Community Foundation Funding: How Kenton School boosted pupil confidence and improved attendance
Schools North East partnered with the Community Foundation to make a staggering £100,000 of funding available for schools wishing to develop their cultural, sporting or careers provision for disadvantaged and looked-after children. Funding of up to £4,000 was available per bid for schools across Tyne and Wear
This project meant so much to us all here at Schools North East, and we were delighted to organise such a powerful opportunity for some of our local schools.
We recently caught up with Kenton School to learn more about how they used this fantastic funding opportunity to help boost pupil confidence and attendance.
Project overview
Staff revealed that the impact of the coronavirus lockdowns meant that many pupils at Kenton School struggle to maintain healthy relationships with friends and family.
“We have seen our pupil’s social skills development suffer as they’ve not had the opportunity to develop their communication or teamwork skills, an issue even more prevalent for our disadvantaged pupils.”
Understandably so, they wanted to use the funding to help support targeted groups of disadvantaged pupils in Y7-9 who, at the time, didn’t engage in after school activities, or had below average school attendance.
The club they formed allowed pupils to mix with their peers, building positive relationships and experiences at school. As a result, this encouraged them to support each other and to work as a team while having fun throughout an active experience.
So, what was the outcome?
Student voice showed that 82 percent of pupils who were selected for the clubs felt their confidence had increased, which really is brilliant to hear!
74 percent identified as having made new friends, and a whopping 60 percent of participants maintained or increased their attendance.
Building confidence in children is crucial for their overall well-being and success in various aspects of life, including self-image, social skills, problem solving, and independence. So, it sounds like Kenton School used this funding in a truly fantastic way, and the benefits will be felt for a long time.
Kenton School is a Schools North East Partner School . If you’d like to find out more about our Partner School membership, click here.
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