Inspiring Learning Announces New Partnership with British Fencing

Outdoor education group becomes Official Resilience Partner of British Fencing.

Leading outdoor education group, Inspiring Learning, has launched a new partnership with British Fencing to deliver fencing sessions designed specifically to build resilience among young people. As part of this relationship, Inspiring Learning has been named British Fencing’s Official Resilience Partner.

Under the new partnership, fencing sessions will be delivered at Inspiring Learning’s 11 Kingswood centres around the country, reaching thousands of students on residentials throughout the year. Inspiring Learning will also be responsible for hosting and training British Fencing coaches in the new lesson format. The new programme will be delivered within British Fencing’s ‘We Are Forging Futures’ framework, an Ofsted-aligned, resilience and self-efficacy programme designed to build confidence in young people through fencing-based activities.

Grounded in outcomes-based learning, the new partnership transforms fencing sessions – traditionally focused on the technical aspects of the sport – to instead enable young people to develop the less tangible skills of resilience, such as dealing with and bouncing back from setbacks, all within in a safe game-based environment. From this, the students can take the soft skills developed back into the classroom and their wider lives.

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In addition to these lessons, as further commitment to Inspiring Learning’s ethos of using evidence-based practices, the partnership includes the funding of a research programme at Sheffield Hallam University. The aim of this project is to measure and evaluate the impact of the new fencing programme on young people’s resilience levels. It will be led by Inspiring Learning’s Head of Learning and Impact, Dr John Allan PhD, who is also a Visiting Fellow at Sheffield Hallam University.

Andy Barnett, Head of Partnerships at Inspiring Learning, says:

“As the new Official Resilience Partner of British Fencing, we are very excited to deliver this innovative fencing programme and to improve resilience among young people. When it comes to outdoor education, it is important to look beyond the activity itself, in this case fencing, and instead explore how it can build adaptable skillsets needed in today’s society. We look forward to working with British Fencing as we continue our work in providing outdoor education to young people across the UK.”

Harry Brown, National Partnership & Engagement Manager at British Fencing, says:

“We are delighted to welcome this new relationship with Inspiring Learning as British Fencing’s Official Resilience Partner. Through this mutually beneficial partnership, thousands of students on residentials throughout the year will have the opportunity to not only participate in fencing activities, but also benefit from our educationally-aligned ‘We Are Forging Futures’ framework, building confidence and resilience. We are eager to begin this new journey together and look forward to seeing the impact that this collaboration brings to young people across Inspiring Learning’s 11 Kingswood centres around the country.”