In the 2023/24 school year, the Accompany programme, promoted by the Famalicão municipality, reached around 6.47% of the municipality's student population, from primary school to secondary school. 844 children and young people were involved in training groups or socio-educational interventions in the school context, with an educational success rate of 96%. The data was presented at the project's evaluation meeting.
Last year, the programme sought to improve its response to schools outside the urban area of Vila Nova de Famalicão and reinforced and intensified its pedagogical responses in the Terras do Ave School Group, the Padre Benjamim Salgado School Group and the Dona Maria II School Group, namely in the Arnoso Basic School.
Recognised by all the partners as good practice, the programme seeks to provide a priority response to students at particular risk of exclusion, extending to the whole territory.
Currently, the Accompany Programme involves more than 20 partners, including educational establishments, the Commission for the Protection of Children and Young People, IPSSs, educational cooperatives, public bodies and youth associations.
Of all the students involved, 197 had at least two detentions. The figures are even more relevant if we take into account that 234 of them were at risk, including the risk of dropping out of school. 37 students had specific needs and more than 160 came from areas considered to be at risk (social housing estates and urban peripheries plagued by pockets of poverty).
In the analysis of the data from last school year, it was also noted, through an extensive questionnaire survey (of more than 450 students), that for 76 % of the students involved the Accompany Programme enabled them to better understand their emotions and those of others, that for 72 % of the students it enabled them to better control their behaviour in the face of adversity and that for 71 % of the students the programme provided them with tools to improve their relationship with their family. Also noteworthy were the school results, with 43 % of the students involved in the Accompany Programme improving their assessment.
In the current school year, 862 children and young people between the ages of 6 and 19 are taking part in the programme's activities.
