Catching staff from alternative provision (AP) settings smoking weed alongside the young people they were responsible for was a seminal moment for Eugene Dwaah, in what he admits has been a 鈥渟trange career鈥. 鈥淪taff became their friends, which I suppose [they thought] made it easier to manage their behaviour, as opposed to keeping their boundaries, which I felt young people still needed in their chaotic lives,鈥 he reflects. Dwaah was head of behaviour and engagement at Skinner鈥檚 Academy in Hackney at the time, a role he had for five years up to 2017. He had donned 鈥渃ivilian clothes鈥 for unannounced visits to the AP the school鈥檚 pupils were sent. At the time, Skinners was for its hardline behaviour policies. But those excluded were sometimes sent to AP 鈥渕ore like youth clubs than educational institutions鈥, he said, with some losing their lives to gang-related crime. It also included 鈥減ortacabins鈥 and 鈥渉uts鈥 with 鈥渘o play areas 鈥 with kids screaming at the walls鈥, as well as weed-smoking staff. He realised he could do much better. Eugene Dwaah Football fanatic Dwaah also oversaw football training at Skinner鈥檚, and was the perfect role model for boys with a sporting passion but struggling to keep on the straight and narrow. Although his own family were relatively affluent 鈥 his father a journalist and mum a teacher 鈥 he鈥檇 been affected by the 鈥渞eally traumatic鈥 passing of his mum in his O Levels year. However, his PE teacher at St Mary鈥檚 and St John鈥檚 CofE, in Hendon, Mr Mihill, changed his life by taking him along to trials for Arsenal. The club put Dwaah on their youth apprenticeship scheme. 鈥淎 member of staff showing you they care has a massive impact. I鈥檓 paying it back now,鈥 he said. He went on to play for Fulham for four years before joining teams in Thailand and Canada. But his playing career ended abruptly aged 28 following a 鈥渄evastating鈥 knee injury. Dwaah started coaching kids for Chelsea, many of whom had been excluded from inner city schools. But 鈥渂ecause they were budding footballers, we kind of didn’t care. There wasn鈥檛 that holistic care for them.鈥 However, the culture started shifting around welfare and education in clubs. The FA created academies so children could spend longer in training 鈥 if clubs supplemented their education. Dwaah joined the newly formed welfare team liaising between the club and schools, finding he 鈥渓oved the teaching aspect鈥. After six years as head of recruitment for Fulham football club, he made the move into teaching and joined Skinner鈥檚. Eugene Dwaah in his Arsenal kit Buying sports centre After five years at the school, and prompted by what he had saw in the AP sector, Dwaah quit to buy a sports centre in a rundown part of Wembley with an old footballing friend. In the evenings it was a hive of activity, but Dwaah wanted to provide a sports education programme for pupils at risk of exclusion during the day, when it was quiet. A pilot programme with Brent Council in 2017 went 鈥渞eally well鈥 and Evolution Sports Group was born. Dwaah was still on the lookout for potential future football stars, but his aim was for kids with a love of the game to get 鈥渞ecognised qualifications, so their choices were heightened by spending time with us鈥. He set up similar independent alternative provision last year at a rugby club in Dagenham, wanting to make the most of the club鈥檚 鈥渂eautiful grounds鈥 which were empty during schooldays. Such facilities are not the norm in AP: last year found 57 per cent lacked access to dedicated outdoor PE space. Dwaah headhunted staff for his provision in Dagenham, named 100% Sports and Education Centre, willing to 鈥済o the extra mile鈥 and who had played sports at 鈥渜uite an elite level鈥. Pupils are assigned a staff mentor, and if that relationship isn鈥檛 working, they can pick another. The provision is for key stage four pupils with a sporting interest but behavioural issues, including bringing weapons into school and county lines involvement. There were 468 knife crimes in Barking and Dagenham in the year up to March 2023, up 42 per cent on the previous year. At one time, half of Dwaah鈥檚 learners were known to police. Whereas in Brent most of his pupils were black boys, in Dagenham most are white males. He believes that 鈥渋f there鈥檚 lack of opportunity and aspiration, the problem is the same regardless of race鈥. Eugene Dwaah coaching Nike support The curriculum, which he says 鈥渒ids really engage in鈥, is made up of level 1 and 2 vocational qualifications in football coaching, first aid, health and safety, food and nutrition, sports leaders and PE skills, as well as Maths and English GCSEs/functional skills. Learners also take the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award and The Prince鈥檚 Trust achieve programme which includes units in gang culture and managing money. It gives them credits towards a qualification in 鈥楶ersonal Development and Employability Skills鈥, equivalent to two GCSEs. Nike sponsor uniforms, but kids have to 鈥渆arn鈥 the clothing by passing a two-week probation. This makes them 鈥渇eel a sense of 鈥業’m in a special place鈥, rather than 鈥榮chool don’t want me anymore鈥.