Represent: focusing on girls in alternative provision

The Represent programme is designed for girls aged 11 to 14 in alternative provision. Using engaging texts and with a strong oracy focus, this programme aims to support communication skills, resilience and wellbeing.

Building on Game Changers, our existing work in alternative provision settings, this new programme offers mainstream secondary schools and alternative provision settings the chance to support girls and young women who have been excluded from, or who are at risk of being excluded from, mainstream education.

Thanks to funding from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, (DCMS), we are able to offer Represent to such settings in England for free.

How it works

Represent is a 10-session programme that uses selected texts and interesting activities, including scaffolded oracy resources, to engage students in discussions about the stories shared.

Activities will also include scaffolded comprehension activities, to strengthen students’ deep understanding of the key messages in the text, and to support literacy skills development. Content will support leaders to differentiate, acknowledging the wide range of ability often found in these settings.

You can try a taster by downloading our Represent sample resources.

Who is it for?

The programme is aimed at students aged 11 to 14 who have been excluded from, or who are at risk of being excluded from, mainstream education. The content will raise issues that particularly affect girls who have been excluded, self-exclude or who are at risk of exclusion from mainstream education. While this group would be an excellent demographic for delivery, we support the idea of opening the programme to mixed groups, as these are important themes for all.

The sessions can be delivered by teachers and teaching assistants, and sports coaches from football club foundations. Training on programme delivery and CPD to support meaningful student discussion is provided.

Each setting will receive:

• Training (online and on demand)
• A resource pack for each cohort, including workbooks with the texts and teaching notes
• A set of books for each cohort of participants
• Access to bespoke events with authors

When do I run it?

Each of the 10 sessions is designed to last for one hour, and these can be run when you deliver your intervention activity, or whenever suits you.

How do I access it?

Represent was delivered by over 300 settings in England during past year.

We are currently facilitating existing settings to deliver Represent. However, you can register your interest in delivering Represent in the future by providing your full school and contact details in the form linked below.

If you have any enquiries relating to this programme please email ap@literacytrust.org.uk.

Other FAQs

How many packs will I receive?

Each schools will receive one pack with the resources containing everything you need to successfully deliver the programme to 10 students. This will include a mixture of fiction and non-fiction books, workbooks, PowerPoints, activity sheets and a teacher guide.

Can boys participate?

The content will raise issues that particularly affect girls who have been excluded, or who are at risk of exclusion. While this group would be an excellent demographic for delivery, we support the idea of opening the programme to mixed groups, as these are important themes for all.

Can Key Stage 4 students be involved?

Please note at this stage, this programme has been funded, written and designed for Key Stage 3 students.

When do I run the programme?

There are 10 x 1 hour sessions. We suggest that you run one per week, although you are welcome to run a more compressed or elongated timetable to suit.

We have currently allocated all of our places for Represent, but you can register interest for the future.