Alternative Education

Groundwork Pennine Lancashire provides alternative education, with structured accredited outcomes, for young people aged between 12 – 16 years of age.

Our groups are made up of young people from a variety of different backgrounds, providing them with an alternative structured 6 week training programme. Each session lasts 2.5 hours, giving a total of 15 contact hours per course and provides opportunities for students to gain associated AQA awards, some written and developed specifically for our use.

Our alternative education programmes are developed in conjunction with school staff offering a vocational, hands on, experience aimed at students who are struggling to thrive in the mainstream educational environment. Schools use the courses for different kinds of students, some with disruptive behavioural issues, others might be withdrawn and very quiet. On some occasions attendance on a course is seen as a reward for improvements within school.

Accrington Academy

In September 2010, fourteen young people and two members of staff from Accrington Academy began a term's trial of Groundwork's alternative education programme at our Outdoor Education Centre, ‘The Bunker', in Rossendale. The trial was so successful that they came back for the whole academic year and have commissioned the programme again for 2011-2012 for a group of year 10 and year 11 pupils.

Rossendale Alternative Provision (RAP)

A number of different schools in the Rossendale area send young people to our RAP groups which are run in a friendly, relaxed environment at our outdoor education centre in Waterfoot, The Bunker. We aim to provide young people with knowledge, and practical skills, and at the end of the six week programme