What was the challenge?

At primary school, Harrison had refused to go to school. He felt safest at home with his mum because he struggled with severe separation anxiety. Harrison is autistic, has ADHD and dyslexia, and was working well below age related expectations as he headed into year 7. He joined Batchwood School, a secondary school that specialises in working with students who have social, emotional and mental health difficulties. Three years on, Harrison was in year 9. He was still avoiding learning, and his confidence was incredibly low with reading and writing. GCSE’s felt impossible. He rarely spent time with other young people at his school and was often defiant and rude. As he refused to go to lessons, Harrison was taught through 1:1 support and only attended Bushcraft lessons with his peers.

What did Brathay do?

When Mrs Noble, the Assistant Headteacher at Batchwood, organised a residential at Brathay, Harrison agreed to join. His Mum couldn’t believe it because he had never stayed away from home before.

He took part in every activity and shared a room with six other boys. Brathay created space for Harrison to try new things and push himself in a new environment. Mrs Noble said, “He was a delight to be around. He was polite and respectful for the whole trip”.

Time away from the pressures of school also allowed him to develop relationships with his teachers, including Mrs Noble and his form tutor. As Mrs Noble reflected on the trip she said “Residentials enable the young people to see us as humans instead of teachers”. On the second day, Harrison turned to his form tutor and said, “Mrs Noble is actually alright isn’t she?”.

What was the impact?

Brathay became a huge turning point for Harrison. Thanks to their new relationship, Harrison felt ready to join Mrs Noble’s GCSE English class without his 1:1 support and is now confident to share his thoughts and opinions during the lessons. His Mum said:

“I can’t believe the difference in Harrison since he has come back from the trip because he has matured so much”.

Outside of school, it is rare for young people at Batchwood to meet up as they travel from across the county to attend school. However, Harrison formed friendships at Brathay with the boys who shared a room. They now stay at each other’s houses for sleepovers every weekend and have the confidence to attend events such as the Halloween Scare Fest independently.

Mrs Noble said:

“They are now having experiences children from mainstream schools would have because they’ve spent that time together, faced challenges together and had to help and support each other at Brathay, they feel safe enough to do that and want to do that”.

The following year, the residential was scheduled for the year group below, but Harrison was keen to go again. He asked Mrs Noble every week if there was any chance he could go back to Brathay. Just three days before the trip, a place became available when another pupil dropped out, and Mrs Noble offered it to Harrison. He called his Mum straight away and said, “Mum the bags already packed - it’s under my bed”.

*Names have been changed.

Harrison was so thankful to be back on residential at Brathay because he understands how much it supported him but also how much fun it is.

- Mrs Noble (Assistant Headteacher)

Funding from UK Youth Adventures Away From Home and the Brathay Bursary supported this residential.