Today we bring you the latest in a series of case studies that will highlight the impact of Blue Family, the outreach and engagement campaign launched by Everton and Everton in the Community in March in response to the coronavirus outbreak. This is the story of how the charity has worked with Maricourt Secondary School to support vulnerable students during the pandemic.
Everton in the Community has been delivering the Premier League Inspires programme at Maricourt Secondary School since 2019, supporting the school in raising aspirations and motivating its students to succeed.
Everton in the Community’s Premier League Inspires programmes sees the charity’s staff deliver tailored intervention in targeted priority schools, with a view to raising attainment and attendance in children and young people and supporting them in developing the personal skills and positive attitudes necessary to succeed in life.
The programme also looks to combat the growing trend of mental health issues in young people, while helping to ease the pressure on teachers to do more.
During the 2019/20 academic year, Everton in the Community Prevent staff provided a wide range of provisions to support all year groups through the different stages of their school journey.
KS4 students were introduced to career programmes including CV writing and job application techniques, as well as having the opportunity to find out more about industry-specific pathways. Year 7 students, meanwhile, were supported with the transition into secondary school through team building and sporting activities, with student development and achievements being recognised through celebration events.
Everton in the Community staff have also provided access to wellbeing and mental health days for Year 8 and Year 9 students and delivered enterprise and sports leaders programmes across all year groups, in addition to one-to-one mentoring support for targeted students.
In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the charity has worked to provide increased outreach support for Maricourt Secondary School, its pupils and their families through its Blue Family campaign. This support has continually evolved, with the two organisations working closely together to support the most vulnerable students through their transition back into school from September.
Through the charity’s Blue Family work, Everton in the Community has helped Maricourt and its students by tailoring its support to suit families and by providing food parcels, assistance with utility and internet bills and mentoring support phone calls to students which have vastly improved their wellbeing.
Everton in the Community staff have also proactively explored ways in which to provide further support to students who have found their academic chances limited due to a lack of technology issues and were able to gift 29 laptops to some of the school’s GCSE students to ensure they could keep up with remote learning and, in turn, minimise stress levels.
“Blue Family has enabled us as a school to support our families most in need during this difficult time," said Danielle Lawler, Head of Year 11 at Maricourt Secondary. "Our school ethos dictates all aspects of our school life, making Maricourt a focused, caring and happy community where each individual can flourish.
"Due to the extensive generosity and passion of Everton in the Community, we have still been able to achieve our school mission despite our closure.
"The charity’s flexibility and quick turnaround in responding to referrals and requests has been truly amazing. They have helped strengthen relationships with those most in need, which has not only brought a real sense of community, but also a feeling amongst our families that we more than just care.
"This should help reduce the barriers to learning in future, which can already pose a challenge in our City Region.”
