OUR PROGRAMMES

We offer a collection of ground-breaking and accredited coaching programmes that help school pupils thrive mentally, emotionally, physically and academically. These programmes are delivered by school staff who are trained by our team of specialists and certified by the School Wellbeing Alliance as ‘OS Coaches’. Given the universal appeal of our programmes, staff also derive a benefit both personally and professionally. After finishing the programmes, pupils get a formal certificate to acknowledge the valuable coaching and life-skills that they have learnt and acquired. They can use this to enhance and strengthen any application for a position/place with other schools, universities, colleges, organisations or future employers.

OUR MISSION 

• Empower staff and pupils to be their own coach and be more independent and resilient when solving problems, overcoming challenges, making decisions and accomplishing tasks.
• Give staff and pupils the information, support and tools they need to prevent, intercept and support performance, mental health and wellbeing issues early on in life.
• Help staff and pupils fulfil more of their potential and be happier, healthier and more productive.

BACKGROUND

These programmes have been carefully created in response to the growing mental health crisis predominantly affecting children and young people in the modern age. We feel passionately that intervention is key and that schools can do more to prevent, intercept and support performance, mental health and wellbeing issues early on before they develop further. ‘The Other Subject’ was thus founded to bridge the gap between school services which are over-stretched and under-funded, and the children and young people who need this support the most. 

UNDERPINNING MODALITIES AND METHODOLOGIES  

Each programme uses tried and tested coaching tools and techniques. These tools and techniques are also blended with neuroscience, cognitive behavioural science, positive psychology, mindfulness and resilience-based methodologies to make them truly integrative and impactful.

MODULES AND TOPICS

There are eight programmes carefully crafted for every year of school (from Reception to Year 13). Each programme is based on one of the following colour-coded modules, representing a key area for maturation and development in children and young people:

FLEXIBLE DELIVERY AND APPLICATION 

All of our programmes are flexible and adaptable. They can be used as a lesson, workshop or assembly – alternatively they can be used to support pupils 1-2-1 or in small groups. They can also be shortened and delivered in one session or expanded and delivered over a few weeks when there is the time in the school timetable to do so. 

HOW OUR PROGRAMMES BENEFIT PUPILS

• Empowers them to be their own coach and be more responsible, independent and resilient.  Read More

  Our programmes empower pupils to be their own coach so that they can take more responsibility for themselves. This includes solving problems, making decisions and accomplishing their goals. A key component to this is committing to positive change via ‘Personal Promises’ in primary school and ‘Nail Downs’ in secondary school. This allows them to hop into the driver’s seat and start shaping their own lives so that they can be happier, healthier and more productive. Pupils are also given the option to buddy up with peers to help monitor their progress with respect to any change.

• Helps them progress in key areas of maturation and development specific to their age-group.  Read More

  There is a programme for every year of school from Reception through to Year 13. All programmes are gender neutral and cover key areas of maturation and development. Programmes are also strategically allocated to specific year groups so that they are age-appropriate and impactful.

• Expands their access to help and support services.  Read More

  Most schools will vouch for the fact that only a small portion of pupils actually engage with support services such as counselling. Even then, the same pupils tend to use such services continually or off and on throughout their time at school. Sadly there are many pupils who would like support or who need support, but don’t reach out for it due to stigma and/or shame, not feeling their issues are serious enough to warrant support, not wanting to miss lessons, not having enough time, or support services being over-subscribed, limited or unavailable. Our programmes are an attractive option for such pupils as they are packaged as ‘coaching’, which is more time limited, structured and non-stigmatised. Our programmes can also be run as a compulsory course/series of workshops and built into the curriculum, making support accessible to all pupils. Tools, tips and strategies from our programmes can also be used and adapted by trained OS Coaches to support pupils individually, in small focus groups or as part of a drop-in service where staff take turns to run it.

• Enables them to prevent, intercept and support performance, mental health and wellbeing issues early on before they become an issue.  Read More   

  As well as supporting pupils with current performance, mental health and wellbeing issues, our programmes give pupils the knowledge, information and tools they need to prevent, intercept and support such issues early on before they develop further.

• Gives them a formal qualification that can be used to strengthen and enhance future applications.  Read More

  More than ever, personal development is taken into account when considering applications and/or interviewing candidates. After finishing the programmes, pupils get a formal certificate to acknowledge the valuable coaching and life-skills that they have learnt and acquired. They can then use this to enhance and strengthen any application for a position or place with other schools, universities, colleges, organisations or future employers. 

HOW OUR PROGRAMMES BENEFIT SCHOOLS

• Gives schools reassurance that they are using safe, reliable and accredited programmes.  Read More

  Our programmes are the result of years of experience, taking scientifically-proven coaching techniques (traditionally used in business and sporting sectors) and blending them with neuroscience, cognitive behavioural science, positive psychology, resilience techniques and mindfulness. In recognition of its quality, our programmes have been accredited by the International Authority for Coaching and Mentoring (IAPC&M). This helps schools feel reassured that that they are adopting a fully accredited course and a blend of all the most widely-accepted and evidenced-based approaches to boost performance, mental health and wellbeing in schools. This is preferable to one modality that may go in and out of favour, depending on trends, Government initiatives and research.

• Embeds a coaching culture amongst staff and pupils.  Read More

  As well as running year group programmes, trained OS Coaches can use the programmes to coach pupils 1-2-1 or in small focus groups, set up a drop-in coaching service that supplements existing counselling services, coach each other, colleagues and themselves and deliver stand-alone workshops, assemblies and/or talks for pupils, parents or staff.

• Helps schools save money.  Read More

  As coaching is goal-focused, time-limited and structured, it is more cost-effective than some other support services which are open-ended. It is also something that school staff can do without the need for lengthy, complex or expensive training. Furthermore, unlike many companies offering training products and services in this area, we are not a profit-focused organisation set up to make money from schools. Our main focus is an altruistic one and that is to boost performance, mental health and wellbeing in school communities. We are therefore in the enviable position of being able to make our training packages affordable and accessible to all schools.

• Saves staff time and enables them to support pupil without feeling over-burdened.  Read More 

  We want to create a revolutionary narrative where we give staff the tools and confidence to help and support pupils, without breaking their backs. Our programmes give staff access to ready-made content (including a script and PowerPoint slides) that can be used as the basis of a lesson, workshop or assembly without the need to prepare materials. Alternatively, if a staff member has time, they can adapt and personalise the programmes to suit their own style and requirements.

• Upskills staff and benefits them personally.  Read More

  All official training hours are certified to meet CPD requirements. School staff who complete our training are also qualified as OS Coaches for the year group programmes covered in their training.
  In addition to gaining a valuable professional qualification that can be used in any school, all staff trained by us benefit from our programmes professionally and personally given their universal appeal. This in turn will help them feel happier, healthier and more productive both at school and in their personal lives.