Newsletter Spring/Summer 2024

This spring, our award-winning ‘Snap Trap’ e-safety session has reached Year 6 pupils from 84 primary schools across Cheshire West and Chester.

Feedback from the sessions has been overwhelmingly positive. 2952 pupils (94.3%) agreed that the ‘Snap Trap’ was an effective way to get the important message across. 100% of teachers who provided feedback said that they would recommend the session to colleagues, peers and other establishments.

The session also received excellent feedback from parents, who were invited to watch alongside their children. One said: ‘I found the performance to be powerful, engaging and extremely relevant to this age group’s current online world. As a mum, watching this alongside my daughter has given me a springboard into some conversations that I want to have with her before I allow her to have a smartphone. As a child therapist, I have seen first-hand the effect of online grooming and I wish that all Year 6 pupils could have the ‘Snap Trap’ at their school. A truly excellent experience and I thoroughly recommend it.’

This project would not have been possible without the support of our actors, the collaboration between schools across the region, and the Cheshire West Safeguarding Children Partnership and Community Safeguarding Partnership for allowing the initiative to be offered to so many schools.

2engage were delighted to be a part of the ‘Move on Up’ day at The University of Birmingham in May. 12 primary schools in the local area visited the University as part of their transition activities. We delivered our ‘Moving Up’ session to the Year 6’s which aims to build confidence for the transition to secondary school by dispelling common myths. Post-session we facilitated a Q&A which provided the opportunity for the pupils to have their specific concerns about the transition addressed.

Aspire2uni (University of Wolverhampton) and 2engage collaborated in June to conduct a day-long public speaking workshop for looked after children. The session aimed to boost the children’s confidence and self-esteem by encouraging them to speak publicly on topics of their choice. Through a series of exercises, the workshop helped the Year 8’s to articulate their thoughts and ideas while equipping them to navigate social situations. By the end of the workshop, each young person was able to confidently deliver a two-minute presentation to their peers!

2engage are grateful to have received a grant from the Westminster Foundation which enabled the delivery of our ‘Risking It All’ session in seven secondary schools across Cheshire West and Chester this summer. The session uses real-life stories from local young people to delve into important themes within the RSHE curriculum, such as sexual and criminal exploitation, risk-taking behaviour, substance misuse, and vaping. The sessions received fantastic feedback with 100% of teachers saying that they would recommend the session to colleagues, peers and other establishments.

One teacher said: ‘I would highly recommend the ‘Risking It All’ session from 2engage. The session deals with underage drinking, county lines and inappropriate relationships is a sensitive but powerful way. Our students thoroughly enjoyed watching the performance as well as discussing each character in interactive way. This session connected well with the pupils to provide them a more enriched RSHE curriculum.’

We recently delivered a series of workshops for young people in residential care and care leavers at Bluestones Medical Complex Care. Over three enriching sessions, our goal was to foster confidence, build connections, and impart essential life skills. The workshops began with introductions and icebreakers, crucial for establishing trust among the young people. In session two we explored employability skills, honed interview techniques, and helped to improve self-esteem amongst the young people. The final session focused on personal resilience and delved into issues surrounding relationships and exploitation. One young person said: “The workshops helped me grow confidence, communication and engaging skills. I was able to just be myself and enjoyed the time I had.’’