From Form Time to Flourishing: How Clare Mount Are Transforming Wellbeing Through RISE Up

At Future Action, we love working alongside brilliant educators who are committed to creating safe, supportive, and meaningful experiences for their young people.

Clare Mount Specialist Sports College is a growing secondary special school based in Moreton, Wirral. The school has a fantastic reputation for using physical activity and relationships to support the personal development and life chances of their students.

At the start of this academic year, brilliant leaders Dan Keefe and Kevin Byrne invited Neil Moggan from Future Action to lead a whole-staff training day at Clare Mount Specialist Sports College, introducing colleagues to the RISE Up approach and exploring how movement, relationships, and wellbeing can combine to transform the lives of young people.

From that session, staff were empowered to incorporate the RISE Up programme in a way that best suited the unique needs of each year group.

One of the standout examples of this work has been Tom Freeman, Year 8 Progress Leader, who has embedded the RISE Up approach within a creative and flexible Active Form Time programme — supporting wellbeing, relationships, and behaviour for students who need it most.

In this case study, Tom shares how his team have brought RISE Up to life with their Year 8 pupils — and the difference it’s made.

Intent: Meeting Young People Where They’re At

"Our intent was really clear from the start. We wanted to promote physical activity, social wellbeing, and personal growth for every single Year 8 pupil at Clare Mount — but also provide more personalised support for some of our learners with additional behavioural and social needs."

Tom and his team set three clear objectives for their RISE Up Active Form Time programme:

1. Promote Physical Activity, Social Wellbeing & Personal Growth

"We designed a wide range of activities — from traditional sports to mindfulness and outdoor adventures — so there was something for everyone."

2. Develop the Behaviour of a Small Group of Year 8 Boys

"These were students who needed extra support with behaviour, so we created personalised plans and built sessions around skill-building, leadership and clear expectations."

3. Improve Social & Communication Skills for a Targeted Group

"We identified students through our Positive Relationships Intervention, focusing on empathy, active listening, teamwork and confidence."

Implementation: Active Form Time in Action

"The beauty of RISE Up is how flexible it is — it allowed us to reach a whole range of students across Year 8."

Tom and the team embedded RISE Up into Active Form Time across the school, reaching around 80 students in total, including Looked After Children and pupils with a social worker.

"We wanted form time to feel purposeful, supportive and fun — somewhere young people wanted to be."

Some of the key strategies included:

• Key Stage 4 Sports Leaders supporting the delivery of sessions

• Walk & Talk sessions for those less motivated by traditional sport

• Positive Relationships Intervention allowing students to invite a friend and build trust

• A varied menu of physical activities to suit every learner

• Clear behaviour expectations co-created with students themselves

• Reflection questions at the end of sessions to build accountability: “What went well today?” “What could you do differently next time?”

  
  

Impact: Small Moments, Big Growth

"We’ve created a positive and engaging environment where pupils are thriving — whether that’s becoming more active, building friendships, or growing in confidence."

Measurable Impact: WEMWBS Results

Following the RISE Up intervention, staff completed the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS) to evaluate progress.

Key Findings:

→ Following the RISE Up Active Form Time programme, students demonstrated a 25% improvement across all areas of wellbeing measured — with significant growth in optimism, relaxation, problem-solving, social connection, and managing their own wellbeing.

One Young Person's Journey

"Engaging one of our most behaviourally challenged students through a variety of sporting activities was key.

But even more powerful was involving them in setting expectations and reflecting on their behaviour at the end of every session.

It’s helped them take responsibility and develop skills like teamwork, communication and respect."

Building a Movement Across the Wirral

Clare Mount’s brilliant work didn’t stop there.

In November 2024, the school proudly hosted the Move Well Conference in partnership with the Youth Sport Trust — an event that brought together educators, system leaders, and multi-agency professionals from across the region.

The energy and passion in the room that day was incredible — and within weeks, 13 more schools across the Wirral had signed up to begin their own RISE Up journey.

With the fantastic support of Oliver Terry from Wirral Virtual School, funding was secured to enable these schools to embark on their own RISE Up journeys.

Clare Mount now acts as the lead school for the Wirral RISE Up programme, regularly hosting CPD sessions and bringing together educators from across the region to collaborate, share learning, and collectively transform the mental wellbeing and life chances of young people.

Final Reflections

At Future Action, we will be keeping the RISE Up community updated on how this innovative and exciting multi-agency programme develops over the months ahead.

This is a fantastic example of what is possible when educators, schools, and system partners work with each other, not to each other — driven by a shared commitment to improving lives, one young person at a time.

We believe every young person deserves the chance to flourish — get in touch if you'd like to explore how RISE Up could support your school community.

Thank You

A huge thank you to Tom Freeman, Dan Keefe, Kevin Byrne, and all the brilliant staff at Clare Mount Specialist Sports College for their passion, care, and commitment to supporting their young people.

Clare Mount continues to be a shining example of what’s possible when educators lead with relationships, creativity, and heart.

And a big thank you to Oliver Terry at Wirral Virtual School for his vision, partnership, and belief in what’s possible when we work together.

Do You Want To Take The First Steps To Improving Your Students’ Wellbeing?

✅ [1] Complete your School Wellbeing Scorecard – it takes just 3 minutes to map your current provision and identify key areas to strengthen:👉 Complete the Scorecard here

📝 [2] Join our waiting list – to explore partnerships, training, consultancy, speaking opportunities, or to get your copy of Time to RISE Up:

👉 Join the Waiting List here

Have a brilliant week, and thank you for all you do for your young people.

Neil Moggan and the Future Action team

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