tHE PROGRAMME
Launching at Eastbury Manor House in 2025, Our House will be delivering two pilot programmes for students from Barking and Dagenham who are considered emotional based school non-attenders (or at risk of becoming a non-attender) - missing 10 or more school days. The pilot year programme will only be admitting 12 year 8 students per project, who have been referred directly from their school.
The programme will focus on improving wellbeing, confidence, and resilience – delivering a short 7 week circuit break from school to break down barriers effecting their attendance. Young people will be taken through a curriculum including high quality creative sessions, goal setting, PSHE sessions, English and Math tutoring, as well as weekly counselling. Every young person attending the course will be enrolled on an Arts Award Bronze Qualification – a level 1 accredited qualification which they will complete throughout the programme:
o Students are referred onto the programme by their school – and a thorough process will check if the programme is a good fit for the young person (to ensure we can meet their needs, and that they will benefit from the programme).
o An initial meeting with project staff, school staff, and parents, to discuss the programme and any support that can be put in place to ensure safety and success.
o An opportunity to meet the staff and other project participants, as well as tour the historic Eastbury Manor House.
o Attend the programme for 3 days a week (the other 2 days a week the students should still be attending their usual school arrangement) for 7 weeks, giving a break from their school setting.
o Working with a youth worker to set goals, work on confidence and resilience, and search for future opportunities in local settings such as clubs, activities, or further wellbeing support.
o Working with professional artists to develop new creative skills, building their confidence.
o Achieving a Bronze Arts Award – a level 1 accredited qualification – giving a sense of achievement as well as improved communication and comprehension skills.
o Weekly counselling sessions to provide tools to help boost attendance and navigate episodes of emotional turbulence.
o On going support after programme – with a reunion date, on-going 1:1s with the programme youth worker and family/school support systems, and opportunities to be involved in the curation of the end of year exhibition.
The programme is guided by the Inspiring Futures team – the cultural education partnership for the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, with a qualified youth worker, counsellor, and specialist artists from Green Shoes Arts and Ideate Education – who have been through a rigorous training programme, including delivery in pupil referral units, in preparation for the programme.
The two pilot programmes will be delivered at Eastbury Manor House in October 2025 and April 2026. After a programme review, the third and final year of the programme will deliver a bigger and more diverse programme from September 2026.
If you have any further questions about the programme, or your child’s involvement, please contact inspiringfutures@lbbd.gov.uk
Jordan Douglas – Far From The Norm Dance Artist
“It has been a real pleasure to work with the boys, they have really grown into a company in the time we have shared together. There have been intimate moments and vulnerability within their contributions to the space. The way they conducted themselves when filming the material, the maturity they showed us was far beyond my expectations and I if I could have asked for anything to different it would have been more time to share with them.”