Our Impact
The proof has to be in the pudding, doesn't it? Read below about the impact Emoco has already had working with our existing partner schools!
01
Big Education Conversation & Compass Curriculum:
Video footage of the 2023 Big Education Conversation.
(Video credit: Big Change on YouTube)
Two formerly disengaged young people taking part in Emoco grew significantly in confidence whilst working with us. So much so, that they were able to attend the 2023 Big Education Conversation event in Blackpool with the now Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson. These pupils articulated their thoughts directly to Bridget and contributed to the wider discussion.
Curriculum changes emerged as the top priority from this intergenerational event. This data was used as evidence of demand to support Blackpool's successful partnership bid for £2.3 million from the Youth Futures Foundation as part of their "Connected Futures" project, and a component of this was the "Connected Curriculum" project.
One component, the "Compass Curriculum" expands the Key Stage 4 curriculum at the school these pupils were from and others to include a range of Level 2 vocational courses - including Construction, Hair & Beauty, Animal Studies, Motor Vehicles, E-Sports (amongst others!) - and a wider range of GCSE courses, including Psychology, Sociology, Ancient History and Economics. This means that the range of skills, talents, assets and interests being valued is broader and fewer pupils feel like fish being judged on their ability to climb trees. These courses are also delivered at FE colleges, meaning pupils are more familiar with those settings before starting there after Year 11.
Additionally, it also includes a package of workplace encounters in curriculum time to help better connect what pupils learn at school with the wider world.
These programmes are now available to pupils at this school thanks to the work of their peers. Compass was also commended by Ofsted in their 2025 report into Blackpool & the Fylde College, one of the Compass delivery partner colleges.
Seth Wilkins, Mindset & Culture Lead at the Fylde Coast Academy Trust, who we collaborated with on this project, said: “We have been delighted to join forces with Andrew – and to give our young people a chance to work with and learn from a local young person doing inspirational work in the field of mental health. Emoco has given students a platform and a voice, resulting in the power to make a difference in their community through helping to steer the strategic and operational thinking of leaders.
We’re delighted too that Emoco is living its own ethos, allowing the creative and decision making process to be shaped in ways that reflect the local needs. This project is giving young people dignity, self-belief and a sense of power to have a real social impact and we’re excited to continue working together to serve the pupil body.
Ultimately, this is shaping up to be a resource helping to strengthen relationships and positive mental health.”
Feedback from pupils highlights:
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Improved wellbeing: Pupils feel that, when they are able to study subjects that they are really, sincerely interested in, they feel happier and more content at school.
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Giving hope to all: One pupil testimonial spoke of how, as someone who didn’t want to go to University, they previously didn’t feel seen by the education system. Now, they do.
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Fun: Pupils report that Compass is actually fun, in no small part down to engaging teaching methods that gamify learning and make full use of the space that is the College.
Formal evaluation of Compass has revealed:
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Improved school climate: Qualitative data suggests the break from school and the hands-on nature of Compass helps students focus and feel less “bogged down” during their Monday to Thursday academic lessons. This demonstrates that Emoco's input has helped to change the culture in school.
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Life satisfaction: Participants report a 6% increase in life satisfaction and a 5.7% increase in job satisfaction.
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Improved attendance: Compass students consistently outperform their peers in attendance. In the first cohort, Compass students maintained a 92.7% attendance rate compared to 89.3% for non-Compass pupils.
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Behavioural change: The reduction in behaviour events is perhaps the most significant data point. For cohort #1, incidents plummeted from 16,642 to 4,418 - a reduction of nearly 75%. Staff explicitly noted a “significant decrease” in issues and, in some cases, zero behaviour points recorded on Fridays.
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Wage premium: A predicted 5.1% increase in lifelong earnings.
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Employment stability: A 2.1% decrease in the likelihood of future unemployment.
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98% predicted EET rate: From the first cohort, the vast majority of students are predicted to successfully transition into education, employment, or training. Many of them have already applied to study at the colleges that deliver Compass.
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Pathway retention: Over 50% of students have chosen to remain on their specific Compass pathway for post-16 study, demonstrating high levels of career clarity and commitment.
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Transferable confidence: Over 40% of students are transitioning to a new post-16 pathway, utilising the confidence and maturity gained through the programme to pursue different professional interests.
Compass Curriculum pupils in action.
(Photo credit: Right to Succeed)
Compass Curriculum pupils in action.
(Photo credit: Right to Succeed)
Compass Curriculum pupils in action.
(Photo credit: Right to Succeed)
Compass Curriculum pupil in action.
(Photo credit: Right to Succeed)
Compass Curriculum pupils in action.
(Photo credit: Right to Succeed)
02
Highfield Leadership Academy, Blackpool - Matilda the Musical and muggies project:
At Highfield, an Emoco co-production group identified the arts and a stronger enrichment offer as key to a culture of well-being. The school used these conversations as evidence of demand to support a successful bid for additional resources to put on a production of "Matilda the Musical."
