Ask The Question CIC thanks SmallWorld Foundation for their generous grant

Ask The Question CIC has thanked SmallWorld Foundation for their generous donation to their organisation to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds to access their educational support. 

The SmallWorld Foundation provided the grant to support students who have experienced adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and who are from disadvantaged backgrounds to access educational support and mentorship at their safe office space in Hebden Bridge. 

The funding will enable one of the rooms at their Hebden Bridge office to be open after school and on Saturdays for students who attend through Ask The Question CIC to use. Students will be able to access wifi, use available laptops, and have a quiet and warm place to work. There will also be refreshments provided and a member of staff on hand should they require any support. Ask The Question CIC has run similar projects in the past which have been very successful, and have enabled students from disadvantaged backgrounds to study independently and achieve better grades. 

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, “We are delighted to be working in partnership with SmallWorld Foundation. It is a privilege to be recognised by a global organisation for the work we do right here in Calderdale, West Yorkshire. This funding will enable us to offer a space to our students where they can come and work in a safe, warm space and work independently towards their exams.”