There for our young people

Half Moon’s Next Steps programme supports young people to prepare for their transition to secondary school and think about the situations they might face and positive ways to deal with new experiences.

Commissioned by Tower Hamlets Youth Service in 2018, the targeted intervention was created to address the critical need for out-of-school support for vulnerable young people as they navigate this important adjustment in their lives.

Age 11-12 is a time where change and transitioning can impact a young person’s life in a multitude of ways. Next Steps aims to address these challenges head-on and give young people a safe space to explore their worries through drama.

Participants learn to better express themselves, build their confidence and develop soft skills, such as effective communication, presentation, decision-making, taking responsibility and making a commitment.

They play an active role in having the ‘power to change’ negative outcomes in a safe environment, acting as observers and critical thinkers with their peers. Themes addressed in the sessions include bullying, online safety, friendships, identity and responsibilities.

Research consistently shows a decline in achievement during the first two years of secondary school, with difficulties in the initial weeks of Year 7 often having a lasting impact throughout Key Stage 3 and beyond.

Recognising this, Half Moon has remained committed to delivering this specialist programme, now in its seventh year. Year 6 students benefit from targeted weekly sessions in their final half-term of primary school, followed by a week-long Summer School before they begin secondary school.

This year we have supported young people from all 16 secondary schools in Tower Hamlets. A local teacher told us that the programme had been invaluable, “I truly believe it has helped X’s transition go much more smoothly than we had anticipated.”

Parents agree, telling us that our approach was like a trampoline park, “soft, supportive and full of bounce.”

But what about the young people? One participant said, “Next Steps opened my eyes to aspects of school I hadn’t considered before. It helped me feel more prepared and gave me the skills to navigate these changes with confidence.”

Do you know someone in Year 6 who would benefit from Next Steps? Visit  www.halfmoon.org.uk/nextsteps or email nextsteps@halfmoon.org.uk

Stephen Beeny is the Communications Manager at Half Moon