Going Forward supporting Dunbar Grammar School

09 February 2023

Ed Offer, Depute Headteacher at Dunbar Grammar School in East Lothian has given us his thoughts on the delivery, and impact, of Going Forward sessions at Dunbar Grammar School.

 Can you tell us a bit about Dunbar Grammar School?

Dunbar Grammar School is a six-year comprehensive, non-denominational and co-educational school. It serves the town of Dunbar and surrounding area and is one of six secondary schools in East Lothian.

How have the Going Forward sessions integrated with the work that you already deliver?

The Going Forward sessions really enhance and complement what we are looking to deliver and achieve through Guidance and PSE. The targeted nature of the sessions is something that we find particularly important. In our early discussions with Fast Forward, we were really encourage to find out that we could specifically target the sessions for young people that we, as a school, felt would benefit most from them. The young people attending the Going Forward group have had exposure to drug and alcohol misuse, either directly or indirectly, through their communities, where the subjects addressed in the sessions are clearly evident on a daily basis.

The sessions were fantastic because they were facilitated by staff with a strong background and understanding of youth work, harm reduction and a wide range of risk-taking behaviours. They were really good at questioning and challenging some of the young people’s pre-conceived ideas and knowledge base on issues such as alcohol, drugs and gambling.

What did you particularly like about the sessions?

The programme was full of up-to-date educational content on topics such as gambling, cannabis, drugs (various) and alcohol. Using an informal youth work approach worked really well because it allowed group members to share what they know. The sessions gently challenged some misunderstandings and added to the overall knowledge and awareness of group members.

Through delivering a programme that is of genuine interest to them and is applicable to their lives outside of school, I am confident that this group will make more informed choices about their health and wellbeing.

The sessions were skillfully put together and facilitated in that they allowed for dialogue, physical movement, flexibility and worked from young peoples’ starting point (in relation to behaviour and understanding).  Through cultivating good relationships and trust with group members, the young people were able to let some of their barriers down and talk about subjects in an authentic way.

Activities were well-paced, informative and fun and the facilitator was able to impart knowledge in a way that was accessible and well received by young people.

 What sort of impact do you think the sessions have had on the young people that you support?

Harm reduction messages were weaved neatly throughout the weekly discussions and I think the young people are more equipped and able to look after themselves and each other as a result; especially in relation to keeping safe, and being aware of factors that lead to involvement in risky behaviour.

The programme provided them with an increased appreciation of their own actions in relation to risk taking behaviour, and stimulated more empathy and understanding for how individuals can get caught in a negative cycle of drug and alcohol use.  Interestingly, some group members showed an aptitude for looking at wider issues.

 Would you recommend Going Forward to another school and would you be interested in continuing to receive Going Forward sessions in the future?

Without a doubt. The Going Forward programme got us off to a hugely positive start in terms of opening up an important dialogue with these young people, however I see this being the start of a process that needs to be consistently re-enforced in order to keep them engaged and informed.

Programmes such as this are like gold dust to schools and we definitely hope to work more with Fast Forward in future, where funding permits.

Want to find out more about Going Forward?

To find out more about the Going Forward project, or discuss ways in which Going Forward could work with your organisation to develop and deliver a programme of sessions tailored to the specific needs of the young people that you support, simply e-mail the team, or give us a call:

 

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