Ask The Question CIC thanks BBC Children In Need for their generous grant to support disadvantaged students in Calderdale

Ask The Question CIC has thanked BBC Children In Need for their generous donation after receiving a grant to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds in Calderdale. 

The grant will go towards supporting a group of students who have experienced adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and who are from disadvantaged backgrounds, with their learning and education through bespoke tuition and mentorship sessions, at their safe office space in Hebden Bridge. 

Ask The Question provides one-to-one tuition and mentorship to children and teenagers in Calderdale who have experienced adverse childhood experiences, in particular those who have suffered as a result of abuse, neglect and trauma. They have worked with over 120 students since they were formally founded in 2017, over half of which have had experience of local authority care.

Sessions at Ask The Question focus on well-being, social and emotional learning, and the building of resilience, and aim to improve educational outcomes by providing a nurturing environment that is safe, secure, flexible, caring and a place where positive relationships are seen as fundamental. Research shows that children perform significantly better when they’re tutored one-to-one for their education, compared to students who are tutored in a traditional classroom setting. Sessions look to enable students to gain qualifications and increase their employability for the future, enabling more positive future outcomes for their lives ahead.

Students who attend sessions through Ask The Question have consistently reached their potential, with every student passing their Maths and English GCSE, and three students this year going on to attend a Russell Group University. They recently celebrated all of their 11+ students passing the 11+ exam.

Jo Austin, founder of Ask The Question, said, “It is an honour that such an esteemed organisation such as BBC Children In Need have chosen to support our CIC. The grant will go directly towards supporting local students with their education, and will have a huge impact on their potential. Thank you so much.”