Award winning youth organisation Newsletter produced in partnership with Burning2Learn July 2014
Challenger Troop CIC celebrates it’s most successful awards season yet in July 2014. Maria Peters of Burning2Learn interviewed Challenger Troop’s Founder and CEO Simon Dean to find out the reasons behind it.
A leader’s vision that is life-changing for young people every day As a young boy, Simon Dean had a vision for young people. At 13 years old he couldn’t understand why every child wasn’t a cadet and he wanted to give everyone that opportunity. In 2006 Simon began to turn his vision into a reality when he founded Challenger Troop CIC and began working with schools, communities and businesses to give young people the opportunities that he believed they were missing out on. Almost eight years on, Challenger Troop now has six full teams that operate throughout East Kent, Cheshire, South East London, Medway, South London and West Kent. In the academic year 2013-2014, Challenger Troop worked with 203 schools, 2,140 pupils, 955 pupils with a designation and 184 pupils outside mainstream school. In addition, they have run 13 high impact programmes focusing on re-engaging young people with their local communities. “How many young people do you know that can tie their shoelaces, make a cup of tea and tell the time? Or can cook a family meal from scratch? Challenger Troop strives to motivate all young people to achieve their potential in education and
“They’ll pick up personal and social skills, improve their self-esteem and communication and become more confident.” - Simon Dean
employment. We run a variety of programmes that empower young people to take responsibility for their own lives and that give them positive aspirations for their future. I set up Challenger Troop following a request by Kent County Council to run outreach programmes full-time, similar to those run by the Army Cadet Force. Though its framework embodies a strong military ethos, Challenger Troop is totally independent of the military itself. Our instructors use the disciplined and structured approach that the military embodies to engage our students, and the uniforms are a hidden platform to empower young people and give them the confidence to take on new challenges.” This newsletter celebrates the achievements of all Challenger Troop participants past and present. Several of these accomplishments are included in this publication, but more can be found online: www.challengertroop.org
The Department for Education endorses Challenger Troop programmes Challenger Troop programmes utilise military ethos to improve young people’s life chances by addressing factors which are directly impacting on their educational attainment and future employability prospects including; addressing and correcting poor attitudes and negative learnt behaviours, building resilience and coping strategies to deal with negative pressures and influences, improving the quality of engagement in the classroom by raising confidence and self-esteem and developing citizenship (social conscience, social responsibility) and community engagement.
Minister for Schools, Lord Nash, pictured with prize winning students from West London schools.
Funding from the Department for Education has enabled Challenger Troop to work with a greater number of schools and young people across the South East and South London.
Interim report shows raised attainment, attendance and behaviour in schools Students with ranging academic levels take on the Challenger Troop programmes every week and many groups have seen a huge growth in attainment. An interim report was recently written in collaboration with researchers at the University of Brighton to measure the effectiveness of the intervention offered by the work of Challenger Troop, with particular emphasis on the attainment, attendance and behaviour of the pupils.
In addition, pupil feedback showed a further positive impact of Challenger Troop programmes:
The report was made using a representative data sample of 45 pupils from two primary, two secondary and two special schools involved in the Challenger Troop programme since term 1, 2013-2014.
• 72% of pupils said that they wanted to improve their lives and 60% said they would be more focused in class*
• 87.8% of pupils improved in their Maths level. An average improvement of 3 levels in Maths was recorded, with 3 pupils improving by 6 levels. • 96.6% in English reading levels. An average improvement of 1.5 levels in English was recorded and 1 pupil improved by 5 levels. • 72.4% showed improvement in English writing levels
• 41% of pupils identified that their attendance had improved as a result of the Challenger Troop programme. • 80% of pupils identified that the course has positively changed them
*These statistics were sourced from an Interim Report on Evaluating the effectiveness of the Challenger Troop intervention in Schools, May 2014. The full report will be published in September 2014. To obtain a copy, please contact: emma.ellis@challengertroop.org
Ministers join families to celebrate participants’ achievements
200 young people received awards in Challenger Troop’s latest awards ceremonies! At the end of their 12-week course, each group was invited to take a look back at their achievements and students were presented with awards celebrating their successes. Throughout July all of Challenger Troop’s teams have hosted awards events for their students. Burning2Learn was present at the Medway team’s ceremony: Fresh off an intense 12-week course that hurled a whole host of challenges and obstacles their way, the Medway participants were bursting with pride as they attended their awards ceremony on Thursday 10th July at the Territorial Army Reserve Centre, Ditton. The evening brought parents, grandparents, teachers and friends together to reward, celebrate and share the tales and triumphs of the Medway participants. Amongst the guests were Deputy Mayor and Mayoress Cllr Ray and Mrs Buffy Maisey and Deputy Lieutenant of Kent Mrs Rosemary Dymond. “Whether it was wading through mud, walking through cobwebs or trying something they’ve never done before – they were facing their fears and they really gained a sense of maturity,” said Vicky Collings, Medway team leader.
