Each year, throughout the country, hundreds of children and young people experience the age-old and inevitable side-effect of starting a new school: first day jitters.

Teachers are always on hand to help ease those nerves and today, at the Corelli School of the Arts in Auckland’s Browns Bay, so was I.

I had been invited to visit the school to take part in the making of a documentary that Corelli is producing. The documentary follows a number of students through the first six months of their journey to becoming international performers. I have to admit that making a documentary is a very fitting project for a school that provides a focus on drama, music, dance and the visual arts.

Among the students having their experiences documented is a recipient of the Aspire Scholarship programme I announced last year. The scholarship is open to students from low income families and allows them to attend an Independent School of their choice. Four Aspire Scholars are currently attending Corelli – among them an impressive young man called Aurelion, a ballet protégé I had the pleasure of meeting this morning along with his parents Gayle and David. Aurelion’s family moved to Auckland from Whangarei so that he could use his scholarship to attend Corelli and fulfil his true potential.

Aspire scholars throughout the country have started at their new independent schools this week and, while I’m sure they all had their fair share of jitters, I have no doubt they settled in quickly and are already making the most of the opportunities their new schools have to offer.

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Corelli today which included welcoming everyone on their first day of school at assembly, a tour of the school and an impromptu filming of a mock interview with two of the students. I’ve not seen the footage yet, but think wisdom would dictate that I stick with my day job!