On Thursday 24 April, the University, in collaboration with the Kent & Medway Progression Federation, hosted the first Kent & Medway Boy’s Impact Conference.
Research shows that boys encounter persistent educational challenges throughout the education lifecycle and those with socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds tend to experience lower GCSE attainment rates and lower progression to higher education than their female counterparts – and is proud to be part of the conversation about how to tackle this.
The conference explored the widening gap in academic performance, and the strategies that have been successful in addressing the challenges through collaborative action so far. It was also an opportunity for Kent’s Outreach and Widening Participation team to highlight its flagship programme, ‘Championing Boys’ – a school-based evidence-based initiative designed to address barriers experienced by boys in education.
Other speakers from across the sector shared their expertise at the Conference, including:
- Mike Nicholson, Founder and Director of Progressive Masculinity, a company dedicated to creating safe, non-judgemental spaces to explore what it can mean to ‘be a man’ in today’s world. His talk highlighted how perceptions of masculinity can impact the attitudes and behaviours of boys/young men.
- Shaun Flores, Public Speaker, Thought Leader and Mental Health Advocate, discussing the importance of speaking to young boys and men in a language that they understand.
- Deneen Ketchington and Oliver McVeigh from Ferndown Upper School (Dorset), who shared how they have been building a culture of support and aspiration with boys in their setting and the outcomes of introducing the Ferndown Takes Boys Seriously programme in Bournemouth.
This event, which took place in the Templeman Library, marked the first step in creating a Boys’ Impact Regional Hub – which will undertake strategic activity to support the outcomes of young men in their local educational, social, and geographic contexts. The Hub will serve as a platform for collective action, fostering partnerships between schools, colleges, universities, and third-sector organisations.
Clare Allison, Head of Outreach & Widening Participation at Kent said: ‘The educational inequality experienced by boys and young men (particularly those who are socio-economically disadvantaged) as a result of systemic barriers is stark. It is an area that needs collective action, and we are delighted to have hosted this important conference, building on the exciting work we have created with boys, their parents and schools in the region.’
Clare also spoke to KMFM about the Conference and you can hear her interview here.