Greg Clark MP joins in celebrations at Tunbridge Wells Awards Ceremony, July 11 2014
The Medway troop were made up of students from three different schools; Meadowfield School, The Robert Napier School and Will Adams School. The 12-week course had participants taking part in all sorts of activities, including shooting, archery and fieldcraft exercises. Students learned new values and had the chance to really put diplomacy into practice by strapping themselves into enormous yellow sumo suits and attempting to wield giant boxing gloves. Medway participants also took part in a two-day residential that saw them navigating their way around woodlands, foraging for wild food such as; the top shoots of young stinging nettles - skinning rabbits as part of food preparation and sorting out their own sleeping systems that were only as rain-proof as the students made them! “If they hadn’t collected every single bit of equipment they wouldn’t have been able to sleep that night,” a teacher commented. “It’s called Challenger Troop for a reason, it’s not ‘easy troop’… They’ve had to work as a team to succeed, to problem solve. They had to make sure that if it rained they wouldn’t get wet!” said Craig Mount, Medway Team Instructor. Throughout the course, participants were also responsible for ironing their own uniform and shining their own boots, and faced meticulous inspections each week. They also learned a lesson in tidiness and anybody seen with their hands in their pockets faced five hefty press-ups.
Students from West Kent burst with pride at their rewards evening
The ceremony was a celebration of all that the participants had achieved over the 12 weeks and for
some students it had been their second 12-week course. The Medway instructors reported that one of the biggest achievements for the participants was in their ability to meet new people and make new friends - which in itself is a big challenge.
completing the Young Navigators Silver Award, courage and diplomacy, peer mentoring, top fitness, events training, top shot in archery, best team work, best effort, honors for the best turnout, NCO training and most positive difference.
“They’ve had to be independent... We let them work out the answers for themselves,” added Craig.
Mrs Rosemary Dymond was delighted to meet the young participants and in her address to the participants said:
The Medway team described themselves as having a ‘tough love’ approach to working with young people and believe that giving them the ownership to have a go for themselves will give them skills now, that are imperative for later: “It’s about developing that perseverance. When they’re not getting the flame straight away, they kept on going,” Vicky commented.
“I have to congratulate you all and I’m so pleased to have been invited here tonight. You youngsters have come across challenges that children in the school I teach in never would have, and I don’t think you would have, without Challenger Troop. Schools and other establishments cannot replace what you have learnt and it will stay with you forever. I congratulate you all.”
Deputy Mayor Cllr Ray Maisey and Mrs Rosemary Dymond also joined in with the celebrations and proudly presented the participants with awards for the successful completion of Phase One training. Other awards were also presented to students who had displayed special attributes and who had really shone in different skills and activities. These awards included; successfully
The Medway Troop’s awards ceremony was a real success and it was the perfect way to round off their Challenger Troop experience.
Mr Peter W. Blackwell JP DL (Tunbridge Wells) representing the HM Lord Lieutenant of Kent, Viscount De L’Isle pictured with an award winning participant
For information on other awards ceremonies, visit www.challengertroop.org.
Deputy Mayor and Mayoress Cllr Ray and Mrs Buffy Maisey with Mrs Rosemary Dymond at East Kent Awards Ceremony
On the 17th July, Julian Brazier MP attended the East Kent Challenger Troop evening award ceremony and handed out certificates and medals to 40 young troopers who completed a challenging 12 week programme.
Julian Brazier, Conservative MP for Canterbury and Whitstable
Commenting after the event, Julian said “I strongly support the work of Challenger Troop and am pleased that the Department for Education has recognised the potential that this programme can do for young people, who may for various reasons not feel engaged by the mainstream school system. 88% of young men and 74% of young women in young offenders institutions have been excluded from school, so it is vital that we have organisations such as Challenger Troop which offer these young people a chance to stay in school and positively turn their life around. The results thus far are very encouraging.”
