A new initiative is supporting young people in Calderdale, helping children who are at risk of being excluded to get back on track and succeed.
Calderdale Council is working in partnership with Trinity Multi Academy Trust on a new pilot project supporting young people in alternative provision – places that provide education for children who can’t go to a mainstream school.
A new Alternative Provision Specialist Taskforce (APST) will be part of expanded provision at Trinity Academy Carlton Mill. This facility initially opened in 2023, to support students at Trinity who were at risk of permanent exclusion so that they could be reintegrated back into a mainstream setting. The success of the provision has led to it being expanded to support pupils from across the borough, with 14-week placements for students in years 7 to 10 within Calderdale.
The APST will support each student on an individual basis to help them become better equipped to access mainstream education. The team will work in partnership with a host of experts, including mental health professionals, family workers, speech and language therapists and youth justice workers.
Support will be in partnership with the referring academy or school to give students the best possible chance of successful reintegration.
The pilot is being funded through the Yorkshire and Humber DFE Change Programme Partnership and will initially run for 12-months. It’s being delivered by Trinity MAT partnership with Calderdale Council, West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, and the wider Special Education Needs and Disability partnership.
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Young People’s Services, Cllr Adam Wilkinson, said:
“We want more children to be able to thrive in mainstream schools, and to reduce the number of children who are excluded across the borough. We continue to work with schools to promote good behaviour and address the needs of children to avoid them being excluded, but with pressures on the SEND system nationally, we are delighted that young people in the borough will also benefit from this new approach.
“We recognise that there are varied and sometimes complex reasons why children are excluded. This exciting new pilot programme will support vulnerable young people who have struggled in mainstream to have their needs understood and access specialist support. It will allow us to better respond to individual circumstances and challenges faced by our pupils, celebrating their strengths to help them to achieve their best.”
Rebecca Stothers, who works for Trinity MAT and will head up the taskforce, said
“The APST will be invaluable and make a massive difference for those young people who need to have further assessment of their needs and support.”
To find out more about Trinity Academy Carlton Mill and the support offered to young people at the school, visit carltonmill.trinitymat.org(external link). A number of roles are available as part of the APST, more information is available on the Trinity MAT website and at a recruitment event on Wednesday 12 February at 4pm at Trinity Academy Carlton Mill. For more information, email jwood@grammar.trinitymat.org.