Meet D

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Provides life-changing support, opening doors to education, inclusion, and opportunity for the young people who need it most.

£10

Allows us to provide a young person with learning disabilities their first experience of a fun and inclusive social club.

£20

Enables us to provide food for young people during our sessions, giving them access to a balanced diet.

£30

Ensures a young person can travel to our Alternative Learning Hub to access their education.

£50

Provides a week of sports activities for a young person, helping them to build confidence and friendships.

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D joined Schools Partnership at a time when school felt overwhelming and unpredictable. As a Year 10 student with Autism and an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), he often found it difficult to regulate his emotions, manage anxiety and navigate social situations.

When challenges became too much, frustration could quickly escalate into shouting and swearing, meaning staff regularly needed to remove him from lessons to support him and protect the learning environment for others. Although D wanted to succeed, low confidence and uncertainty around how to manage difficult emotions often stood in his way.

Schools Partnership is the first step on our pathway of support, working with young people who need additional help to overcome barriers in education and beyond. Through this programme, D was identified as someone who would benefit from targeted intervention, leading to him taking part in our Project Rugby sessions.

Delivered by our coaches, Project Rugby combines sport with 1-to-1 mentoring, providing young people with a safe, structured environment where they can build trusted relationships, develop confidence and experience success away from the pressures of the classroom.

When D first joined Project Rugby, he was unsure of the sessions and hesitant to engage with our coaches. However, through regular mentoring, patience and positive relationships, he gradually began to feel more comfortable and open to support. Using sport as a vehicle, our coaches created opportunities for D to challenge himself, try new experiences and recognise his own abilities - including picking up a rugby ball for the first time.

A significant turning point came after a particularly challenging week when D approached our coaches to apologise for his behaviour. This moment demonstrated a growing awareness of how his actions affected others and showed that he was beginning to reflect on his emotions rather than simply reacting to them.

From there, D’s confidence continued to grow. He became more settled during sessions, started to recognise when he was struggling and became increasingly willing to accept support. The consistent presence of our coaches gave D the stability and reassurance he needed to develop strategies to manage challenges more positively.

As his confidence improved, D began to see himself differently. A key milestone came when he took on the responsibility of leading a sports session for younger pupils, teaching skills that he had only recently developed himself. The opportunity allowed D to experience success in a new role - not as someone who needed support, but as someone who could encourage and support others.

The impact of D’s journey has extended beyond Project Rugby. He is now calmer and more reflective in school, with improved confidence in managing challenging situations before they escalate. While difficult moments still occur, they are far less frequent, and D has developed the tools to reset and move forward positively.

His progress has also helped influence wider change within the school. Inspired by the confidence D and other pupils have developed through Project Rugby, The Springfield Academy has explored expanding its sporting offer and creating more opportunities for SEND pupils to participate in competitive fixtures. With support from Bath Rugby Foundation, the school hosted a football fixture against another SEND school, an opportunity that would previously have felt out of reach, with D playing an important role in making it happen.

For our coaches, D’s story highlights the power of early intervention. They see that progress is not about removing every challenge, but about giving young people the confidence, skills and support network they need to overcome them. Through Project Rugby, D has developed greater self-belief, emotional awareness and leadership skills, helping him move towards a more positive future.

We will continue supporting D throughout the academic year, helping him build on the resilience and confidence he has gained. His journey demonstrates why Schools Partnership is such an important first step on our pathway of support - providing young people with the opportunity to feel valued, build relationships and discover what they are capable of achieving.