Essential Life Skills Fund

In academic year 18/19, NYBEP worked with schools in the North Yorkshire Coast Opportunity Area to deliver a programme that would:

• Address social mobility and disadvantage.     
• Allow young people to engage in meaningful activities outside of the classroom. 
• Promote engagement and participation. 
• Develop skills and behaviours associated with successful futures.

In discussion with each school, NYBEP developed an early intervention, needs-based programmes for groups of up to 15 learners who fell in one or more of the following categories: 

• KS3 Girls identified as ‘at risk’ or vulnerable. 
• KS3/4 Learners not meeting their potential. 
• G&T learners with barriers to learning or engagement.

Employers supporting the programme, included: Sirius Minerals, Yorkshire Bank, Scarborough Art Gallery, Amelia’s Chocolates, Scarborough Cricket Club, Inspirations, Inflatanation and York Maze.

Individual Learning Plans were created for each learner and their views / feelings were taken into account throughout. By incorporating regular learner reviews, NYBEP was able to ‘flex’ the delivery model, to meet learners’ diverse and developing interests and needs.

Highlights of the programme included:

• Substantial progress made with all learners. Gaining their trust and getting them to open-up about their issues and barriers.
• Addressing stress, high anxiety levels and low self-esteem.
• Addressing the causes and impact of anti-social behaviour.
• Developing emotional confidence
• Supporting progression and challenging gender-stereotyping.
• Financial awareness sessions.
• Workplace visits and employer encounters.

The programme allowed NYBEP to develop closer communications with hard to reach learners and provide early interventions.