About Us
The Alternative School offers a holistic and flexible full-time school experience that has been designed to respond to the needs of young people who are unable to remain in mainstream education. Our education programmes can each cater for 40-50 pupils at each of our 4 schools and are designed for those young people, aged 4-18 who require a smaller, nurturing and individual approach to their education.
Our pupils may have been excluded, at risk of exclusion, previously home-educated, children looked after, SEN, High-Risk Assessments, YOT orders, Drugs & Alcohol misuse, school phobic, victims of bullying, mental health needs or requiring an assessment placement. We supply the following assessments in order to tailor-make what we need to meet the needs of pupils:
- Dyslexia Screening
- Education Psychologist reports
- Speech and Language
- Boxall Profile
- CAT Scores
- Literacy and Numeracy
- Learning Styles
Our open school admissions policy offers any young person who requires some additional support the opportunity of a fresh start and access to personalised education. We are an Ofsted & ISA registered and approved independent school with current Good with Outstanding Leadership and Management Ofsted report. Over the past 10 years, we have developed our ethos and approach into a model that delivers a better future for young people, sometimes left behind.
The Alternative Approach
The Alternative School, known as TAS (pronounced TAZ), is a small independent school which specialises in providing an innovative, inspiring and nurturing educational experience and environment for young people who, for a variety of reasons, are disengaged and/or unable to access mainstream education. We work closely with a number of local authorities, schools and children’s homes and parents/carers to support young people to become the best they can be, to achieve appropriate qualifications and to make a positive post-16 transition. Established in 2007, TAS achieved a ‘good with outstanding’ Ofsted report in June 2014 and then achieved Independent School Association accredited status in October 2014.
In line with the ethos of the Independent Schools Association, we work with the whole person aiming to develop each individual via ‘Character Education’, developing character traits such as grit, resilience, ethics, commitment and other soft skills that ISA schools equip pupils with. We have a strong emphasis on Personal and Social Development, British Values, Emotional Literacy and Employability Skills together with the Duke of Edinburgh Award and a variety of extra-curricular and enrichment activities.
Ethos
At The Alternative School, we are inspired by the belief that we can make a difference to every young person we work with by listening, raising aspirations and tailoring what we do to meet the needs of the individual. We believe that everyone has the potential to succeed in the right environment and with our holistic approach of nurture, independence, academic achievement and vocational/entrepreneurial opportunities, we aim to ensure that time spent with The Alternative School is both enjoyable and successful, with 100% of our pupils moving into further education/employment. We never give up on our pupils, we never exclude and we will offer continuous support for as long as a young person requires it. Every day with The Alternative School is a fresh start.
We are open between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm Monday to Friday.
Testimonials…
When looking for a school to suit your child’s needs, you want to know that they are in the best place to help them thrive both educationally and emotionally. See what other parents have to say about TAS to help you make that decision.