The students have shown significant behavioral and academic improvement .. They are calmer, relate better to their teachers and peers, attend classes regularly and engage in their learning. Several have gone on to be school leaders or taken on other roles that previously they would never have thought possible.
Deputy Head Teacher
Our ±«Óãtv Radio 4 Appeal raised £7,169 in funds for Khulisa’s Face It programme, a social and emotional skills development programme designed to support vulnerable young people to re-engage in their education. Every year, Khulisa provides a therapeutic space for over 600 children to share their experiences of trauma, anxiety, and abuse and to address how this is connected to their patterns of negative behaviour. After completing our programmes, 91% of pupils show improved behaviour in the classroom and 1 in 3 reintegrate successfully back into mainstream school.
Theon was 14 years old when he took part in the Face It programme; before joining the programme he had been excluded from school due to his “unpredictable and violent behaviour”. When the Khulisa team first met Theon, he said he found it hard to concentrate and felt angry “all the time".
On the first day of the programme, Theon shared a traumatic experience with the group. He described watching one of his friends die after being stabbed. He said that he experiences violence daily and says he has a complete distrust in the police and many other adults in his life. Over the course of Khulisa’s programme, Theon began to understand the link between these experiences and his behaviour at school. He also acknowledged that his behaviour in the classroom was having a negative impact on his fellow students.
Many months after the programme, Theon says he is now able to concentrate better and doesn’t feel as angry or hit out at others in frustration: “I am feeling much more confident, Khulisa helped me realise that my views are important and they do matter - if I have something to say now, I’ll say it”. Theon’s teachers said “he is more communicative and is engaging in 1:1 mentoring with a male member of staff. At the end of his mock exam he was beaming and seemed so proud - I don't think I've ever seen him write that much before.”
This is the just the start of a journey of change and reflection for Theon – Khulisa’s team will work closely with Theon to ensure his new confidence and optimism continues to grow and help him build the positive future he deserves.
(Names and images have been changed to protect identity.)
You can find out more about Khulisa’s work .