I Can & I Am charity supports pupils at new school

Students at the new Melksham House School have been inspired by a visit from Frome-based education charity I Can & I Am.

The organisation works with thousands of young people across the South of England delivering workshops that focus on inflating the young participants’ ‘balloons of self-belief’.

The team spent two days with the pupils at the independent school, which supports students with internalised social, emotional or mental health needs.

In total, 25 pupils and pupil coaches joined small-group sessions on board I Can & I Am’s double-decker buses, beginning with cooking a pizza downstairs to foster a sense of togetherness and achievement, before moving upstairs for a workshop.

Darren John, Assistant Head Teacher at Melksham House School, said, “The buzz across the whole school was truly amazing during I Can & I Am’s visit. Both pupils and staff were energised, engaged and inspired. The team’s sessions were pitched perfectly to meet the individual needs of our students. This includes a range of special educational needs and those experiencing challenges related to emotionally based school avoidance. The activities were exceptionally well planned and delivered.

“What stood out most was the care, connection and sense of safety each member of the I Can & I Am team created for our young people. Every student who stepped onto their bus felt valued and supported. For us, as a new school, that is a huge achievement and fully aligns with our ethos of ‘no barriers, only potential’.

“Building trust with the children and young people so they feel safe to engage and learn is at the core of what we do and we are very grateful to the team who made a meaningful impact in such a short space of time. We look forward to future visits from them.”

I Can & I Am was founded in 2015 by former teacher and inspirational speaker James Shone after he lost his sight due to a brain tumour in 2012. Today, I Can & I Am travels to hundreds of schools in the region to nurture self-belief in young people by equipping them with practical tools that foster personal growth, a sense of belonging and resilience.

Rebecca Burton, CEO of I Can & I Am, said, “It was a very rewarding experience to work with the teachers and incredible young people at Melksham House School. We adapt the sessions as necessary depending on each class and individual and how they are that day, and the team know what is needed almost instinctively.

“Magic happens very quickly on the bus. There is something very special about the expert team and the environment they manage to create. We see, time and again, how the young participants share and achieve things they didn’t think they were capable of, and it is always wonderful for us and the school staff to witness.”

Rebecca Burton will be a guest speaker at this year’s South West Charity Conference & Expo. Find out more here.