Believing they can do it Burning2Learn talked with Goldwyn School, Ashford, Kent, about the impact that Challenger Troop has had on the lives of their students One of the most common problems amongst young people is the difficulty they have in socially interacting with each other. Just being able to talk to somebody may seem like a really simple skill, but actually, for many young people it’s a lot more challenging than that. Low self-esteem, a lack of confidence or self-motivation are all common causes of this problem, but for a lot of youngsters it also goes beyond that. Goldwyn School has been with Challenger Troop since the beginning and Deputy Head Master, Peter Lewis, believes that it’s the self developmental work that Challenger Troop offers that impacts their students most: “We’re not just about education here, it’s about the holistic development of the child and for some of our children, Challenger Troop has made an enormous difference.” Mr Lewis went on to talk about the importance of developing key personal and life skills which can be transferred into other areas of the curriculum: “With any child you’re looking for one thing that they can achieve at, and then you get a transference of training. They achieve at that one thing, they feel good, their self-esteem goes up and hopefully that transfers into a number of areas.” Students from Goldwyn School recently took part in a two-day Challenger Troop overnight event with a
number of other schools, which included Ifield School. Mr Lewis stated: “Our kids were absolutely amazing with them, they were tying shoe laces up for them and making sure their food was ok. And it’s that development of empathy, that sort of developmental stuff is really important about Challenger Troop. “Many of our students come to us with low expectations and a fear of failure. In order not to fail they avoid undertaking new challenges. At Goldwyn we are committed to providing the best education for our students and giving them the confidence and self belief in order that they can achieve. For a number of our students Challenger has been integral to this.” At Challenger Troop there is no such thing as failure. A lot of the tasks are designed so that the youngsters have to make the decisions for themselves. As a result, they begin to feel empowered and start to realise their own abilities. “I think Challenger Troop is an opportunity that unless we provide it they wouldn’t have. We’ve proved that you do need to push these kids, you do need to have high expectations. Those who succeed at it do brilliantly,” Mr Lewis added. Goldwyn School was graded Outstanding by Ofsted, 2014.
A lasting impact on the lives of young people There’s nothing the Challenger Troop instructors like more than to see young people working hard and really pushing themselves to go that extra mile and achieveing their goals. Even though much of the Kent County Show was undercover on its opening morning this year, the team’s assault course was pitched right out in the open for youngsters to come along and step up to the challenge. You could see the smiles on the faces of the young people from the momentyou walked around the corner. They were having fun, they were excited and many of them showed a real determination in what they were doing. Visitors to the Show could clearly see that Challenger Troop was engaging young people - but what is it about Challenger Troop that causes young people to respond so well to them?
enhanced understanding of respect,” John continued, “A lot of young people that come to us are very disengaged and don’t have respect for themselves, their school or for us. Within the first few weeks of their course they regain that respect for us, for themselves and they also take it back to the school. We get a lot of feedback from the schools when students do learn to respect. Teachers will ask their students ‘would you do that at Challenger Troop?’ and they say no.”
Burning2Learn caught up with John Kenny, instructor in the East Kent Team, to find out more about the impact that Challenger Troop programmes have on young people. One of the most common changes that the instructors see in their troopers is “a huge growth in confidence”, John reported. He then explained that whether it’s overcoming something they would never have dreamed they’d be able to do, or simply being congratulated on doing a good job, it all has a significant impact on the young people. “The other common change we see is an
“Communication skills, self-respect and a golden memory. Be it learning survival skills, lighting fires, building a raft or simply trying something new – they create memories that will be life-long, it’s not just a one off. That’s why our courses are so successful, the memories stay with them.” - John Kenny, speaking at the Kent County Show 2014
Instructor John Kenny at the Kent County Show, Detling
“This is one of the most inspiring projects; I haven’t seen one that focuses quite so much on making people feel good about themselves. We could all do with that injection of confidence that allows us to conquer mountains, I think that that’s what you’ve seen tonight and it’s our privilege to come and share it.” - Mayor Cllr Julian Stanyer, speaking at the West Kent Awards July 2014
They can and will achieve The following case studies demonstrate recent examples of how Challenger Troop has positively impacted on the lives of young people.
