Here is what our partners are saying (we are very, very proud)…

Since working in partnership with Inspired to Achieve we have seen some great results for our residents. Inspired to Achieve have a particular strength at working with people that we have previously struggled to engage. Their approach is flexible, personal, local, relevant and hands on. Their communication and feedback has kept us involved in the project as it has progressed and added to its success. Mark and his team are prepared to “go the extra mile” which makes them stand out from the crowd.

 Ken Comber – Head of Communities at Yarlington Housing Group

 

Inspired 2 Achieve share our Academy ethos to support students so they can learn and attain in, and support their readiness for, the world of work. They jointly believe that all students want to learn and grow in the right environment, and support BMA to develop our students as successful lifelong learners.

Many of our students that are supported by Inspired 2 Achieve are in complex life situations that mean that they are not currently able to positively engage or achieve at Buckler’s Mead Academy. Other students are talented but need support to fully realise the potential that they have. Inspired 2 Achieve have provided challenge and support to develop our students’ ability to recognise and realise their own potential.

Some of our students do not have a sense of self-efficacy, self-belief, or independence. Inspired 2 achieve have worked with our students who experience these difficulties to have a stronger sense of self, of their situation, and their ability to make positive choices. Inspired 2 Achieve fully understand that increasing a students’ wellbeing is complex and may involve other issues. Inspired 2 Achieve have supported students to develop pro-social positive behaviour that serves them, the Academy and our community well.

Features of Inspired 2 Achieve’s work involves supporting our students through short and long-term engagement, unconditional positive regard, respectful relationships, a focus on attitudinal change, and the identification of positive progression routes. This supports them to ‘break the cycle’; to experience new ways of thinking and acting which can result in more positive outcomes for them. They include diversionary activities, mentoring, assertive outreach, ‘extraction’ from negative community influences, working with families and the wider community.

Our students, parents and staff strongly believe that Inspired 2 Achieve provide us with robust and bespoke support which is relevant to our needs and the particular needs of our students. We are delighted with the provision offered and the unwavering approach to do all they can to ensure our vulnerable students achieve and become the very best they can.

Stuart Lambert – Assistant Head Teacher – Buckler’s Mead Academy

 

Inspired to Achieve have employed a wealth of experience in facilitating realistic expectations for staff, students and parents in order to provide inclusive opportunities for young people. Tasked with ‘reaching’ our most disaffected students, Inspired to Achieve have provided bespoke courses; counselling and educational intervention to support and challenge individuals to succeed. Mark and Fiona are making a difference to those students who find difficulty in accessing mainstream education.

The work that Fiona is doing with our most vulnerable students is addressing their individual needs through a structured programme of individual advice and guidance. Fiona provides a listening ear to students that teachers and support staff do not have the capacity to offer. Well planned intervention allows our students to focus on the stepping stones to improve their behaviour, wellbeing and participation at school.

Mark uses a wealth of strategies to work collaboratively and proactively with our most troubled and disengaged youngsters.

Neil Crossland – Assistant Principle (Inclusion) Westfield

 

I am very happy to be working with an organisation whose all round approach to each individual is making a difference. I have witnessed positive relationships being formed and invaluable successes for each individual engaged with Inspired to Achieve. An open ear, time, patience and discrete mentoring are always available. I can see that my work with I2A and contracted hours with SS&L will continue to strengthen the organisational and partnership links we now hold.

Kate Priddle – i2a and Somerset Skills and Learning

 

Somerset Skills & Learning would like to thank you for the opportunity to work with you all at inspiredtoachive. Your approach removes barriers to learning, by giving your groups access to a range of learning opportunities adapted to individual needs in an alternative educational setting. This has not only benefited your groups but our organisation as a whole, allowing us to be in the community and shape our service to their needs, proving that, by working together, we really can make a big difference. We are excited to be working with such an inspiring organisation whose values we share.

