The Phoenix Centre is a new part of The Regis School campus. The school has taken on a long-term lease of a previously owned County Council building. The school want to use this to support its community and provide opportunities for young people. The Phoenix Centre vision is:

• Provide a safe space for young people with enriching opportunities to develop and support personal, physical, social and mental wellbeing outcomes.
• Provide access to high quality provision and professional expertise that reduces/alleviates stressors for individuals identified by the community.
• A place that contains knowledge of local and national support and can signpost accordingly. 
• Provide a space that offers and encourages participation in enriching activities that improve an individual’s skills set, character and/or overall wellbeing.
• Facilitate early engagement with campus families. Creating a safe space that reduces anxieties that some families may have about engaging with education providers.

Collaboration with the local Active Partnership and use of the open school facilities fund (OSF) has supported the Centre’s opening. It has also led to some very successful projects. One being the boxing project. 

The school identified key stage 3 pupils that were either on the verge of exclusion, struggling with confidence in secondary school life as a new year 7, had various SEND needs or pupil premium status. This mix of gender, background and ability saw a range of needs and wants from the programme. 

Sean O’Connor, the Youth & Community Development Manager worked with the local boxing club to see if we could use boxing as a vehicle to support these young people. The local boxing club, ABC boxing, were not only keen to be involved but ensure the right support was put in place. Their young upcoming star boxer and recently qualified coach Charley Mason was available and keen to make a difference, understanding from personal experience the positive impact boxing can have.

The club provided a safe space that would be the transition between school sport and community sport. With the pupils able to progress to ABC boxing club should they wish.

The boxing session took place on a Tuesday morning before school and into their tutor time. Sean and Charley agreed, knowing the proven data around the positive impact of physical activity on mental wellbeing, that a morning club would be best and set the pupils for their day. This time also reduced any commitment barriers afterschool.

The students loved it, all feeding back after the 6-week programme that they wanted it to continue and 100% of them acknowledged it had: improved their fitness, confidence and boxing ability.

There was an admin error at the school that a pupil who arrived was not on the verge of exclusion but had already been excluded. Regardless he was allowed to stay at the club which he did before heading home. Despite the suspension he came in nearly every week to start his day. Mum popped in and said she can’t normally get him out of bed. This club was clearly important to him, and helped his behaviour. He supported pupils of lesser ability in the sessions showing techniques and encouragement, a side to him the school hadn’t seen previously. The club will be used as an engagement tool to aid his phased return back to regular school life. 

The success stories for each pupil are evident, and their character development will continue to grow as the club not only continues but expands to afterschool in the new academic year. The OSF has been instrumental to this project and has/will aid other projects for our campus at The Phoenix Centre.