Following the National Behaviour Summit in 2025, the Welsh Government has today announced a new package of projects to support schools across Wales with behaviour, wellbeing and engagement.
Building on successful work already underway, the package will explore innovative ways to support learners who sometimes find the school environment difficult.
A key partner is Swansea City AFC Foundation. Through a targeted approach, currently funded by the Premier League and delivered through classroom and physical activity sessions, the Foundation helps learners manage conflict, strengthen their attitudes to learning and positively re-engage with school.
The Swansea approach will be one of a number of Welsh Government funded pilots running across Wales, with support, ensuring that more schools and learners can benefit from the different approaches being tested.
Alongside the pilot programme, £3 million in funding for enrichment programmes provided to Local Authorities will enable schools to deliver engagement and enrichment activities including creative, cultural, sporting and play-based activities. This will help strengthen the wider support available to young people beyond the participating pilot schools.
This work is further reinforced by continued funding support that will allow police forces across Wales to continue their engagement work with young people in school settings, helping to build positive relationships and support early intervention.
To complement the practical support for schools, further research is being commissioned with Welsh universities and schools to explore the most effective classroom approaches to help teachers support young people effectively.
Tom Williams, Head of Programmes at Swansea City AFC Foundation said:
“We are acutely aware of the challenges facing schools, with disruptive behaviour having increased significantly since the pandemic. It is encouraging to see the Welsh Government listening to the sector and implementing alternative strategies to address these issues.
“Based on our experience delivering the programme over the past few years, we know that working with a small, targeted group and delivering interventions tailored to their needs and interests can have a significant impact. Having a trusted adult—someone from outside the school setting—deliver a range of engaging topics through the context of football allows key messages to resonate in a way they might not in a mainstream classroom.
“At Swansea City AFC Foundation, we are delighted to work alongside the Welsh Government to support the development of pupils across Wales.”
Professor Carl Hughes, Professor of Behavioural Education and Research at Wrexham University said:
“This work is about supporting learners and helping schools create nurturing environments where every young person feels understood, safe and ready to engage. Projects like this in Swansea Football club, alongside wider initiatives across Wales, show how targeted support can positively re-engage learners who may find school challenging.
“Through the national Behaviour in Schools programme, we at the university are also seeking to understand the processes of change underpinning successful projects like the Swansea pilot, so we can better engage learners through a variety of innovative approaches.”
Visiting learners who have benefited from Swansea City AFC’s Foundation’s scheme, Cabinet Secretary for Education, Lynne Neagle said:
"Following our Behaviour Summit, we are taking action to ensure every learner in Wales has the support they need to flourish, and teachers and schools feel supported in their work. We are bringing together best practice and research to help schools create inclusive environments for all young people.”
"Pilots like this one in Swansea are helping us understand how to better support young people who find school challenging. We want to learn from successful practices and work to design approaches that support all schools across Wales”
