About Us
To contact Kit:
Changing Chances Empowerment Approach programmes are the brainchild of Kit Messenger, an educator on a mission to bring about big changes in how challenging behaviour is tackled.
Kit has been joined by Alison Rendle to share the approach with schools, parents and carers.
Their mission is to improve life chances for young people exhibiting challenging behaviours.
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Kit is a former primary school Headteacher with sixteen years of school leadership experience. She is passionate about getting at the reasons behind challenging behaviour and helping children and their adult supporters to put in place strategies for making positive changes for the long term.
Kit believes that there are no quick fixes when it comes to behaviour change.
After leaving headship, Kit was Head of Education at Genius Within CIC, which supports neurodiverse individuals through psychological cognitive testing and coaching support. While there, she developed and piloted the programmes now delivered by Changing Chances.
Alison was Head of Education Improvement at East Sussex County Council and previously a senior leader in secondary schools. She is a qualified coach and NLP practitioner. Alison coaches leaders and neurodiverse adults in the workplace.
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Alison believes that coaching is powerful - it's not just a nice chat.
Our associate team
To contact Leslea:
Changing Chances is growing fast, so we are delighted to introduce the first member of our associate team - Leslea Markwick.
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Leslea is a former Deputy Headteacher with 23 years of teaching and leadership experience from EYFS to KS4. She is currently a Primary Education Advisor and a University Tutor for the University of Brighton.
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Leslea believes in high expectations and high support.
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More associates will be joining us over the coming months. Watch this space to meet our growing team!
About Changing Chances
Changing Chances Empowerment Approach programmes are the brainchild of Kit Messenger, an educator on a mission to bring about big changes in how challenging behaviour is tackled in the education system and beyond.
Kit has been joined by Alison Rendle to share the approach with schools, parents and carers.
Their mission is to improve life chances for young people exhibiting challenging behaviours by empowering them and the adults around them to collaborate to develop future skills while also creating present calm.
To contact Kit:
To contact Alison:
Kit Messenger is a former primary school Headteacher with sixteen years of school leadership experience. She is passionate about getting at the reasons behind challenging behaviour and helping children and their adult supporters to put in place strategies for making positive changes for the long term.
Kit believes that there are no quick fixes when it comes to behaviour change.
After leaving headship, Kit was Head of Education at Genius Within CIC, which supports neurodiverse individuals through psychological cognitive testing and coaching support. While there, she developed and piloted the programmes now delivered by Changing Chances.
Alison Rendle was Head of Education Improvement at East Sussex County Council and previously a senior leader in secondary schools. She is a qualified coach and NLP practitioner. Alison coaches leaders and neurodiverse adults in the workplace.
​
Alison believes that coaching is powerful - it's not just a nice chat.
Our associate team
To contact Leslea:
Changing Chances is growing fast, so we are delighted to introduce the first member of our associate team - Leslea Markwick.
​
Leslea is a former Deputy Headteacher with 23 years of teaching and leadership experience from EYFS to KS4. She is currently a Primary Education Advisor and a University Tutor for the University of Brighton.
​
Leslea believes in high expectations and high support.
​
More associates will be joining us over the coming months. Watch this space to meet our growing team!
The Empowerment Approach
So what exactly is the Empowerment Approach?
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The Empowerment Approach is a new approach to helping teachers, parents and other adults to understand and tackle challenging behaviour. Skilled and experienced facilitators will develop your understanding of why some children struggle to meet expectations. They will share innovative models and tools and provide support as you develop your expertise in using these with children.
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Be curious, not furious:
You will explore the neuro-science behind challenging behaviour. You will learn why some children have weak Executive Function skills and how this impacts on their behaviour. And you will learn to spot the unmet needs and stressors which can lead to distress and challenging behaviour.
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Follow-up, not mop up:
You will learn the importance of following up all behaviour incidents and become adept in using our coaching approach and Five-Point Response Plan to help children to learn what isn't going well for them and how to be at their best in future.
Inside Out training
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A whole school approach
For whole staff teams - a training package which provides an innovative approach to improving behaviour and reducing exclusion.
NQTs & early career teachers
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Getting off to
a good start
For new teachers who want to understand the neuro-science behind challenging behaviour. You will learn some simple tools and approaches to support children.
Specialist programme
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Developing expertise
For people who have already learned the principles and models of the Empowerment Approach and are now looking to develop their expertise and skills.
What we believe about behaviour
This is a great place to tell your story and give people more insight into who you are, what you do, and why it’s all about you.
What people are saying
Paul Gallagher Head at Annecy Catholic Primary talking about the difference our programme has made in his school
We're keeping very busy delivering our programmes in primary and secondary schools across Sussex, as well as to staff in nurseries and community groups working with children.
Here's what some of the teachers and school leaders are saying about our programmes:
“The delivery was engaging and inspiring.”
“Delivered with honesty, passion, belief and humour.”
“Really good insight into the brain and helping me to understand a bit more about the difficulties that some of my children have. I know it’s not their fault or that they have control over it.”
“In my response to children’s defiant behaviour, I now think about the reasons behind it and tried hard to see if rom their perspective. I’m better able to see that often children ‘can’t yet’, as opposed to ‘won’t’."