Consilium Academies, which runs nine schools across the North West and North East, including the renowned alternative provision academy Evolve, has been shortlisted for an Inclusive Award at this year’s Multi Academy Trust Excellence Awards. 

The Inclusive Award category is designed to highlight those Trusts which offer specialist or innovative support to students whatever their ability.

At the heart of Consilium’s inclusive approach sits Evolve, an academy gaining national recognition for its groundbreaking work supporting school refusers. The academy, featured on the BBC’s The One Show and described by Ofsted as “life changing”, aims to bridge the gap between mainstream schooling and alternative provision by recognising the importance of emotional wellbeing in education.

Evolve is pioneering research into how some children interpret and access information both through sound and vision. It conducts processing assessments for all students, aiming to identify and address challenges that may affect their ability to engage with the curriculum effectively. This commitment to understanding each student's unique needs has contributed to a remarkable increase in attendance from 18% on average before they joined the school to 82% after.

The academy’s innovative approach also includes addressing factors such as sleep patterns, planning the timetable around students’ emotions, not just curriculum content, and incorporating outdoor education. Families are invited into school to learn about emotional wellbeing alongside their children and staff and training is extended to the wider community.

The MAT awards give Trusts across the UK the opportunity to celebrate the achievements of their schools, pupils and staff and the positive impact they have on their local community. The awards ceremony will be held later this year.

Michael, CEO of Consilium Academies, said:“We’re so proud of the inspiring work of staff and pupils which has been instrumental in being shortlisted at this year’s Multi Academy Trust Excellence Awards. I’m so pleased that the award will raise awareness of the importance of inclusivity in schools and the work we do to help all our students feel supported and valued.”

Robert Bell, Head of alternative provision school Consilium Evolve, said: “We’re supporting young people who would potentially slip through the net, by challenging traditional educational norms we demonstrate that a holistic approach to student wellbeing can, and does, lead to positive outcomes.”

This story was originally published by the Sunderland Echo.