Funded by Ealing Safer Neighbourhoods Board
This programme offers youth in Ealing an opportunity to access Free Weekly Arts and Sports sessions. We welcome children aged 8-14, which is prime developmental age for young people, where they begin to solidify their interests and personalities. We focus on keeping youth safe while out of school and keeping members of our community engaged and united through shared interests. Our projects are interjected with important discussions in safe, open spaces for young people to learn and discuss issues within our community, and collaborate on the best ways to address them as a united front. For example, what they feel is the most pressing issues regarding their safety as children and young people and more.
We have chosen to use arts and sports, as these particular activities are collaborative and historically bring people together, and when run with a more structured approach, will be able to build social benefits.
Arts and Sports are safe, but expressive hobbies and interests, and target both mental and physical wellbeing. We will use particular activities that foster teamwork, self-expression and assertiveness in a structured, yet nourishing approach - that builds understanding and a confident community identity which benefits all within it.
The Project
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Those partaking in the project will be able to rotate and try different sports and arts, allowing them to not only meet new people but also try new things. Keeping children engaged with motivational mentors/teachers and also being supported in person will further support youth engagement.
Each week activities on offer change, from our Arts and Crafts activities, so far we have covered Watercolour Studies, Weaving, Jewellery Making, Pastel Art and more, and our Sports sessions offer Basketball Training with professionals, Football Games and free play.
The Aims
Our aim is to keep children and youth safe and help them find hobbies that are expressive and enjoyable - We will do this by launching activities locally that establish and promote social inclusion and community identity. The activities will integrate themes and discussions that will support youth in our local borough and will work towards community safety for all. We hope that we will be able to provide the young people of our borough, with progressive and positive opportunities through the skills, support and self-expression that our arts and sports activities provide; that are needed to safely develop in a community, and in life.
Football Intervention
As part of our Safer Neighbourhoods Programme, we partnered with Ark Acton Academy for the 2022 - 2023 Academic Year to provide a sports intervention programme. Football coaches from the local Brentford Football Club and Stadium, along with a police liaison officer, come to Ark Acton to provide weekly sessions for children requiring urgent intervention and additional support, and/or at risk of school exclusion.
Each week there is a focus on a different topic for the group to discuss and work on, for example - communication, listening, respect etc. Following this. the students then participate in group football drills and activities which are followed by a reflective session at the end where skills are put into context for school.
The coaches are able to distribute house points during this time as a reward, and students have time for self and group reflection.
Ark Acton was chosen for this specific programme as they deeply recognise that students are facing difficulties in and outside of school. This relates to support needed for keeping safe, supporting family, emotional regulation and adjusting to new circumstances.
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In the school, 37% of students are pupil premium and 41% access free school meals.
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66% of students have English as a second language with only 29% speaking English as their first language.
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11% of students are on our SEN register.
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22% of students are mobile (joined anytime after the first day of year 7).
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6% of students are white British, 25% are other ethnic groups, and 17% are black African.
Additionally, Ealing has higher rates of ASB than London and the rest of England, along with higher rates of violence and sexual offences than other London boroughs.
We need to support young people and consider the challenges they face, the deprivation they cannot control and understand the needs of specific communities and areas.
The aim of this programme has been to give the students a safe physical and verbal outlet for their emotions, with the outcome being reduced altercations in and out of school. Through football, physical activity that the students selected respect and enjoy, we have been able, to begin with a positive atmosphere and comfortable setting in which we can introduce vital themes for discussion. Alongside this, by partnering with a local police liaison officer, we are hoping to support trust being built between the students for local authority and police, again, working towards reducing altercations and anti-social behaviour.
Statistics in the first Term of this programme are as follows:
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All student's attendance has risen
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All students have increased house points
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8/10 students have stayed the same / had fewer patrols (removal from lessons)
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6/10 stayed the same / had lower reflection room referrals (internal suspension)
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Only 1 student received a suspension in Autumn Term.
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BPs have increased since SU2 )this needs to be explored further)
When and Where
Our sessions take place in the heart of Ealing Broadway, each Saturday for 3 hours. The students have access to full classrooms and studios, as well as playgrounds and pitches. Student must sign up each week on our events page.
The football intervention takes place within school hours for Ark Acton Academy Students only.
