The Achieve programme helps our Key Stage 4 students to boost their confidence, learn new skills and work with their friends on a group project. The programme is completely flexible and students will study the following projects:
- Delivering a community project and making a real difference in your local area
- Learning all sorts of new skills to help with meeting new people and building your confidence
- Taking on a business challenge to put your entrepreneurial skills to the test
- Improving your knowledge and ability to look after yourself and live a healthy life
- Top tips to help you write the perfect CV and get ahead in your career
East Belfast Alternatives is a local restorative justice agency who offer a wide range of support in the local community. At Key Stage 3, Dean, our LINCS Project Worker, works with our junior school pupils on the Good Relations Project to promote purposeful cross-community and good relations to foster inclusion with all communities in school and our local area.
EBA also supports pupils in Key Stage 3, as part of our Personal Development Programme and LLW curriculum.
The YMCA are long-standing partners with Breda Academy and have built up significant relationships with both staff and pupils.
Their overall aim is for young people to achieve an increased value of themselves and others. Some of the areas they explore are identity, stereotypes, sectarianism and discrimination.
The YMCA also support our new Year 8 pupils who are finding the transition to High School challenging through their Year 8 Mentoring Programme. Weekly sessions provide our young people with the opportunity to assist their progress in school.
Dreamscheme is a youth development organisation which is based in Newtownbreda and aims to transform the lives of hard-to-reach and at-risk young people. As well as providing diversionary and developmental youth programmes in local communities such as Milltown, Belvoir, Breda and Braniel, Dreamsheme also provides a mentoring programme of youth support within Breda Academy at Key Stage 3 and 4.
The programme aims to:
(a) affirm young people, encourage ambition, build potential and promote self-worth
(b) connect young people with their community and encourage active youth citizenship, and
(c) develop young people’s life skills and leadership ability.
In addition, our new Community Support Partnership Programme is designed to provide community-based support for students who are experiencing barriers to learning and engagement.
Dreamscheme Youth Workers also facilitate whole-class sessions with Year 10 students, as part of their Personal Development Programme. Issues including self-esteem, mental health identity and teamwork skills are targeted.
The Youth Workers also visit school each Tuesday and Thursday to support pupils over lunchtime during social time.
Furthermore, our pupils can access support with their studies and homework after school every Monday and Thursday in the Dreamscheme Centre in Newtownbreda.
More information about Dreamscheme can be found at www.dreamschemeni.org.
Natalie Phillips, youth worker at Willowfield Parish Church, helps coordinate a number of local churches coming into Breda Academy through detached work on a Tuesday lunchtime and running the Scripture Union on a Thursday lunchtime. The Churches involved are Willowfield Church, Breda Church of Ireland, Newtownbreda Baptist and McCraken Memorial, with Scripture Union representatives supporting Breda staff at SU.
Familyworks is the school counselling service which offers our pupils additional support through weekly counselling sessions. Pupils can self-refer or be referred by their teacher or parent for help to deal with any emotional and behavioural difficulties to make more informed choices or decisions.
