Year 11 study support packs

As part of the Great Childhoods Ambition, we handed out study support packs to students starting year 11 in September 2025 to ensure they could begin their final year in school feeling prepared, supported, and confident. The packs were designed to support both academic progress and wellbeing throughout the year.

In total, approximately 3000 young people benefited from the scheme, helping to improve readiness for learning and promote positive outcomes across the borough.

Why we developed the scheme

The scheme was developed to address the practical and financial barriers that can prevent young people from fully engaging in their learning at a critical stage in their education. By providing essential study equipment, revision resources, and wellbeing support, the programme aimed to level the playing field and give all students the tools they needed to succeed in exams, assessments, and their next steps into further education, training, or employment.

To further strengthen the impact of the support, the programme also covered the cost of a minimum of two foundation revision books in English and maths, aligned to each school’s syllabus. These were distributed by schools to ensure students had subject specific resources from the start of the academic year.

How students received their packs

Students attending mainstream secondary schools in Barnsley received their study support packs through their schools. Students who were home educated, along with those attending schools outside of the borough, were invited to collect their packs from local libraries and community venues, helping to ensure no young person was excluded from the support available.
 
The resource packs were tailored for children attending specialist provision in consultation with specialist settings.