Supporting Active Young People

A new scheme called Active Support aims to get excluded pupils back into education and ultimately employment. Find out how Sports Leaders UK courses are helping. Where do you go when you’ve been excluded from school? Do you roam the streets or watch TV for 12 hours a day? That’s the grim reality facing many disruptive teenagers today. But a new initiative in Luton – which has Sports Leaders UK at its very core – is changing young people’s lives forever. Active Support Luton was the brainchild of Matt Ford, a PE teacher who got fed up of watching disruptive youngsters with no prospects. “There was a gap there,” he said. “And these kids were dropping through it. So I decided to do something about it.” In many schools, pupils with behavioural problems may be excluded as a last resort. But if they are excluded from their next school as well, they are left with nowhere to go. Matt said: “They are too young to get jobs and have no qualifications so can’t continue into further education. For many it’s the start of a descent into more trouble, crime and, ultimately, a life no-one would choose.” Matt set up Active Support in a small community centre in November 2009. He contacted local schools and authorities to tell them about his scheme, which supports these young people while they are out of mainstream education. Having used Sports Leaders UK courses during his time as a teacher at Denbigh High School in Luton, Matt knew their benefit and has made them a key part of his scheme. Active Support proved so successful within three months that Matt resigned from teaching to dedicate all his time to the scheme. “Every school in the area, including Denbigh, uses us, which benefits these children, and the schools themselves,” he says. “These youngsters aren’t particularly academic and haven’t done well in that environment, so we need to offer them something more. Sports Leaders UK courses fit the bill perfectly. “ Action plans are drawn up for every candidate that enrols on the Level 1 Award in Sports Leadership, and their progress is carefully monitored. Firstly they participate in sports including basketball, football, judo, golf and kick-boxing – and then they teach some of these skills to others. “The beauty of it is that we get them back into schools when they feel ready, so that they can train other pupils,” said Matt. “It instils some confidence in them and a belief that they can achieve something worthwhile in their lives. Ultimately, our goal is to get them back on track and into mainstream education so they can go on to further education and employment.” Active Support has five full-time members of staff and Matt is now looking for premises of his own so he can expand. It is already taking on older students, aged 16 plus. Matt said: “We have our flashpoints, of course, but we’re trained in how to handle them. If the student wants to continue to come here, they have to behave within the boundaries. The key is making this a place they want to come.” It certainly is somewhere they want to visit, thanks to the variety of sports and the camaraderie. Academic support, work experience placements and even transport to and from the centre can be provided if necessary. “There is obviously a need and we feel we’re making a difference to people’s lives. We’re delighted to be using Sports Leaders UK more and more. It seems we both have the same goals – reaching the neediest young people in society and teaching them skills that will serve them well for the rest of their lives.” Success stories Denbigh High School has transformed itself by putting leadership at its heart. Luton’s Denbigh High School is a secondary sports college with more than 1,100 pupils aged from 11 to 16, and it has a 95 per cent Asian intake. Many of these youngsters don’t speak English as a first language and some come from challenging circumstances, yet the school is hugely successful and has seen a steady trajectory of growth at GCSE during the past 17 years. There is no one ‘big idea’ behind the success at Denbigh High School, but Sports Leaders UK has definitely played a part. Andy Smith, year group tutor and centre manager for the Sports Leaders UK work at the school, says: “I have been here for five years and the change has been phenomenal. We’ve just been voted the Times Educational Supplement Secondary School of the Year. It all boils down to one word which is embedded in everything we do: leadership.” The school runs the Foreign Language Leader Award, the Level 1 Award in Dance Leadership, and the Level 1 Award in Sports Leadership. “They have made a massive difference and that’s why we’re so supportive of everything Sports Leaders UK does. We will have around 200 candidates taking Sports Leaders UK qualifications and awards this year and we are hoping to increase that number.” The benefit of the Foreign Language Leader Award in a school with such a varied cultural background is obvious. Older pupils – many of whom were previously in language classes – now hold court, teaching younger pupils basic French and Spanish in a calm and supportive manner. “I’ve been surprised at how well they have taken to it,” said Bev Blackham, language teacher. “It gives them the responsibility they need and they just run with it. We find the younger pupils much prefer having their peers doing the teaching.” The pupils we met agreed. “I was nervous at first but you soon get used to standing up and speaking in front of people and it was amazing how quickly you learn things yourself,” said 16-year-old Datin Shah, who before embarking on the Foreign Language Leader Award was a shy, retiring lad. “It also helps build your confidence,” says Siannaka Malcolm. “You learn to make eye contact and project your voice so you can be heard clearly.” Amazingly, Siannaka admitted that she had little interest in French before the Foreign Language Leader Award – and wouldn’t have gone on to take it at GCSE level without the confidence the course had given her. Disruptive behaviour has reduced and uptake of extra-curricular activities has improved since the courses were introduced. Andy says: “That’s the effect leadership is having. We want to share this with other schools because it’s very powerful. A smile from one of these children who have been hard to reach does it for me. That’s the progress we’ve made.” Sports Leaders UK Public Relations Anne Compton T: 01908 689212 E: media@sportsleaders.org