Alternative Opportunities

Offering a young person alternative opportunities can be anything from a walk, to a game played outside, to making something or crafting.

Some young people benefit from coming out of the learning environment to take a breather and refocus before continuing their day – this can also take the form of alternative learning eg taking on a Dynamic Youth Award.

Key learning:

Alternative learning opportunities such as Dynamic Youth Award, have a significant impact on young people’s ability to achieve and attain.
Alternative, non-academic learning opportunities focus on individual interests and showcase assessed personal development and life skills of motivation, resilience, strategies to navigate tasks and goals.

Alternative activities and environments aid engagement and reduce distraction. Getting outdoors and using your hands to make or create something allows for more natural conversation.
While alternative opportunities may not be academically driven, they aid the academic pathway.

Other core principles

Shared Values

Shared values help to shape the school culture and everyone can share the same expectations of behaviour, learning and relationships.

Protected Time

Having protected time for a young person helps them to feel important and heard.

Flexibility

Flexibility is key throughout the whole school, no one can predict when a young person will need support. So being able to provide a space when needed is key.

Consistency of a trusted person

Having the same trusted person support young people’s fears and anxieties over a journey of months, across this key transitional time, was highlighted as very impactful.