🌱 Alternative Learning & Life Skills

Flexible, Accredited Learning and Mentoring for Young People Outside Traditional Education

Because not every learner fits inside a box.

Some young people need a different way to learn — one that feels safe, flexible, and designed around them.

Our Alternative Learning & Life Skills programme supports learners who are struggling in, or have stepped away from, mainstream education.

We provide creative, trauma-informed routes to learning that rebuild confidence, rediscover curiosity, and develop the real-life skills every young person deserves.

💬 Who It’s For

This programme supports young people aged 9–25 who:

  • Are out of school or receiving EOTAS (Education Otherwise Than At School)
  • Struggle with school-based anxiety, trauma, or emotional regulation
  • Have SEND, PDA, ADHD, autism, or related neurodivergent profiles
  • Need flexible, relationship-based learning in a safe environment
  • Are preparing for adulthood, employment, or creative enterprise

We work closely with families, schools, and local authorities to create bespoke learning plans that fit real lives — not rigid systems.

🧭 What We Offer

This programme supports young people aged 9–25 who:

  • Are out of school or receiving EOTAS (Education Otherwise Than At School)
  • Struggle with school-based anxiety, trauma, or emotional regulation
  • Have SEND, PDA, ADHD, autism, or related neurodivergent profiles
  • Need flexible, relationship-based learning in a safe environment
  • Are preparing for adulthood, employment, or creative enterprise

We work closely with families, schools, and local authorities to create bespoke learning plans that fit real lives — not rigid systems.

🌿 Our Learning Pathways

  • 🌱 Foundations Pathway

    (ASDAN Personal Progress / PSHE)

    For learners beginning their re-engagement journey. Focuses on confidence, communication, and emotional safety through creative, practical learning.

    Focus: nurture, self-awareness, and early engagement.

  • 💼 Future Pathway

    (ASDAN Employability)

    Develops practical and transferable skills for work or further study — teamwork, planning, responsibility, and problem-solving — preparing learners for their next steps.

    Focus: independence, readiness, and direction.

  • 🎨 Creative Pathway

    (Enterprise & Expressive Arts Projects)

    Hands-on, youth-led projects where learners design, make, or build something of their own — from art and design to small businesses or social enterprises. Connects with our Young Dream Builders and Passion Pathways programmes.

    Focus: creativity, self-expression, and entrepreneurship.

  • 🌍 Independence Pathway

    (Preparation for Adulthood / PSD / Life Skills)

    Practical learning for life beyond school — travel, budgeting, self-care, and community participation. Encourages confidence, responsibility, and everyday independence.

    Focus: adulthood, community, and real-world life skills.

  • 💖 Wellbeing Pathway

    (Mentoring & Emotional Support)

    Trauma-informed mentoring and emotional wellbeing sessions that run alongside all learning. Supports emotional regulation, motivation, and self-belief, ensuring every learner feels safe and understood.

    Focus: emotional growth, self-worth, and resilience.

🌈 How It Works

  • Individual learning plans tailored to each young person
  • Available online, in the community, or through small in-person sessions
  • Can form part of EOTAS packages or Alternative Provision placements
  • Regular reviews and parent/carer feedback
  • Clear outcomes in progress, wellbeing, and personal development

Our provision can be commissioned directly by local authorities, schools, or parents as part of EOTAS arrangements or Alternative Provision packages.

We don’t just teach subjects — we help young people rediscover their confidence and potential.

💡 Why It Matters

For many neurodivergent or vulnerable young people, traditional classrooms can trigger anxiety, shutdown, or masking — leading to disengagement and loss of confidence.

Our approach recognises that emotional safety must come before learning, and that curiosity grows when learners feel seen, accepted, and supported.

By blending accredited learning, mentoring, and creativity, we help young people reconnect with education in a way that feels achievable, meaningful, and real.

💛 Outcomes

Learners leave our programme with:

  • Recognised ASDAN certificates or portfolios of achievement
  • Improved confidence, communication, and emotional literacy
  • Practical life and independence skills
  • Readiness for college, work, or enterprise pathways
  • A renewed sense of self-worth and hope for the future

✉️ Get in Touch

  • If you support a young person who’s struggling in education or needs a different route, we can help.Our flexible, person-centred pathways meet learners where they are — and help them move forward, one small success at a time.


    Because every young person deserves a way to learn, grow, and belong — even outside the system.
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