The Alternative Path with David Robson

In this podcast, Jack and I discussed his journey through education and his experiences. Jack was excluded from mainstream education in his middle school years, Jack discussed his experiences through his school years and throughout our conversation, he speaks about the work that was done to turn his life around once he moved to specialist provision.

As someone with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) he discusses the fact he was aware that mainstream wasn’t for him and holds no hard feelings and is pleased that he was placed into specialist provision.

Jack also talks about his passion to start a career within education where he wants to follow his dream to help others who may be experiencing similar journeys to himself.

I hope you enjoy it.

In this episode, I had my second chat with Stu Evans who is the Headteacher of New Leaf Inclusion Centre in Walsall. I first spoke to Stu around the first lockdown and it was great to speak to him about the ongoing work that has been in place since he arrived at what was, at the time an 'Inadequate' rated Pupil Pupil Referral Unit.

In this podcast, James Lowe and I discussed his journey into education and the journey he has been on so far as the Founder/Director of both EdStart and Next Level Learning.

After teaching sport, public services and social policy in different sectors across Manchester, James registered the school alongside Chris Irwin and a small team. From there he has been responsible for the growth of the school from its original site, to the several centres across Greater Manchester. Having led the school to successive 'Good' Ofsted inspections his aim is to further strengthen the offer to the region's young people. James has supported several local authorities in developing the landscape of alternative provision, most recently working on the successful DfE 'Alternative Provision Innovation Fund' bid for Salford City Council.

Established in 2014 Next Level Learning was aimed at ‘closing the gap’ in education. Our founding Directors identified a need for outreach tuition in the alternative provision field as students were not attending any education offered to them for several reasons. Our first approach was home or in school support tuition and from there it has developed into sessions being delivered in various settings to young people with a variety of different needs. Now we cover areas across Greater Manchester and the North West, delivering to students from KS1 through to KS4. We have grown purely through hard work, commitment and recommendation which gives us pride in what we have achieved and ambition for future goals.

Rebecca Harbord – Social Channel and Brand Manager at Woodmor Foundation C.I.C

In this episode I chatted to Rebecca Hardbord who is the Social Channel and Brand Manager at Woodmor Foundation C.I.C. The foundation provides unique employment initiatives which showcase employability skills for our participants. We do this by creating a digital CV called a ‘Me Movie’ which supplements traditional CV’s and helps gain purposeful paid employment for disabled, disadvantaged or vulnerable individuals.

In our conversation Rebecca discusses having Bipolar Type 2 her journey through education as a young person who was suffering from depression. Rebecca is proud to be part of a foundation that has such strong values and beliefs when it comes to helping those with a disability.

Natalie Reardon – Deputy Head Teacher and SENCo at Kedleston Group

In this episode, I had the absolute pleasure of talking to Natalie Reardon who is a passionate member of the Kedleston Group SLT team. Natalie is currently Deputy Head Teacher and SENCo at a SEMH / Autism School in Bury, Greater Manchester.

In our conversation, we spoke about the benefits of giving young people more autonomy, respect, trust and help create pupil lead learning, which in 2021 is something most of us look for and appreciate. Natalie’s passion for bringing the best out of learners is evident and it was refreshing to also discuss the area of self care and being the best, we can be.

We also discussed the importance of making sure we all have our own free time outside of work, in a world that is becoming more adaptable to working from home, we both feel strongly that this is an important part of looking after our own well being.

I hope you enjoy our conversation.

Warren King - In this episode I spoke to Warren who is an Ex-drug dealer, ex-gang leader, ex-prisoner, sentenced to three and a half years in prison for possession with intent to sell Class A & B drugs, and production of a class B drug. 

Warren had no qualifications before his incarceration and thought: “All I would ever be good at was selling drugs.”  I lacked confidence and had no self-esteem. I was lost and ended up in the dark place that is prison. However, I eventually found education. Education and learning new things gave me the direction and motivation I needed to go on and do better things. My journey is continuing to the London School of Economics where I will be studying BSc Sociology. I present workshops to secondary and/or at-risk students nationally. I use my lived experiences to educate young people on the unintended consequences of addiction, drugs, and crime, in the hope that they can learn from my experiences. I talk about mental health, drugs, county lines, gangs, violence, and prison. I would like to use sport as a platform of engagement, for those particularly at risk of gang related crime to help facilitate the building of positive relationships with their peers and positive mental health attitudes.

Having spoken to Warren I think his journey is one that can now be used to help educate those who are at risk of making decisions that have negative consequences. Warren is now highly motivated to educate himself and is a strong believer in the power of education.

I hope you enjoy our chat.

Stephen Steinhaus – Principal of Solihull Academy & Frontman/Singer

In this episode, I had the pleasure of talking to Stephen Steinhaus from Solihull Academy in the midlands.  Solihull Academy opened in April 2018 because Solihull needed an additional, alternative solution for a number of students for whom mainstream education is simply not working (for a range of reasons).

Put bluntly, Solihull Academy is not your run-of-the-mill school. Solihull Academy is a game changer for pupils in the borough who really need the game to change. With a balanced mix of academic and pastoral intervention, challenge, rigour, The SA team have created a structured, therapeutic environment to give some of our students in the borough a chance to truly succeed. Make no mistake, though…Stephen and his team work incredibly hard, but play hard as well, and they are creating a community that can and will change the educational futures and life chances for every student that engages, thereby, change what education looks like in Solihull.

Stephen talks about the comparisons between being a singer/frontman and getting engagement from the crowd vs achieving the same engagement with pupils. Throughout our podcast, we spoke about the work involved when working in AP.

I hope you enjoy.

Sarah Dove Founder of Phoenix Education Consultancy and President of PRUsAP

Sarah has over 15 years’ experience working in Pupil Referral Units and Alternative Provisions, ‘I am passionate about and dedicated to, ensuring every child, regardless of the severity of their vulnerabilities or complexity of their needs, are given an opportunity to embrace all components of education rather than simply experience a curriculum.’

President – PRUsAP

PRUsAP represents the Alternative Provision sector of Education regionally and nationally. We challenge the stereotypes associated with AP and promote the success of schools and vulnerable young people in AP settings. Not only do we represent the sector, we work with politicians, the media, organisations and other school leaders across the education spectrum to help them understand Alternative Provision and the impact it can have on young people's lives. We provide support and advice to schools, both in alternative provision and mainstream. Our Annual Conference is the focal point of our continuing professional development with additional events throughout the year that provide an opportunity for AP leaders to meet and discuss practice.

Sarah is also close to releasing her book ‘Behaving Together In The Classroom’ which provides teachers with frameworks and processes to help them identify, understand and support the issues children bring to the classroom. Using a clear five step formula, the book explores the perspectives of children, to guide teachers as they support them within the school environment.

I hope you enjoy.

Jeremy Dodd Co-Headteacher at The Academy of Central Bedfordshire. Central Bedfordshire School's Forum member.

In this episode, I had the pleasure in chatting to Jeremy. He is an educator who has a clear passion for inclusivity and care for his staff and pupil’s. The Academy of Central Bedfordshire is an alternative provision free school and is set across two sites. The staff works holistically with pupils to create an environment in which they can learn, mature and thrive.

The work Jeremy and his team have and continue to do within the school is fantastic and I really believe that Jeremy is a great example of what it means to work in the sector, at times in our conversation I could really see the passion in Jeremy.

I hope you enjoy!!