News

Belonging – Year 8 Project at Coombeshead Academy – Spring 2025

At Coombeshead Academy, we launched an exciting initiative to support a group of Year 8 boys facing ongoing challenges in their school life. These students had been repeatedly referred for disruptive behaviour in class, often resulting in internal isolation (The Bridge).

Many struggled to engage with the curriculum, largely due to high special educational needs (SEN), social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) difficulties, and low reading ages. The goal? To help them feel truly seen, build essential social and literacy skills, and build positive relationships with both peers and staff.

We started with a core group of five students who were identified as most in need of additional support. Rather than simply imposing consequences, we invested time in truly listening to their concerns, offering consistent positive reinforcement, and emphasising how much they mattered at Coombeshead Academy. To help them grow, we introduced a weekly social skills programme and targeted literacy sessions, all guided by our talented learning coaches.

But we didn’t stop there. Our senior leadership team (SLT) also took an active role, running engaging weekly sessions such as team-building challenges in PE, fun card tricks with Mr. Graham, and hands-on cooking sessions with our assistant head, Mr Thomas. These activities not only broke down barriers but allowed the boys to form meaningful connections with staff. To celebrate their progress, we hosted regular break-time check-ins, often rewarding their successes with cakes, postcards, and even positive phone calls home. And when sustained positive behaviour was shown, we made sure to reward them with a special afternoon of fun and relaxation.

The results were remarkable. We saw a significant reduction in disruptive behaviour, with more students staying in lessons and becoming increasingly engaged with their studies. But even more striking was the shift in their attitudes – the boys became happier, more receptive to support, and eager to participate in school life. Over the eight-week period, three of the original five students showed improved attendance, a clear indicator of their growing sense of belonging.

The success of the project was even more widespread. Word spread, and soon another group of students were asking to be a part of the programme. While we couldn't involve them in all the original activities, we made sure they too had the chance to benefit – with meetings with a Space Youth Worker and visits to The Station youth centre in Newton Abbot. This extension proved that the positive impact of the programme had a ripple effect, providing more students with the opportunity to thrive.

Inspired by the success of this initiative, we’re already planning to expand the programme, with a similar intervention set to launch for a group of Year 7 students in the near future.

Here’s what the students themselves have said about the programme:

• "I like being back in lessons."
• "I’m doing better in class."
• "I really enjoy the sessions with Space."
• "It’s great to have my breaktimes free to play football (not in detentions)."
• "It’s making my parents happy as I am not getting into trouble."

This project has not only transformed the behaviour and academic engagement of these students but has also created a greater sense of belonging and community within the school. The positive feedback from both students and staff highlights just how powerful such interventions can be in supporting students with additional needs. It’s a significant step towards creating a more inclusive, supportive environment where every student has the opportunity to thrive. A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of this incredible journey!