It’s simply not acceptable to use the words ‘Make Them’, when it comes to Emotionally Based School Non-Attendance.

Air-drying clay figures began the return-to-learning-journey for one KS4 child, experiencing severe school anxiety.

“If we could just, Make Them.”

A Child Looked After by the Local Authority arrived in October respectfully saying, ‘I don’t do Art, Jess’.

Four months later she has created so much that without knowing until now, has completed her first BTEC Digital Media unit, eight Level 2 AQA Units, and two thirds of the Arts Award Bronze, all in just two days per week having moved from 21.4% to 86.6% attendance. Her shelf in the studio is groaning with the weight of her beautiful portfolio work!

This young person is with BCE to improve her feelings of belonging and ability to mentally self-care. By discovering creative outlets to manage circumstances outside of her control and feelings associated with the family situation, she can focus her thoughts and efforts on her own pathway (as well as make a family of just 9 gonks to take home). One very proud Key Adult writing here.

‘If we could just, Make Them.’

For children with a history of absence from education, the only ‘making’ we do at BCE is in our creative arts studios. With specialist staff facilitating the practical, expressive, vocational (and often messy) lessons, our learners find themselves just Choosing to join us.

Making, persuading, expecting and our least favourite, ‘getting them to’, are just not words belonging in our organisations’ vocabulary and highly successful Belonging Strategy.

Beyond Creative Education is much more than an approved alternative education provision. It is an inclusion service in every sense, which provides those young people who are lost in a system built by adults who don’t know them, with a steady raft to climb into.

We don’t do expectations, we do aspirations, by becoming the gentle current which leads young people back to enjoying life in their community, rediscovering creative aspirations and wanting the learning we guide them towards.

To find out about our creative, wellbeing, vocational and academic pathways please visit our Alternative Provision page.
Or get in touch by emailing: office@beyondcreativeeducation.org