Dear Parents,
I hope you are all well. This is Orgesa from Rise to Lead, part of my wider work through Configur Academy.
This week felt like a turning point. A quiet, focused, deeply personal one.
No team challenges. No mystery box. No Dragon's Den. Just each child, their words, and the work of putting them on paper.
Writing Their Showcase Talk
Before the children began writing, we took ten minutes together to revisit every skill from the term, speaking clearly, kind leadership, brave speaking, debating, story structure and body language. The message was simple: you already know all of this. Today, you are just putting it together.
And then they did exactly that.
The children spent the session writing their full showcase talk, working either individually or in pairs, depending on how they had chosen to present. The room went calm in a way it rarely does. Every child was focused, every child was writing, and by the end of the session, every single one of them had a complete talk in front of them.
That is not a small thing. Eight weeks ago, most of these children had never thought about structuring a talk, opening with a hook, or finishing with purpose. This week, they did all of it, in their own words, about something they genuinely care about.
They leave this week with one job: practise at home. In front of a mirror, a family member, a pet, it does not matter. The more they hear their own words out loud before Friday, the more confident they will feel when it counts.
🌟 The Final Showcase
Just a final reminder of the details for our celebration evening, now only days away.
Friday 27th March 2026 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm The Patch
Please aim to drop your child off at around 4:45 pm, so they have a little time to settle and do any last-minute preparation before parents are welcomed in at 5:00 pm sharp.
On the evening, you can expect performances and presentations from the children, snacks and drinks, certificates and badges, and a proper celebration of everything they have built this term.
The children have chosen how they want to present, some individually, some in pairs, and some doing both. I am more than happy to give each of them the time they need to shine in whatever way feels right for them.
Both parents are warmly welcome, and siblings are very welcome too. If your circumstances have changed, please do not worry at all; your child will be celebrated just as warmly regardless. If you are unable to attend yourself, do feel free to send along another familiar face.
Our last regular session is this Sunday, 23rd March, with children collected as usual at 5:00 pm. Then we look forward to seeing you on Friday evening for the showcase.
📚 Summer Term - Bookings Now Open
I am thrilled to share that bookings for the Summer Term are now open.
Classes begin Monday, 13th April and run through to Monday, 13th July 2026. You can sign here:
The confirmed session dates are:
April: 13, 20, 27
May: 11, 18
June: 8, 15, 22, 29
July: 6, 13
That is 11 sessions in total. Please do check these dates against your own school calendar to make sure they work for you before booking, as term dates can vary.
A few important things I want you to know:
As promised at the very start of this course, I am honouring my founder pricing for every family already in this class. You will be paying exactly the same price as this term, regardless of the number of sessions or any other factors. That will not change.
Upon graduation, this class moves forward as an advanced programme in Level 2. I have been working on a new, more advanced program, and I am genuinely excited about it. I will be sharing the full details with you at the showcase on Friday. From next term, this becomes an advanced class, and I will not be accepting new children into it unless there is a very specific request and I can do some preparatory work with the child beforehand to bring them up to speed. This group has earned that, and I want to protect the level they are working at.
I am opening beginner classes next term and am currently in conversations with schools to expand the programme further; more details on that will follow very soon.
Payment in instalments: If you would like to spread the cost across three equal payments, please do not hesitate to get in touch by replying to this email or sending me a text. I am more than happy to make those arrangements for you.
Siblings are always welcome
If you have another child who joins any of our classes, whether that is a new beginner class, an online class, or anything else we bring to the programme in the future, they will automatically receive £30 off their term fee, simply because they are part of a family already in the Rise to Lead community.
No need to ask or apply for it. Just let me know when you enrol them, and I will take care of it.
A little thank you for passing the word on
If you mention Rise to Lead to another family and their child joins one of our classes, I will simply take £15 off your next term's fee for every child who enrols through your recommendation. It is my way of saying thank you for trusting the programme enough to share it.
There is no time limit and no expiry. Recommendations build up quietly across terms and across any class we run, and whenever you reach 7 children who have joined and completed at least one full term, your child's following term is completely on me.
It is just a genuine thank you for helping good things reach the right families.
If you have any questions or would like to know more, please do reply to this email or drop me a text. I am always happy to have a chat.
Thank you, as always, for your continued trust and support throughout this term. Watching these children grow week by week has been one of the most rewarding things I have done, and Friday is going to be a very special evening.
See you Sunday, and then Friday for the big celebration.
Warm regards,
Orgesa
Founder, Rise to Lead
Configur Academy
Wesbite: www.risetolead.uk
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