Wigan Athletic Community Trust – Alternate Provision Helping Pupils Build Better Relationship with Education

Wigan Athletic Community Trust – Alternate Provision Helping Pupils Build Better Relationship with Education

Wigan Athletic Community Trust’s Alternate Provision has helped support Secondary School students and reduce their risk of exclusion. The programme combines work experience, football and mentoring sessions to build students’ confidence and life skills.

“My confidence has been a lot better since I’ve started coming here. I’ve met a lot of new people and now if I meet someone new in the future then I’ll know how to approach them.”

Sami, Learn with Latics student

Wigan Athletic Community Trust’s Learn with Latics Programme has been helping secondary school students improve their behaviour and enjoyment of school as well as re-integrate school.

The Alternate Provision is run by Community Trust staff and supports students, who might be struggling in mainstream education, with their Maths and English lessons by using sports as a learning tool. As well as this, P.E. and football sessions are provided in the afternoons to help the pupils stay motivated and improve their confidence and skills.

Assistant Principle at Outwood Academy Hindley, Matt Taylor, has noticed the great impact the programme has had on one of the school’s students, Sami.

“Before the programme, we were encountering multiple issues every day with Sami, which meant he was at risk of suspension. But since the programme has started, Sami hasn’t been suspended once. He’s spending a lot more time in lessons, which is fantastic. His whole engagement with learning is superb at the moment, and we firmly credit the work that he’s been doing with Wigan Athletic.”

Matt Taylor, Assistant Principle at Outwood Academy Hindley

Sami has also noticed the changes in himself and the positive impact on his behaviour since starting the programme.

“I’ve been a lot better in school since I’ve been here, I get along with people a lot more and I have patience. It gives me a break from school, so if anything happens on the Monday or Tuesday, I can have a break and think about what’s happened and go back in on the Thursday in a better mindset. My confidence has been a lot better since I’ve started coming here. I’ve met a lot of new people and now if I meet someone new in the future then I’ll know how to approach them. We’ve talked about jobs and what happens when we leave school to do with money and taxes, and now I know what I want to do when I leave school.”

Sami, Learn with Latics student

“It has had huge impact on Sami in a positive way by giving him a chance to engage in learning and show his great personality outside of the normal school environment. His behaviour has been quite challenging within the school environment, and he struggled to concentrate for long periods of time and would only cooperate with certain members of staff who he had built a good relationship with. Attending the [Alternate Provision] in the middle of the week has given him a break from his regular routine, as well as a new challenge to prepare and benefit him after school, as he is now going into Year 10 in September.”

Michelle and Paul Roberts, Sami’s parents