of Bristol to capture some of the young people’s voices. Dr Fidelia Law of the School of Education is currently running research via focus groups with Year 8 students to get a sense of what they have gained from being part of Power Education over the past two years.
The feedback from parents and the wider community also tells us something important about perceptions surrounding this idea. We aim to capture that voice more formally in 2025/6. However here is a snapshot quote from a parent to Ilyass at the end of the last academic year:
“Thank you ever so much for the support you have given our children. Your initiative, effort, and time you put in tirelessly on weekends to ensure our children were getting enough support in believing themselves and doing their best, of course, with you enhancing their knowledge and a boost to their learning have been highly recognised and appreciated.”
Students have also chosen to feedback on their experiences; here are some examples from last year:
‘My time at Power Education has been beneficial not only in my studies, but me as a person.’
‘The extra-curricular activities like our trips and workshops helped and bettered my understanding.’
‘The hard work ethic that you drill into every one of your students makes me want to work that much harder in everything I do.’
‘Thank you for this year, entering tuition I wasn’t very confident, but I soon felt welcomed by you.’
‘This year was amazing, and I can’t wait to return next year.’
This is a partnership in the truest sense; no superhero works alone, and where Batman has the Gotham Police force, Power Education have a collective of interconnected groups supporting their goals. These include Widening Participation and Civic Engagement teams, and staff from the PGCE programme at the University of Bristol.
Furthermore, we could say that as Superman has Lois, or Batman has Alfred, they are also privileged to have many people working behind the scenes to enable the dream of supporting these young people. These include: Nick Young, Jennifer Goldsworthy, Ange Nansera, Ellie Cripps and Tara Miran.
The opportunity story
We’ve already made a difference to the education, lives and outcomes of many young people in Bristol, and we want to continue to make an impact.
To ensure the future of what we do, there is a financial cost to keeping the best tutors and making sure the educational impact is accurate and consistent. We also need equipment such as calculators, mini-whiteboards, and exercise books.
It costs £15,000 to run Power Education for a year and we currently recoup some of this from subscriptions, donations from parents, and Widening Participation, Civic and research funds from the University of Bristol.
We are now seeking longer-term financial contributions to futureproof our offer for the next five years and to continue to secure the involvement of the very best English, science and maths tutors.
If you are interested in collaborating with us, we would be most grateful to hear from you!
We have ideas about expansion too – there are times when one superhero needs to join a bigger group when the need arises. As Batman needed the Justice League, or Spiderman the Avengers, Power Education wants to become bigger and better through collaboration. Although we are mindful that our core offer must remain centred on high quality tutoring and never lose the trust that has been built, we believe there are opportunities to do more.
The micro-campus at Barton Hill was such a gift that we could not have achieved so much without it. However, Power Education are starting to outgrow it, and as they look at ways to widen their offer, they are considering other locations to add to the portfolio.
The micro-campus houses our 11-16 tutoring (Key Stage 3 & 4) but is often at capacity. Revision classes for Year 11 often require more space in April and May and to raise the profile of these events the team need to be creative in our ideas about what will work.
Power Education is being offered as a model of an in-community tutoring service. As the University opens a new micro-campus in Hartcliffe in Bristol, we will be providing advice and guidance from our experiences in Barton Hill.
‘To share all they have to the full… to keep the doors open, to create an atmosphere so alive, and yet so patient of difference, that a meeting ground is made for men and women of various classes and of conflicting views, a place for free discussion and the birth of new ideas’
This quote shows that Power Education partnered with the University of Bristol is adding its distinctive voice to a long-standing tradition of educational opportunities and growth in Bristol. It was written by Hilda Cashmore, the first warden of the Barton Hill Settlement in 1919. Long may this tradition continue as new heroes are drawn into the fold to tackle injustice and help those in need.
Further information
Read more about Power Education
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