Organisational statement – Somerset Skills & Learning

 

Mark and his team at ‘Inspired to achieve’ have been working alongside a number of our young people at Stanchester Academy. Their approach has been to build relationships with our students and to work with them as individuals providing structured support and appropriate interventions. Mark and the team have provided a whole range of services including academic mentoring, coaching, anger management and personal advice. He has had success where others have failed and part of this is due to his ability to build trust and a genuine desire to get to know and support the individual. He has gone the extra mile by attending parents’ evenings, doing home visits and liaising with our teaching staff as well as other agencies. The feedback from the students themselves has shown that employing this team has been more than worthwhile

Anna Winch Senior Head Teacher of Stanchester Academy

 

Just to say thank you (and Fiona) for taking the time to meet with me on my Governor visit. With the changes to County Services I had been a little worried as to the provision that we would be able to provide for some of our more vulnerable pupils. You took time to explain about individual and group support that would be available and it was interesting to sit in on meetings with both a pupil and a parent. I had time to speak to both and they were very happy with the input that you had provided for them. They felt that the school had given them somebody who had the time and the experience to help them through the difficulties that they faced and this in turn gave them a more positive experience of their schooling.

I hope that Inspired to Achieve and Westfield Academy will continue to have such a positive collaboration.

Lynda Ryall – Governor at Westfield Academy

 

“Inspired to Achieve” are highly organised yet exceptionally versatile in their approach as a professional service. They will deliver tailored work to our most vulnerable pupils and will very quickly use their skills to put the young person at ease. There is always a high level of communication between all bodies concerned and clear objectives and aims are highlighted so that there is a pathway to achieving the best outcome possible for our young people. Inspired to Achieve are a highly recommended program.

Rebecca Sandle – Head of Year 9 and key link in Buckler’s Mead Academy

 

Just a quick note to say “thank you” again for helping me with my IT competency. I have now completed my ITQ2 with TABS and am delighted with the progress I have made. It proved how little I knew, and the boost in confidence gained by undertaking such a course is immeasurable.

Mark Chudleigh – came to us for Adult CEIAG

 

I have known and worked with Mark for many years and admire his ability to go above and beyond for any young person in time of need. His ability to get alongside, engage and develop strategies for progress, has proved many a success for young people and his patience and level of support I believe is key to these good outcomes.

Dan Palmer Managing Director of Reach

 

The work that Fiona has done with a vulnerable group of year 10/11 girls has been invaluable. She has given them support and raised their confidence and aspirations. She has been a real asset and without her help I feel sure that they would not have coped with the increasing demands of KS4. Wonderful!!

Nicola Cohen Year 11 Co-ordinator Buckler’s Mead Academy

 

Inspired to Achieve seem to effortlessly engage with those ‘hard to reach’ young people empowering them to affect real and sustained change in their lives.

Matt Laughton – Children’s Social Care

 

Inspired to Achieve worked with us to devise exactly the programme we needed to support our young people. Mark and Fiona engage young people brilliantly. They have the ability to get them thinking and doing and reflecting. The courses are planned and delivered very effectively by committed professionals who really understand young people and want the best outcomes for them.

Helen Readman – Assistant Head Teacher Buckler’s Mead Academy

 

Inspired to Achieve has taken on youth provision in Martock, working in a variety of settings with ages 8 to 18. Their professionalism, dedication and enthusiasm are already starting to reap benefits in an increased footfall through our Youth Centre and more involvement of young people in the community. Able to respond rapidly to changing needs, receptive to new challenges and flexible in their approach, I have full confidence in their ability to make a real difference to the lives of young people.

Roger Powell – Chair Martock Parish Council

 

Mark has worked with several children from my school and in every case they have benefited greatly from the experience. He establishes very good relationships with each child which then enables them to feel trusted and respected. They then are in a position where they can begin to address their concerns / worries / behaviours and deal positively with the situation that they find themselves in. He presents as sincere, concerned, positive and interested and these along with his other qualities make him an effective Youth Worker. I would have no hesitation in employing Mark on my staff if funding allowed.

