The Inspire Centre at Calderdale College has recently been awarded funding for our Positive Pathways programme. Following a successful bid to the People’s Fund, Positive Pathways will support young people across Park Ward through sport, mentoring, wellbeing activities, and positive engagement, helping them build confidence, resilience and aspirations for the future.
What is Positive Pathways?
Positive Pathways is a school support programme for students that struggle with attendance that can find being in school difficult and need another outlet to help them find their pathway into education.
The main focus of the programme is sport, giving students an alternative to primarily classroom-based education. However, sessions will also include external speakers that will work with the students to discuss serious violence, knife crime and keeping safe. The aim of this is to help link students with a positive role model. Positive Pathways is about short-term changes that have a long-term impact.
It’s also about a change of environment, some young people struggle being in their school and by coming into college and seeing what’s available as part of our 14-16 courses they can see a different way into education that might work for them.
It’s a year-round offer that means students aren’t caught up in recruitment cycles, it’s about improving the accessibility of education and widening participation through tailored intervention.
As we start to put our plans together for our Positive Pathways programme, we’ll be sharing more details on our website and encouraging schools to get in contact to see what we’re able to offer.
It’s an exciting addition to how we’re able to support our local community and cultivate educational journeys for young people to be able to find their potential. It’s a huge win for the team to have been successful in securing this funding and we’re looking forward to seeing the impact it will have!
