Overview
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Schools' Hub
Welcome to the Dorset branch of Boys' Impact. This is the first in a series of regional networks being established to pilot evidence-based approaches with schools, youth and third sector organisations nationwide with the aim of closing the gap in GCSE outcomes for boys who are eligible for Free School Meals.
We welcome new members to join the Dorset Boys' Impact Hub. If you currently work at a school, college or university within the Dorset area and would like to discuss joining the hub on behalf of your institution, drop us an email at wp@aub.ac.uk. Take a look at our current members below.
One of the most pressing challenges we face in education in Dorset, is the educational attainment and progression of young men who are eligible for Free School Meals. Before the pandemic, only 17% of young men in Dorset who were eligible for Free School Meals achieved a grade 9-5 in GCSE Maths and English. For boys who weren't eligible, that number more than doubles to 42%.
Although it's an issue that's widely known, until now there have been few successful evidence-based approaches to closing this gap.
Co-chaired by Dr Alex Blower, Access and Participation Manager at AUB, and Deenen Kenchington, Deputy Headteacher at Ferndown Upper School, Dorset Boys' Impact Hub seeks to address this.
It's part of a network dedicated to addressing the gap in GCSE outcomes for boys who are eligible to receive Free School Meals across the UK. The Hub celebrates the richness and diversity of young men’s experiences, working to support them on their journey toward a happy, healthy future of their choosing.
The approach taken by the Dorset Boys Impact Hub is founded in a relational educational approach developed by the Taking Boys Seriously (TBS) research team at Ulster University.
Originally funded by the departments of Education and Justice in Northern Ireland (2006–12), Taking Boys Seriously was subsequently re-invested in by the Widening Access and Participation department at Ulster University. Having developed a set of key principles to inform engagement with young men in settings of formal and informal education, TBS adopts a strengths-based approach. The principles support affirmative work with boys and educators, working to address multi-faceted issues behind the statistics on low educational attainment and progression for young men who are eligible for Free School Meals.
Find information below about our upcoming meetings. If you have any questions about attending a meeting, drop us an email at wp@aub.ac.uk.
Find information below about our upcoming CPD opportunities. If you have any questions about attending one of these training and CPD sessions, drop us an email at wp@aub.ac.uk.
Pre-16 flagship programme exploring the themes of masculinity and identity...
As an institution, Arts University Bournemouth is a member of the Southern Universities Network (SUN)