Following the National Behaviour Summit in 2025, the Welsh
Government has today announced a new package of projects to
support schools across Wales with behaviour, wellbeing and
engagement.
Building on successful work already underway, the package will
explore innovative ways to support learners who sometimes find
the school environment difficult.
A key partner is Swansea City AFC Foundation. Through a targeted
approach, currently funded by the Premier League and delivered
through classroom and physical activity sessions, the Foundation
helps learners manage conflict, strengthen their attitudes to
learning and positively re-engage with school.
The Swansea approach will be one of a number of Welsh Government
funded pilots running across Wales, with support, ensuring that
more schools and learners can benefit from the different
approaches being tested.
Alongside the pilot programme, £3 million in funding for
enrichment programmes provided to Local Authorities will enable
schools to deliver engagement and enrichment activities including
creative, cultural, sporting and play-based
activities. This will help strengthen the
wider support available to young people beyond the participating
pilot schools.
This work is further reinforced by continued funding support that
will allow police forces across Wales to continue their
engagement work with young people in school settings, helping to
build positive relationships and support early intervention.
To complement the practical support for schools, further research
is being commissioned with Welsh universities and schools to
explore the most effective classroom approaches to help teachers
support young people effectively.
Tom , Head of Programmes at Swansea
City AFC Foundation said:
“We are acutely aware of the challenges facing schools, with
disruptive behaviour having increased significantly since the
pandemic. It is encouraging to see the Welsh Government listening
to the sector and implementing alternative strategies to address
these issues.
“Based on our experience delivering the programme over the past
few years, we know that working with a small, targeted group and
delivering interventions tailored to their needs and interests
can have a significant impact. Having a trusted adult—someone
from outside the school setting—deliver a range of engaging
topics through the context of football allows key messages to
resonate in a way they might not in a mainstream classroom.
“At Swansea City AFC Foundation, we are delighted to work
alongside the Welsh Government to support the development of
pupils across Wales.”
Professor Carl Hughes, Professor of Behavioural Education and
Research at Wrexham University said:
“This work is about supporting learners and helping schools
create nurturing environments where every young person feels
understood, safe and ready to engage. Projects like this in
Swansea Football club, alongside wider initiatives across Wales,
show how targeted support can positively re-engage learners who
may find school challenging.
“Through the national Behaviour in Schools programme, we at the
university are also seeking to understand the processes of change
underpinning successful projects like the Swansea pilot, so we
can better engage learners through a variety of innovative
approaches.”
Visiting learners who have benefited from Swansea City AFC's
Foundation's scheme, Cabinet Secretary for Education, said:
"Following our Behaviour Summit, we are taking action to ensure
every learner in Wales has the support they need to flourish, and
teachers and schools feel supported in their work. We are
bringing together best practice and research to help schools
create inclusive environments for all young people.”
"Pilots like this one in Swansea are helping us understand how to
better support young people who find school challenging. We want
to learn from successful practices and work to design approaches
that support all schools across Wales”