鈥 The 100% Sports and Education Centre expanded from 24 to 48 students this year and moved to a bigger site, Dagenham鈥檚 Future Youth Zone, boasting facilities for music and dance as well as sports. The remit has also widened to include short-term respite placements for key stage three pupils and those without a sporting interest, with courses now also offered in hairdressing, art, food tech and drama. These 鈥榬ecovery鈥 placements, which have fixed start and end dates, place a strong emphasis on English, Maths and developing independent learning and work-related skills. Whereas Dwaah recalls referring kids to AP from Skinner鈥檚 as being 鈥渁 paper pushing exercise鈥 which 鈥渄idn鈥檛 feel like a human being鈥, he ensures his staff visit schools and meet parents first. Pupils are also offered a one-day visit, 鈥渢o see our expectations. We explain the school aren鈥檛 kicking them out, they鈥檙e looking really hard at something to suit their needs better. We aren鈥檛 interested in what happened in school, they can reinvent themselves with us. That personal conversation really works.鈥 Future Youth Zone Dagenham Tackling gangs Six in 10 Barking and Dagenham households are deprived 鈥 the highest rate in the country 鈥 and many of Dwaah鈥檚 鈥渞eally bright鈥 pupils come from homes with alcohol and drug abuse. Dwaah realised much of their gang activity was related to 鈥減overty and making money鈥, and that 鈥渁 lot of parents would turn a blind eye to it because it was bringing income into their household鈥. 鈥淵ou’ve got to be real about the circumstances of who you鈥檙e working with,鈥 he added. He tries overcoming this by providing pupils with well-paid work experience at a nearby gym. Dwaah 鈥渂reaks bread with parents鈥 through initial home visits. It鈥檚 an example of how with smaller pupil numbers than mainstream schools, 鈥渨e can do things more innovatively鈥. He tries to ensure staff give ten positive comments for every one negative when communicating with parents, to counteract the fact that many 鈥渟pent their child鈥檚 whole school life just getting negative calls鈥. He says the strategy meant 鈥減arents would be more helpful鈥 when that negative call had to be made. Dwaah also connected with local colleges to offer parents functional skills and English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) training. His provision hosts health clinics for families, and signposts them to housing support. It seems to be working. Before joining, many kids were 鈥渟chool refusers鈥 while others were 鈥渉omeschooled inappropriately鈥 with 鈥渏ust a few hours a week online provision鈥. The national attendance rate for AP is 61.2 per cent, but Dwaah鈥檚 last year was around 98 per cent. He says the team need 鈥渜uick wins鈥, so he ensures pupils can get some form of accreditation within six weeks 鈥渢o feel pride in passing something鈥. Lessons are 鈥渧ery pacey鈥, so 鈥渒ids aren鈥檛 sitting there idle, looking for opportunities to get themselves into trouble鈥. Lunchtime is only half an hour. Ofsted chief inspector Sir Martyn Oliver Structure The provision gets safeguarding and compliance support from the council, and is governed by the local pru, Mayesbrook Park. This 鈥渂uilds confidence in what we鈥檙e doing鈥. Dwaah鈥檚 academic teachers are linked with the pru鈥檚 departmental heads to 鈥渕oderate and quality assure good practice鈥. This helps staff 鈥渇eel part of a bigger team鈥. When Ofsted recently visited Dwaah鈥檚 provision as part of its , he claims it found their systems 鈥渞eally impactful鈥. He鈥檚 been asked to expand provision into post-16, primary and those with specific mental health challenges, but is wary about 鈥渟preading myself too thin鈥. Councils are increasingly struggling to tackle soaring demand for AP amid rising exclusions, and Dwaah was 鈥渋nundated鈥 with requests to visit areas after speaking at the Local Government Association conference this summer. He鈥檚 turned down some opportunities to expand, but is considering proposals to open similar provision at other youth zones run by the charity OnSide. 鈥淭he outcomes are my interest, rather than paying me an extra 拢200,000 a year. I鈥檝e been incredibly fortunate in my life 鈥 I don鈥檛 need the money.鈥 When he compares his provision to that of the AP he visited a decade ago with Skinner鈥檚, he feels 鈥渋ncredibly lucky鈥. 鈥淚 was given a blank canvas, and realised we could be so creative. I hope you see my passion.鈥