Saracans Foundation – Supporting children at risk of exclusion in Brent and Watford
Children in Brent and Watford who are at risk of exclusion are receiving much needed support through a tried and tested system of mentoring and sport, thanks to a £30,000 grant from London Freemasons to the Saracens Foundation charity.
The grant supports the Saracens Foundation’s Go Forward programme to prevent permanent exclusion and tackle the high rates of disengagement from education. Groups of children and young people are identified in partnership with host schools as ‘at risk of exclusion’.
Currently, the programme is delivered across different year groups at two host schools in Brent and Watford. Year 6 students from feeder primary schools to the two high schools are first engaged with tag rugby taster sessions. Upon entry to secondary education in Year 7, the children are formally enrolled into the programme, which includes multi-sport sessions, breakfast clubs including food and weekly one-to-one mentoring sessions. In Year 8, students are provided with bi-monthly mentoring sessions before being trained as mentors themselves in Year 9 with the aim of supporting Year 7 and 8 pupils (with the aim that by Year 9 they are no longer considered at risk of exclusion).
Saracens’ team of dedicated Project Officers work within the schools as youth mentors, providing one-to-one support to a small group of Year 7 students identified as at risk of permanent exclusion. Action plans are created for each mentee to give them a focus during their school day; these plans are key to helping the children recognize their own triggers and give them the skills to manage their own behaviour when experiencing challenging situations. During the school day, the project officers are on hand to support their mentees during lessons, at break and lunch times, as well as helping to deal with any challenging behavior as and when required.
A key part of the Go Forward project is the end of year Residential, where groups of mentees, accompanied by the charity’s project officers and school staff, are able to partake in a range of team-building and outdoor adventure activities away from their normal school environment. For the vast majority of these young people, it will be the first time they have ever experienced these types of activities or had the chance to travel outside of their local community. It also encourages them to try new things that push them out of their comfort zone and achieve success that they previously would not have thought was possible.
Sadly, only one per cent of permanently excluded children go on to achieve 5 GCSEs. The London Borough of Brent, in particular, has a poor socio-economic background, with 33% of the population classified as living in poverty and an unemployment rate of 7.7%. According to Saracens, young people within the pupil premium and free school meals bracket are six times more likely to be permanently excluded from school, which is why their programme is such an important intervention. Indeed, during the 2021-22 academic year, 80% of beneficiaries met their schools’ respective attendance targets, with 74% achieving above their target behaviour score. Of those who participated in the programme, 80% said they had become more confident and had developed skills that allowed them to better interact with their peers.
Through Saracens’ wider work at HMPYOI Feltham, the charity found that approximately 80% of young offenders at this institution were permanently excluded from mainstream education. As a result, Go Forward was created to provide a level of empathy and support for those vulnerable young people that many state-funded schools do not have the resources to be able to provide.
The grant from London Freemasons comes through the Masonic Charitable Foundation, which is funded by Freemasons, their families and friends, from across England and Wales.
Saracens Foundation said: “We’re very greatful to London Freemasons for their generous grant which will help us provide essential support for children in Brent and Watford at risk of exclusion from school helping them take full advantage of their education. Exclusion will inevitably destroy their education and have a devastating effect on their life-chances.”
This article is part of the Arena Magazine, Issue 56 Winter 2024 edition.
Arena Magazine is the official magazine of the London Freemasons – Metropolitan Grand Lodge and Metropolitan Grand Chapter of London.
Read more articles in the Arena Issue 56 here.