Pupils testified to the benefit of this production on their wellbeing:
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"It's meeting new people. Finding a nice community of people that you share an interest with. I think that's quite nice, just to know that you've got people there who share your interests and that you get along really well with. The case we've got at the minute - we are like family. It's like one big family. It's so nice to be there."
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"I do theatre and dance because, if I'm in a bad space, it helps me relieve the stress and it's something fun to get my head away from whatever has just happened. It makes me happy."
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"It's like a family in general. We all enjoy each other's company and we're all nice to each other."
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"You make more friends that way. You might not even know them before but then you become best friends."
Taking part in the production also significantly boosted pupils' self-confidence. One selectively mute young person literally found their voice through taking part in this.
It also inspired a whole-school sense of camaraderie, with pupils and teachers exchanging lovely comments afterwards.
After this, the Highfield Emoco group chose to continue and turned their attention to the issue of muggies - unflattering photographs taken and then shared without consent. We co-produced a form time session where some pupils shared their personal experiences with muggies and the impact it had on them, opening up conversations and dialogue on the issue. As a direct result of this presentation, pupils became empowered to speak up, enabling the school to identify and deal with three incidents relating to muggies.
The cast of Highfield Leadership Academy's 2025 production of "Matilda the Musical."
(Photo credit: @HighfieldLA on X)
Andrew following an initial exploratory meeting with Highfield's Pupil Council, May 2024.
(Photo credit: @HighfieldLA on X)
Andrew with members of the St. Mary's Catholic Academy co-production group, June 2025.
Pupil testimonials from St. Mary's Catholic Academy.
03
St. Mary's Catholic Academy, Blackpool - Big Wellbeing Conversation & mentoring framework:
At another school, Emoco opened up multi-layered, intergenerational conversations around wellbeing. Students testified that they felt more comfortable having conversations about mental health with their peers and that it successfully reduced stigma. It also inspired conversations about systems change - how we can change how the school works to be more conducive to wellbeing. We held a Big Wellbeing Conversation in June 2025 and gathered ideas from students across the school about what we can do to accomplish this. Opened up conversations between different groups of the school community and empowered young people and adults alike to speak up and make their voices heard. Increased capacity for change within school by carefully managing conversations around change and doing so in a democratic way.
The findings from the Big Wellbeing Conversation were then analysed by our co-production group and revealed a new approach to mentoring being the overarching priority. The new approach would focus not exclusively on academics, but rather, everything that a young person is sincerely passionate about, celebrating all aspects of their lives and taking into account everything they have to offer. The group refined a series of questions that teachers can use as conversation starters and then planned a staff CPD session where it would be further developed in coalition with a range of staff from across school.
The "Big Walk & Talk" also took place at St. Mary's, which saw time carved out in the school day for pupils and staff to exchange knowledge on how we can best look after each other and ourselves. It created an informal peer support space for young people, giving them the opportunity to talk about mental health & wellbeing with people they feel will "get it".
You can hear the pupils, staff & parents of St. Mary's discussing the impact of Emoco on this special edition of the Bright Leaders podcast here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1mPhpfZDpNgYUSduQgRm6h
Pupil testimonials from St. Mary's Catholic Academy.
04
Everybody Thriving - policy paper & un-conference:
The concept of the "culture of well-being" greatly influenced the Education Policy Alliance's (EPA) report "Everybody Thriving: Creating a culture of wellbeing in schools." Co-authored by Emoco's own Andrew Speight, along with other, intergenerational members of the EPA, it shares insights from across the education community and outlines practical policy solutions that could be implemented to bring about a culture of wellbeing.
Most excitingly, however, this paper inspired the "Everybody Thriving" un-conference, which took place in Manchester and online on Saturday, 11th October 2025. Everybody Thriving assembled an intergenerational coalition of young people, parents/carers, teachers, senior leaders, support staff, healthcare professionals, academics, policy-makers and others to establish a global movement for a culture of wellbeing.
As an un-conference, it also helped to develop a blueprint for a new type of education conference. One done with, not to. Centred on harnessing the collective wisdom of all those in attendance, rather than just having speakers bestowing knowledge unto a crowd from atop a high pedestal. Focused on conversation and composing a collective vision.
Everybody Thriving was the birth of a global movement for a culture of wellbeing for all schools, everywhere.
The "Everybody Thriving" un-conference in Manchester, 11th October 2025.
(Photo credit: Mark Goodwin on LinkedIn.)
One-page summary of the "Everybody Thriving" report.
(Photo credit: Education Policy Alliance.)
Want to see your school up there?
Emoco is an ever-growing movement, and we're looking to embed a culture of well-being far & wide!
If you fancy seeing how Emoco could help harness the collective wisdom of your school community - join the movement!
Get in touch using the details opposite:
Tel: 07575 578275