Head Teacher – Yeovil school

 

I have worked with Mark Evans over the last two years and during this time he has been invaluable in supporting us as a school. His calm and firm manner helps him to forge good relationships with the children he meets in order to help them. His professional but friendly attitude encourages them to trust them and together they work to improve things both at home and at school. I would have no hesitation in recommending his service.

Director of Learning at a large primary school

 

I have worked closely with Mark who has supported vulnerable youngsters in the school where I am a Head of Year. He has been a hugely positive & constant influence on these youngsters & for some has been the stability & role model that they have not received within their own families. His manner is fair, calm, encouraging & supportive of both the youngster & their families – he makes a very real difference with the work that he does & really encourages the youngsters to strive to achieve/succeed.

Head of Year 8 at a large comprehensive school

 

Nothing seems too much trouble for Mark in order for him to get to know the children with which he works. We have found him to extremely helpful in keeping the school informed with information relating to the children he works with. This sort of networking has been invaluable for supporting such vulnerable children. We have found Mark to be professional at all times. We have been able to rely on him to keep appointments and take on board confidential information that is relevant to cases.

Behaviour support worker at a middle school

 

Recipe for Mark Evans:

1) Take one tub of passion and put into a bowl
2) Take a good dose of patience and add to your mixture, rub the ingredients together.
3) Pour in a generous dose of commitment and mix with a wooden spoon
4) At this stage you may want to add some Charm, inventiveness and flexibility to the mix (whatever you have in your cupboards)
5) Add a pinch of “role model” an finally stir all ingredients
6) Place in a baking tin and cook in the oven for half an hour, you should see the mixture rise quickly

When cooked you should notice the mixture forming into a truly remarkable person. Serve with Jam or Cream.

From a CAMHS professional

 

Mark is a very committed, dedicated and experienced worker. I have worked with him in both a Child in Need and a Child Protection capacity. Mark communicates very effectively with all professionals and is experienced in working in a multi agency way. Mark has excellent skills at communicating and engaging with children in a variety of ways including working with individual children and groupwork. Mark has shown great skill in his work in supporting children who are experiencing difficulty to talk about their wishes, feelings and concerns. I wish Mark every success in his new venture – I’m sure it will prove to be a valuable resource.

Senior Social Worker at Children’s Social Care

 

Mark can relate well to a range of young people who struggle to engage with other adults. Mark tends to earn respect from the young people he has worked with through being upfront and honest and keeping to agreements. Mark has inspired young people to refocus and find a positive interest and he has supported them to make it happen.

Social Worker at Children’s Social Care

 

I first met Mark when he was working with very challenging children and young people as part of the Breaking the Cycle Project where Mark had to deal with an extremely sensitive issue and to protect the young women attending his group from inappropriate sexualised behaviour. Mark handled this in a professional and discrete way while informing and involving all the necessary agencies involved with the young man concerned. More recently Mark has worked as a YIPS worker with a young man who found it difficult to engage with any professionals and the family had a history of not engaging with services which spanned several years. The young man told me how much he had gained from the trip to Lyme Regis which Mark had taken some of his service users on last summer. He also said that he got a lot from Mark’s involvement and his mother said that she had seen an enormous change in her son since Mark had been working with him. His confidence and socialisation skills improved and he did not get involved in any further anti social or offending behaviour and was easier to control at home.

Education Attendance Officer

 

With over 15 years experience of working with children and families, I have never met anyone who engages so well with children and young people as Mark Evans does. Children develop a relationship of trust and admiration due to Marks’ seemingly effortless and gentle guidance into taking ownership of and responsibility for their own behaviour. He then role-models the desired behaviour through a range of positive activities targeted specifically to suit the individual. There is always a beginning, middle and an end – with the end being a positive outcome. Mark is a truly inspirational role model. The most ‘detached’ and withdrawn children ‘come out of themselves’ when Mark gets involved. They begin to see achievement; impacting on their home-life, friendships and school. Inspired to achieve is exactly what Mark does for children, young people and their families.

Parent & Family Support Adviser