FORMER North Bromsgrove High School students have gone back to school to inspire current students to succeed as part of the national Back to School Week campaign.

30 students returned to the school on School Drive in Bromsgrove last week to take part in workshops to advise year 9 pupils on their career paths and employability skills.

Angela Ritter, examinations administrator at North Bromsgrove High School and Sixth Form, said: “There was real enthusiasm from our students and all the alumni that I spoke with had thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to return to school, share their career experiences and give advice to our year 9s.”

The event, run by education charity Future First, welcomed former students from a variety of professions including pilots, lawyers, doctors and bookkeepers.

Future First research has shown that state school students are ten times more likely to think people from their school don’t succeed in employment compared with students at private schools.

Christine Gilbert, executive chair of Future First, said: “If students see people like them have succeeded they are more likely to believe they can too. They work harder and have higher expectations of success.

“We want more schools to see the benefits of using their alumni as a powerful resource.”

Back to School Week saw state school alumni across Britain return to their former schools for assemblies and workshops designed to help prepare students for the working world.