• More young people enjoy learning (increasing from 61 to 81%)
• More young people are performing at a ‘Good’ or ‘Excellent’ level at school (increasing from 70 to 87%)
• 57% of young people report improved behaviour at school
• More young people think a future career is important (increasing from 78 to 94%)
A three-and-a-half year intensive programme that used sport to engage disadvantaged young people in educational activities outside of the classroom, is celebrating its conclusion with the news that over 2,000 young people across London have benefitted since it launched in May 2013.
Sporteducate was developed to help young people from disadvantaged backgrounds (aged 10-18) acquire the skills and aspirations required to find employment after education.
The programme combined different sporting activities with regular supplementary Maths, English and language classes, homework clubs, IT teaching, employability support, job skills sessions and personal mentoring from Deutsche Bank volunteers.
One of the key success factors of sporteducate was that all educational activities were designed and delivered by local community sports clubs. Drawing on the intimate local knowledge, personal networks and trusted relationships of their staff and volunteers to break down barriers to learning and re-engage young people in their education, both inside and outside of school.
Sporteducate was run by leading sports charity Sported in partnership with Deutsche Bank’s Born to Be youth engagement programme – an initiative that aims to break the cycle of youth unemployment through early intervention, focusing on education-led initiatives.
SPORTEDUCATE’S IMPACT
• Sporteducate had a dramatic impact on young people’s attitudes, educational performance and personal development. The number of young people performing at a ‘Good’ or ‘Excellent’ level at school increased significantly, from 70% pre-programme to 87% after three years on the programme.
• The programme’s model of combining sport and education made a huge difference to young people’s enjoyment of learning, increasing from 61% to 81% after three years. The positive effect on attitudes also saw corresponding improvements in participants’ school attendance, punctuality and completing homework on time.
• The complementary role of sport in developing non-cognitive skills is also evident in the programme’s results. After three years, 96% of participants agreed that it helped build their confidence; verbal and written communication improved; and more young people felt comfortable working as part of a team.
• Finally, since taking part in the sporteducate programme more young people envisage themselves going to college or university, and more would also like to be in a full-time job in the next three years.
Nicole Lovett, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility UK at Deutsche Bank, said: “We are delighted with the results of sporteducate. We have always held a firm belief in helping young people unlock and fulfil their potential, and creating a level playing field on opportunity. The work that community sports clubs do every day with vulnerable young people, to ensure no one gets left behind, is testament to the success of the programme. We would like to thank our partner Sported and all the hard work of everyone involved, particularly the young people who took part.”
Chris Grant, Chief Executive at Sported, said: “Sporteducate’s results prove how powerful sport and community groups can be in transforming young lives when given the right support and resources. Tackling educational inequality shouldn’t stop at the school-gates, it requires a holistic and creative approach in order to reach and engage those who could benefit most.”
He adds: “There has been a significant investment from Deutsche Bank and we would like to thank them for their commitment and support, including all their volunteers for making the programme such a great success. Their vision and conviction to make a difference will have a lasting impact on the lives of thousands of young people for years to come.”
Dominic (11), participant on sporteducate: “I come here to improve my Maths and English, and prepare for my SATS. Lessons at school have lots of people, so it’s hard to get help, but here it’s a small group. The teacher is great – she answers my questions and helps with my work.”
The results are based on the comparison of 878 pre-programme surveys and 718 post-programme surveys, completed by young people between March 2014 and May 2017. The report was produced by EdComs.
Sporteducate will continue to help young people fulfil their potential after the programme’s end, with learning and insight developed over the three-and-a-half years distilled into a new toolkit to help other communities groups launch and run their own Sport for Development programmes.
SPORTEDUCATE – KEY STATISTICS & ACHIEVEMENTS:
• 33 community sport clubs in London benefitted from funding, training and volunteer support from Sported and Deutsche Bank to run education and employability activities alongside their core sports offering.
• 2,103 young people (aged 10-18) in London engaged over the course of sporteducate’s 3.5 year duration.
• 130,673 hours of education, employability and sport sessions delivered.
• 2,065 hours of time volunteered by 325 Deutsche Bank employees
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DOWNLOAD THE REPORT:
To download a copy of the full Sporteducate Programme Evaluation Report, please click HERE.
IMAGES (high-res versions available on request):
For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Matt Shaw, Media & External Affairs Manager at Sported, on 07775 601956 or m.shaw@sported.org.uk.