Kic.in2.Study

About Kic.in2.Study

What is Kic.in2.Study?

Northamptonshire County Council (Children and Young People Service/ Northamptonshire Study Centres), the NCC Life Chances Team, the Connexions Partnership, University of the First Age, Aim Higher, Rushden and Diamonds football club and Northampton Cobblers have come together to offer an exciting learning opportunity for young people currently living in care in Northamptonshire. The programme is also available to young people from other other Local Authorities who are living and attending schools in Northamptonshire.

The aim is to improve the educational achievement and life chances of young people in care in the county. We aim to provide these young people with a strong sense that that they can achieve, that support is in place for them, and that they should have high expectations and ambitions for themselves and their future.

The programme has a management group made up of representatives from the Virtual School, Connexions, Children’s Rights and a designated teacher for LAC from one primary and one secondary school.

Kic.in2.study is a year on year project offered to students from year 6 to year 11. When young people join, they are encouraged to return year after year so that we can help them make the right decisions and choices at each stage of their school career. They attend for two hours on either a Monday or a Wednesday evening for a term. We make full use of the resources and facilities at the study centres, and work in a fun way to improve study skills, ICT skills, literacy and numeracy, self esteem and motivation. The programme is based on the popular and successful Playing for Success programme and students have worked on ICT programmes such as, Publisher, Photostory and Robolab as well as touring the stadiums, interviewing players, and taking part in team building and problem solving activities.

In addition to the term time sessions there are opportunities to go on a number of exciting trips and residential activities, planned to take place during school holidays. During the current academic year (2007 - 2008)  students have been out and about.

• During the October half term break years 10 and 11 spent two days at Silverstone Study Centre where they toured the track, went behind the scenes, visited workshops and interviewed Silverstone staff. They took lots of photos and video footage and created a multi media folder of work reflecting their experiences over the two days.

• At Christmas year 7 went to the Derngate Theatre to see Peter Pan,

• During February half term years 10 and 11 visited the Saints Study Centre at Franklin Gardens and the National Space Centre in Leicester.

• Year 7 students did a two day music project (Notivate) at the Stables at Wavendon near Milton Keynes during the Easter holiday.

• During the summer half term years 8, 9 and 10 visited the Emirates stadium in London and years 6 and 7 spent a day at Grendon Outdoor Education Centre.

• Year 9, 10 and 11 students went to Longtown Outdoor Education Centre in the summer

• Years 6, 7 and 8 spent a day at Grendon during the summer holiday

• Years 6 and 7 visited Hazard Alley, the safety centre at Milton Keynes at the beginning of August.

When a student has been identified for inclusion in the programme (through consultation with social workers and the Life Chances team) they are sent an invitation and designated teachers in schools are informed of who has been invited and who has accepted the invitation. At the end of the programme we provide schools, Life Chances team and social workers with a report of how the young person has done.

We are hoping to increase the numbers of young people involved in the project so that we can offer sessions closer to home. Currently we have students travelling considerable distances to attend – but they think we’re worth it! Transport is arranged to collect the students from school, take them to the Study Centre and then home afterwards.

Val Sudlow
Study Centre Manager – Projects
August 2008