Rebuilding Belief in Birkenhead: Our RISE Up Journey

We are proud to share a featured case study on our journey with the Wirral RISE Up programme. Below is a summary of the full, in-depth account by our Head of PE, Tom Quinn, which can be found on the Future Action blog here: 👉 Rebuilding Belief in Birkenhead: The Impact North West RISE Up Journey

Putting Character and Movement at the Heart of Our School

At Impact North West Schools, our mission is to ensure every young person has the opportunity to reach their potential. Many of our students join us having struggled in mainstream settings, often facing barriers like anxiety, low self-esteem, and difficulty with emotional regulation.

To meet these needs, Tom Quinn (our Head of PE & Character Education Lead) and the rest of our team have been working hard to implement the Wirral RISE Up programme. We believe that before a student can succeed academically, we must first rebuild their belief that they belong and can thrive in a school environment.

The Power of Intentional Movement We have shifted our approach to recognise that movement isn’t just about "burning off energy"—it is a vital tool for emotional regulation and readiness to learn. By embedding consistency across our school day, we have seen a total shift in engagement. Key changes include:

• Structured Movement Breaks: We have built our timetable so that every student now experiences around 40 minutes of movement daily.

• Trauma-Informed PE: We use movement as a deliberate strategy to help our students regulate their emotions and reconnect with their peers.

• Expanding Opportunities: We’ve seen a massive 76% increase in our competitive fixtures, including the proud milestone of launching our first-ever all-girls squad.
  

The Impact on Our Students The results of this intentional focus on wellbeing have been remarkable. By tracking teacher perceptions aligned with the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS), we have recorded a 52% uplift in student wellbeing.

Other highlights of our journey so far include:

• Systemic Growth: Our overall school wellbeing provision score has soared from 42% to 90%.

• High Engagement: Participation in sports and PE is now 45% higher than any other subject area in our school.

• Visible Resilience: Beyond the numbers, we see students entering lessons calmer, handling challenges with greater confidence, and showing more resilience when things don't go their way.
  

Looking to the Future While we are thrilled with this progress, we are only just getting started. We are now moving into "Phase 2," where we will deepen our character-building strategies and invest in more inclusive equipment—like Boccia and New Age Curling—to ensure every single learner at Impact North West feels they have a place on the team.

As Tom reflects: "Movement is not just physical. It is relational. It is emotional. It is developmental." By putting these values first, we are helping our students find their way back to education and success.