Since August 2017, Make Happen have supported over 100,000 learners across Essex. At the heart of this support is the relationship Make Happen has with its partner schools to get this support off the ground.
In our new series “Voices of Make Happen”, we are going to hear from some of Make Happen’s school contacts from across the county about their experiences.
To kick us off, one of our Outreach Officers, Perry James, recently sat down with Sam Sutton at Lift Clacton. Expand each interview question to hear from Sam…
So, Sam, we’ve worked together for a number of years. What have been some of the best activities Lift Clacton have taken part in over that time?
Sam: At the start of each academic year, we get all of our new Year 12 students in a room and give them a run through of what the next couple of years will look like. You and the Make Happen team are key to this as you add an external voice to our message. The Why Go to University talk is a brilliant way to kick off the year and remind the students that it’s not too early to consider your future options.
I also like that yourself and the Make Happen team take the time to listen to what our school needs. Through this, we’ve been able to take part in projects which we wouldn’t have considered like the Picture Your Potential project for SEND Year 10 students.
From taking part in our activities, can you notice an impact on the students Make Happen have worked with?
Sam: Definitely. I could name at least 40 students right now who have benefited from Make Happen’s support. Whether it’s university, apprenticeships or employment, it makes so much difference when students can fully explore all of the options they have available. In particular, using Make Happen funding to attend the UCAS Super Fair has been brilliant. The Make Happen team help us before the day with arming the students with the skills and knowledge they need to navigate the busy exhibition hall. They also offer the students tips on what to do with that information afterwards.
We’ve recently started to work with Make Happen with the lower year groups in the school too (Year 9 and Year 10). We’re excited to see how we can link up that engagement in the Sixth Form earlier in the student’s journey. Hopefully we can boost that aspirational message of this is how you could see yourself and this is how we could help you.
Looking ahead, what activities are the school looking forward to getting involved in with Make Happen in 2025?
Sam: The Year 12 Routes to HE project sounds really exciting. With this project, the students will explore both university and apprenticeship options at the same time. This will play nicely to the needs of the Year group as they navigate their future options. The UCAS Super Fair trip at the end of the project will hopefully be a catalyst for students to dive into exploring their future.
I’m also curious to see how the metacognition project with Year 9 goes this year; Future Thinking. This is an important year for the students before they start their GCSE’s so it will be a good opportunity to adapt their approach to learning.
What advice would you give to other Make Happen schools?
Sam: Make sure that you engage with your MH link as much as possible. They are there to help you succeed. In these conversations, it’s important to communicate your own school’s particular needs so they can adapt things around you.
Whilst it’s easier said than done sometimes, working with SLT can be a challenge. I often have to remind myself that our students need this support, and these opportunities need to happen. Some students have never had an external speaker engage with them before so there is so much potential.
Therefore, getting out of our comfort zone to get that buy in is a gamechanger. This can be hard work but if you can demonstrate the impact of this work then it makes life easier. Make Happen can often help with this through providing impact reports.
Thanks, Sam, for having a chat with us. If you would like to be a future ‘Voice of Make Happen’ then get in touch with your link Make Happen Outreach Officer – we would love to hear from you!
By Perry James, Outreach Officer