CALLUM

“Most of my year eleven school life’s been sat at home working on a laptop which is the most unusual thing and not something I thought I’d ever be doing.” Callum, Year Eleven Student, The Link Academy

Callum lives with his mum (Carla), dad (Adam aka Bof) and two brothers Kyle and Tyler; the Winwoods. They are a tight-knit family who are proud of their Black Country roots. Callum’s dad works for a local upholstery company and his mum is currently a stay-at-home mum.

Callum is cheeky, loveable and popular with his peers and teachers alike. He loves football, family, friends and girls. We often see Callum out with his mates, trying to fight off distractions and struggling to focus at school, especially in lockdown with only one laptop in the family home.

Callum’s story begins with doubts that his dream of becoming a professional footballer will ever come to fruition so he decides he needs to have a back-up plan. With help from his dad and mentor Miss Sweet, Callum finds a new focus – he’s going to try his hand at bricklaying and secure himself an apprenticeship.

AAMINAH

“They’re going to write exam questions on us in a few years and pinpoint how our life was.” Aaminah, Year Eleven Student and Head Girl, The Link Academy

Aaminah is the head girl at The Link Academy. She’s politically and socially aware and likes to use her voice to implement change at home and school.

She lives with her mum, dad and four siblings - sisters Aisha, Halima, Aliza and younger brother Ibrahim. At the start of the series she speaks of being nervous about going back to school and feeling the pressure of her upcoming mock exams. Aaminah has a detailed revision plan and has her sights set on a prestigious college; to get in she needs to get top marks in most of her subjects.

Aaminah has a number of career paths in mind. She is drawn to health and forensics, the creativity of architecture and also likes the idea of working in the fashion industry one day. She is passionate about hijabi representation in the media and wants to see more Muslim women of colour like Halina Aden (the first model to wear a burkini in Sports Illustrated) at the forefront of the British mainstream to inspire young women of the same background to dream big and reach their goals.

SADE

“This year’s been a mad year. My exams have been scrapped, I’ve been doing online lessons, and I’m trying to work out what to do with my life when they call us the Covid kids.” Sade, Year Eleven Student, The Link Academy

Sade lives with her mum and younger brother Nye, who also attends The Link Academy. Her mum, Sam, is a single mum and part time carer who has done everything she can to instil a good work ethic into her daughter. Sade enjoys lounging at home, spending time with her family and hanging out with friends. She puts a lot of time and effort into looking good when she goes out but also has a strong work ethic and is determined to succeed in life.

Sade starts the year wanting to be a psychologist but later she steers towards accountancy or launching her own business. She is hoping to get the grades she needs to study at college. As the year ends, Sade reflects on how her final year has played out. She’s thankful to her mum and mentor (Mrs Haggart) who have expertly guided her through a really tough year.

Sade says her mum, grandma and aunties are her role models and are the driving force behind her determination to be a wealthy, successful businesswoman. She is a girl who has goals and ambitions and is keen to make sure that she earns enough money to look after her mum in the future.

KARA

“Most people barely live on fifteen grand a year and there’s fifty grand cars…A pair of Louboutin shoes are more expensive than people’s wages. That's just mad to me.” Kara, Year Eleven Student, The Link Academy

Kara is Sade’s best friend and you can always rely on Kara to say it like it is. She lives with her mum, Katie, and two younger siblings Alisha (12) and Josh (7). Kara has a close relationship with her mum. Katy was only 16 when she had Kara and wants her daughter to follow a different path than she did.

Kara initially struggled with home schooling during lockdown. Her mentor during Year Eleven was the principal, Mrs Edwards-Morgan who worked closely with Kara to ensure that she engaged with her education again and trust in her abilities.

Kara recently rediscovered her passion for creativity after ‘losing herself’ during secondary school. With a reignited passion for art and the freedom that creativity offers, Kara now dreams of being a tattoo artist. Despite a challenging year, she decides to apply to study Art and English Literature at college.

GRACE

"School’s all you’ve ever known...but as you get older it's time to like think more for yourself and think about what you are going to do and your future." Grace, Year Eleven Student, The Link Academy, Dudley

Grace lives with her mum (Paula), dad (Paul) and older brother Tom. Grace is the youngest of four siblings. Grace’s dad works full time as a plant manager and her mum works part time as an accountant.

Grace has attended stage school since she was three years old and dreams of becoming a professional actor, but despite her dream to perform professionally, Grace sometimes struggles with low self-confidence. During her final year at school we see Grace applying for a drama course at a performing arts academy in Birmingham. Having already tried and failed once before, we will follow her story to see if she is successful the second time around.