Case Study 3:
Case study 4:
Field navigation exercises have bought RL (Year 9) out of his surly, sullen attitude. He presented to CT Medway as disengaged from school with poor/bad manners and a consistently negative attitude towards learning and teachers. He was scared of getting dirty and joining in. By week 6, the CT instructors finally saw the break through they were looking for. He loved navigation. The teachers were amazed at the transformation. He was fully engaged, jumping in puddles - not afraid to show the more natural light-hearted side of his personality. He was leading the team confidently and competently through the orienteering exercises. The CT team leader said he allowed himself to ‘let go, to enjoy and relish in the adventure and experience it to the full’. Geography is now his favourite subject when before he “hated” all subjects. He wants to take geography as a preferred option and has been awarded at school, his first ever merit for good work.
AB has a heart condition and ‘begged’ to be allowed to go onto the CT course as he wanted to prove that his disability was a not a barrier and that he is “the same as everyone else”. Throughout the course, the CT instructors have seen him complete challenge after challenge and his confidence has increased tenfold.
News from older students: • TL formerly at West Kent AC PRU has left our programme to join an apprenticeship.
• DL also from West Kent AC PRU is now back into mainstream school.
• DT a former student of ours is going to university in September.
We’re all so proud of you “I just wanted to say a big thank you on behalf of the whole community of Kent. We are all really proud of what you’ve achieved. I think that the toughness, character and resilience that you’ve shown is an inspiration to everyone – so we’re proud of everything you’ve done.” - Greg Clark MP, speaking at the West Kent Awards July 2014 “I’d like to thank Challenger Troop for inviting us, it’s been amazing and I’m over the moon. Parents, you must be so proud of your boys and girls, they’re determined, they worked hard, got their confidence, worked as a team, made friends and have come a long way. I’m even thinking of joining! I congratulate you all. I had never heard of Challenger Troop before but I will be following it closely in future” - Deputy Mayor Cllr Ray Maisey, speaking at the Medway Awards July 2014 “We are just so proud of the group that we brought along... They went from saying ‘I can’t do this, I’m not gonna do this, you can’t make me do this’ to wanting to do it! They just pulled together, so we’re all so proud of you.” - Teachers from Robert Napier School speaking at the Medway Awards. “I saw how the pupils were actually loving it and saw the confidence and self esteem they had. I am so proud of them, they’ve gained so much confidence in meeting new people. I would like to thank Challenger Troop for giving the students confidence... Really really love the way you’ve all become part of one team.” - Teachers from Meadowfield School speaking at the Medway Awards.
Congratulations to all students, schools and participants! These are the schools that participated in Challenger Troop in Terms 5 and 6 2014. For more on awards or events please visit www.challengertroop.org. You can also find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ChallengerTroopCIC
West Kent
East Kent
Castle Down Primary, Sedlescombe Primary, Ticehurst Primary, Silverdale Primary, ORE Primary, Platt Primary, St Gregorys Secondary, West Kent Learning Federation Student Support Centre, Rowhill Primary and Secondary, Hayesbrook Secondary and West Kent AC PRU.
St Mary’s Faversham Primary, Orchard Primary, Bower Grove Primary, Old Priory Secondary, Towers Secondary, Ifield Secondary, Dover Christ Church Acadamy (DCCA) Secondary, North School Secondary Orchard School Secondary, Goldwyn Secondary, Aspen Secondary and Brook Centre Secondary.
Medway
Browns Primary, Archbishop Courtenay Primary, Cox Heath Primary, Treetops Primary, William of Perth Primary, Langafel Primary, Byron Primary, Meadowfields Secondary, Robert Napier Secondary and Will Adams Secondary.
South East London Haimo, Poverest Primary, Bannockburn Primary, Timbercroft Primary and Drumbeat Secondary.
South West London
Falconbrook Primary, Pimlico Academy, Kings College Secondary and St John Boscoe Secondary.
Coming soon Essex and North East London...
Cheshire Kings Leadership Academy (KLA), Portland Secondary, Palacefields Secondary and Wade Deacon Secondary.
Find us on Facebook and share your stories: www.facebook.com/ChallengerTroopCIC Follow us on Twitter: @challengertroop https://twitter.com/challengertroop Or find out more at our website: www.challengertroop.org
Challenger Troop (CIC) Challenger House Army Reserve Centre St John’s Road Tunbridge Wells Kent TN4 9UU UK Telephone · 0845 548 5070 Email · enquiries@challengertroop.org © Burning2Learn 2014