Annual impact report 24/25
Putting our children at the heart of what we do
Pupil Voice Research Project
This year we have commissioned a project with our Educational Psychology Team to try to better understand what our students want from their PEP. Pupils had been telling staff in school that the current Pupil Voice section of the PEP felt long and arduous. Our Educational Psychologist worked with students across different schools to hear their views and design what the pupil voice section should look and feel like. We are thrilled to announce that from September 2025, the pupil voice section of the PEP is entirely designed by our children in care and we hope that as a result, the feedback and engagement children have with their PEP will be much improved.
Joint project with Trusting Hands and Digital Voice
We have also worked on a joint project with Trusting Hands and one of our partners, Digital Voice to create a resource for teachers, professionals and settings. This video is all about understanding trauma and hearing from the children directly in a Digital Me animation, about how their experience of school has been and how we as professionals can help to make this journey as safe and steady for them as possible. This video was shown at our Virtual School Conference and the feedback was incredible. All delegates received a poster pack to display in their settings including some original art work created by the children and young people, alongside the QR code to the film itself. This is now being shared on Digital Voice's website so that others can learn from the powerful narratives and advice from our Gateshead Children in Care.
Understanding developmental trauma
Watch this powerful animation to hear how we can best meet the needs of our care-experienced students.