New Horizons

The Programme

For three days each week, students participate in a practical learning environment, developing heightened social skills and emotional literacy.

The aim is to re-engage them with learning and increase their self-reliance and confidence. Students have the opportunity to achieve nationally recognised qualifications providing progression into college and employment

Our students often:

• come from disadvantaged or disruptive backgrounds
• have a history of disruptive, violent or criminal behaviour
• have been or are about to be excluded from school, or truant regularly
• have recognised a condition such as Aspergers Syndrome, ADHD or autism
• have low self-confidence or have been bullied
• have drug or alcohol addictions

Our Approach

We take into account each student's needs in a way not possible in a more formal environment.

We encourage students to make more effective choices, use initiative and to pass on their skills to others. We use positive strategies to understand why the young person is disengaging. We adopt our pioneering Enablement Model, which leads students to greater maturity.

The Results

The vast majority of students progress into further education or employment in areas such as:

Media Studies, Agriculture, Youth Work, Animal Husbandry, Beauty Therapy, Landscaping, Gamekeeping, Hairdressing, Mechanics, Catering, Childcare.

Student attendance has changed from an average of 26% at school to 87% on this programme.

Community Involvement

To build our students' self-esteem, we encourage them to take positions of responsibility, looking after others and passing on their skills to give something back to society.

We enable students to travel to a community to pass on skills learned at Frontiers. Students regularly travel to an orphanage in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, to pass on skills such as bush-craft, agriculture and running camps.

Location

A converted farm, surrounded by beech woods,  just next to the River Thames.

Costs of Provision

Studies show that this complete approach to teaching young people is cost-effective, and there are funding streams available for such provision.

Referrals

We take referrals from schools, Connexions, PRUIS and other organisations.