The Warwickshire Challenge

Warwickshire County Council (WCC) is committed to supporting young people to overcome the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic. Many disadvantaged children and young people will have suffered with poor mental health or will not have been able to participate in remote learning due to not having access to technology. In response to this WCC have developed The Warwickshire Challenge.

The Warwickshire Challenge is a programme of 50+ suggested activities for Key Stage 3 pupils to complete to provide experiences and activities related to culture, sports, work experience and life skills. Activities range from learning to iron a shirt to trying a new sport to going to the theatre.

Challenges fit into the following five areas:

• Enterprise
• Emotional Wellbeing
• Engagement
• Enjoyment
• Energy

Young people will be able to achieve a Bronze Award in Year 7, Silver in Year 8 and Gold Year 9.

The Challenge is designed to be available to all pupils in Key Stage 3 regardless of their schools involvement. We hope to develop an App young people will be able to use and log their completion of the challenges.

Young people in receipt of Free School Meals will be sponsored through the programme to help fund them to access the challenges where there are associated costs. We will all also establish mentors to support and encourage young people who may need additional support to engage. These may be adults or post 16 students, all mentors will be trained.  

We will work with local business to raise awareness, invite them to offer volunteering opportunities and to sponsor pupils, support as mentors or offer discounts to young people participating the Challenge.

We expect to run an initial pilot after half term and will role out the programme later in the year.  

If you have any suggestions, would like to be involved in an initial pilot of the challenge please do get in touch with us, we’d love to hear from you.

Lead officers are Sophie Thompson (sophiethompson@warwickshire.gov.uk) and Debbie Hibberd (debbiehibberd@warwickshire.gov.uk) .