September 2019
Evolve
Bishop Thomas Grant school has been most fortunate to have worked with Evolve since 2013. During this time the relationship between school and agency has developed to reflect the needs of the children and young people we both serve.
From its start as a relatively small project designed to prevent a small, specific group of teenage boys falling out of education, the work of Evolve has grown within the school to reflect a more diverse range of needs. Every student in the school now has access to their services. Working together, we have developed support for young people across the year groups. In Year 7, we now have established a successful transition workshop that a number of young people have benefited from. Individuals access Evolve for a variety of reasons and are ultimately well prepared to leave our school and head off to university, training or the wider world of employment.
Sam Beaumont who works at BTG has established herself as a firm favourite with both students, staff and parents. She is very much a member of the BTG family. Our students love Sam and they have come to regard their meetings as a highlight of their week. Parents are very appreciative of her guidance and care. Sam is highly professional at all times and is always approachable and supportive. It is to her credit that Sam continues to show care for the young people she has worked with long after they have ended their official ‘Horizons’ time with her, as well as young people continuing to keep in touch with her to show their progress.
It is clear that the opportunity to be able to speak with someone which is offering unbiased, positive guidance and advice is so very valuable to them. It is a reflection of the busy nature of the world we live in that a small oasis of calm in an otherwise hectic and pressurised world becomes so important and necessary to young people who feel the pressures and strains of the modern world in ways that seen quite alien to adults. It is an indisputable fact that the young people with whom we all work are facing issues around anxiety, self-esteem, social pressures, education and numerous others that are affecting their well-being and mental health. To have had the services of Sam and the help from Evolve over the past six years has been such great value to us as a school. To have helped one student would have made the project worthwhile. To have helped hundreds is a testament to the dedication of Sam and Evolve for which we are truly grateful.
Mrs A O’Donovan
Head of Year 7
Associate Assistant Headteacher
BTG Safeguarding Team
