| Alternative Provision |
Our Alternative Provision service is for children who are not able to attend school and is usually funded via an EOTAS package or Personal Budget from your Local Authority or directly by the school your child is on roll at (although unable to attend).
All sessions are in-person and can either be 1-to-1 ( or within a small group. They can either take place at your home or at our new Hub in Beaconsfield. We also take children out in the community and to local places of interest if they are happy to do so.Our 1-to-1 sessions can be with children aged 6 to 14 and our group sessions for children aged 7 to 12. The children we work with tend to be academically able but unable to access mainstream education. Many of our students experience one or more of the following:
- Demand avoidant profile (including PDA)
- Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA)
- High anxiety levels
- School-based trauma
Our Alternative Provision staff are either qualified teachers or they work closely with a qualified teacher. The most important quality we look for in our staff is the ability to connect and build a trusting relationship with children who tend to have had very negative experiences of school, learning and teachers. Our staff members know how important it is to take the time needed to build a strong connection with your child and for any learning to take place, your child must trust them implicitly. We never rush this stage and only move onto the next stage when your child is ready.
All our staff receive regular training on how to effectively engage and support our students. This training includes supporting demand avoidant children, trauma-informed practice and PACE training.
Our sessions tend to be child-led focusing on self-directed learning. Our staff act as learning facilitators providing opportunities for learning but, ultimately, the child decides what they learn and how they learn it. Objectives are selected linked to the child's EHCP and the adult integrates them into the activities the child wants to do. Students' interests underpin everything they do in sessions as that is how they become more engaged and motivated to learn. We gently guide students to develop their strengths which, in turn, builds their confidence and self-esteem and if they are open to it, we focus on topics that have a practical use for your child now and in the future.
