Traumatic and dangerous childhood

Poppy* joined Esland Daven School at the age of thirteen. Sadly, she had already endured a very traumatic and dangerous childhood after experiencing both Child Sexual Exploitation and Child Criminal Exploitation in her earlier years.

Around the same time, she also moved into an Esland home to ensure her safety and give her the space to begin processing her past experiences.

We immediately transitioned Poppy onto our Turning the Curve™ model, which provides a child-centred approach to education, enabling students to learn in a way that caters to their needs.

This allowed Poppy to begin her learning within the home, which was crucial for her development, given her high level of risk and the fact that she struggled with routines, didn’t trust education, and had been out of the school system for over two years.

Making speedy progress

Poppy quickly moved on to our Turning the Curve™ Core curriculum, where she began learning maths and English. Within 12 months, she was accessing the full curriculum at the school whilst also attending work experience.

Her rapid progress was partly due to the consistent collaboration between the school, Poppy’s home and her social workers. Together, we provided constant support that flexed to meet her needs. The rest was all down to Poppy, her resilience and her dogged determination to turn her life around.

Poppy has ambitious plans for her future. She has shown a keen interest in social care and Law as a career and has attended several work experience placements to supplement her learning.

She is now studying for 4 GCSEs and is predicted to pass them all. In addition, Poppy is working with an organisation called Lawyers Who Care. They are a charity who provide mentorship to children in care that are interested in exploring Law as a career. This experience has inspired Poppy to investigate her future law degree options at university by attending some open days.

Channelling her past experiences

Poppy has taken a reflective approach to her childhood experiences and has spent a great deal of her free time writing a book called, ‘The Girl’s Guide to Sexual Exploitation.’ The book is part journal and part workbook, and it also offers guidance on how to stay safe and protect your mental health.

She’s joined a group within Esland Daven School, specifically for girls who have experienced Child Sexual Exploitation, and she’s also a member of our Pupil Parliament, where she’s the minister for kindness, a role that focuses heavily on safeguarding. On top of everything, Poppy has led several school initiatives, including reviewing how we mark and give feedback to students.

Nominated for an award

When Poppy first started with us, her attendance levels averaged 70%, but over time, thanks to her hard work and dedication, they’ve increased to 97.3%.

With these incredible efforts in mind, Esland Daven School’s Headteacher, Kelly Pope, nominated Poppy for a care award from her local authority. The nomination was based on Poppy’s educational progress and her innate ability to inspire others.

Poppy went on to win the award and attended a glittering awards ceremony with her family, members of her home team and staff from the school, including Kelly, her headteacher.

It was a very proud night for Poppy and all who’ve witnessed her development over the years. With such ambitious plans ahead of her, we can’t wait to see where her journey takes her next.

“Poppy is always extremely grateful and appreciates the work of the whole team around her. But it’s her own dedication and hard work that shines through. She continues to offer support to new students who join the school and is an inspiration to us all every single day. She has such positivity that she has the ability to succeed in whatever she puts her mind to. Her progress academically and emotionally is truly exceptional.”

Quote from Esland Daven School’s Headteacher, Kelly Pope

 

*We have changed the name to protect the young person’s identity.

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