Learning beyond the classroom: Three Ways pupils thrive through fishing

For the pupils at Three Ways School in Bath, traditional learning environments can pose challenges. Fishing for Schools provides them with a unique opportunity to learn, grow, and flourish in ways they never thought possible.

By supporting us this Giving Tuesday, you can help create more success stories like theirs.

To bring this to life, we asked Three Ways School to share their reflections on how our sessions have made a difference to their pupils. Here’s what they had to say:

Tell us a little bit about your school

Three Ways School is a Single Academy Trust offering “Access to Achievement” for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities aged 4-19.

Our school provides a stimulating, creative learning environment and caters for over 220 pupils on site with a range of complex needs, whilst also serving the local community with an outreach service called Brighter Futures, to support young people with SEND in our mainstream partners settings. We are very proud of our on-site Work Skills Centre, 3 Cafe Kitchen, a community café, open daily to the public.

Our aim is to create an environment that can be creative, stimulating and supportive for all pupils and offer the best possible preparation for adulthood. Pupils have access to a multi-agency team within school including speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, medical professionals and physiotherapists.

What brought you into this area of education and why is it so important?

Three Ways were drawn towards Fishing for Schools because the programme offered a new and stimulating approach for our students, many who have not experienced the sport before and were also unfamiliar with the settings we explored. Fishing gave the students new goals, experiences and an opportunity to learn about safety around water, as well as wildlife and of course fishing skills. We have been able to incorporate skills learned in sessions into our curriculum with the current focus being ‘Skills for life and the workplace.’ Students gain the CAST awards too and our coaches present this at school at the end of a course, allowing the students a sense of pride and achievement.

What impact has Fishing for Schools had on your students?

Participating in Fishing for Schools sessions gives the young people a new interest to explore with their friends. In the past it has engaged the most challenging students, who have enjoyed the thrill of catching fish and the excitement of competition the coaches provide.

Students are often surprised at how much they enjoy the tranquil surroundings and report that they feel calm when they are fishing. It is apparent how much the sessions engage the students, as attendance is high, feedback positive and several students have continued to fish once they have left the school.

What are the five key benefits your students have gained from Fishing for Schools?

Confidence growth, feeling calm, experiencing new settings, learning new skills, a sense of self belief.

Can you share any specific success stories or memorable moments from your students' experiences in Fishing for Schools?

A favourite memory was when the angler and biologist Jeremy Wade arrived at our session with Charles. One student was a big fan of the River Monsters show and was completely star struck. Jeremy engaged with the young people, helped them and was happy to pose for selfies; great memories for all who took part. On a lighter note, I don't think the young person whose rod was stolen by a carp will ever forget that day! Luckily, a quick-thinking coach was able to rescue said rod and release the fish. Quite dramatic for a day's fishing!

How do you feel our programme addresses the needs or challenges faced by your students?

The Fishing for Schools programme allows our students to be included and learn transferable skills that they can take through to adulthood. The fishing community have been very welcoming and are always interested in our sessions. Everyone wants to feel part of society and fishing is an excellent way to join in, as well as providing an outlet for young people to recharge and look after their mental health. By introducing our students to fishing, in safe and supported sessions, we are giving them another avenue to enhance their own wellbeing long term.

If Fishing for Schools could offer additional support, what would be most valuable for your students or school?

The additional support that would be the most valuable would be to open the sessions to more students so we could offer more young people this wonderful opportunity.

Three words which describe your students’ experiences with Fishing for Schools

Engaging, stimulating, supportive.

Can you illustrate our impact on one student?

Student A was very difficult to engage and had various diagnosis which could make their behaviour tricky to manage and this often resulted in them becoming distressed and frustrated. They were often unable to attend life skills sessions due to anxiety and a lack of confidence. New settings were a challenge, and they often had a negative impact on other students. However, we managed to persuade them to attend a fishing session and were surprised by the results!

They engaged fully in the session due to the patience and persistence of the Fishing for Schools coaches. They were motivated by the competition element and keen to learn and succeed. In turn, they were able to work productively with their peers and their self-esteem improved over the set of sessions they attended, resulting in the achievement of a CAST award. The young person has kept in touch with the school and continues to fish citing fishing as their calm space.

Support Fishing for Schools this Giving Tuesday to bring more life-changing experiences like these to students across the UK. Every donation helps us expand our reach and impact.