Mainstream education doesn’t suit everyone, and for this reason Continuum has an established network of schools throughout the UK. Our schools have a capacity of between 12 to 24 young people and are designed for those both inside and outside of care. Education in all of our schools covers both academic and vocational arenas of learning with plans of study tailored to young people’s needs.
We only employ subject leaders who have experience of working with young people with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties to ensure they have the skills to make everyone feel safe and happy. Each school is purpose designed and equipped and located in a building which has been creatively adapted to engage our students. We acknowledge that parents/carers play a valuable part in the success of the young person’s education and we work to develop a partnerships with all those involved. Continuum ensure that each individual is given the same opportunities as any other mainstream student. That is what make’s our schools special.
It’s a big world out there, we want every young person to have the opportunity to be part of it.
At School – At Home
Our main aim with any young person is to use our specialist schools as a stepping stone to return to mainstream education. However, education in the social environment of a school doesn’t suit everyone and some young people, in particular those with complex needs, may feel happier being educated alone. For this reason those young people in our Complex Needs homes have the option of studying from their house, each of these homes is a DCSF registered centre and as a result our teachers can attend their home to ensure they continue learning without having to enter an environment of interaction with their peers.
What’s on the agenda?
Our educational aim is for every young person to find a subject that interests and engages them. For this reason we offer the full Key Stage 3 and 4 National Curriculum in addition to a vocational syllabus at every school and encourage young people to try as many subjects as they can. All of our schools are registered with the appropriate exams boards including OCR and AQA allowing study towards GCSE and entry–level courses. Schools are also registered ASDAN centres and offer the GCSE standard Certificate in Personal Effectiveness (COPE). Throughout our education planning we include exercise which is used to assist young people to release sometimes excessive energy and tension, in addition to improving their physical strength and overall health. Through specialist teaching we aim to encourage young people to achieve their full potential by becoming independent learners who respect and understand others. A central part of this is to encourage a sense of self–worth and self–discipline and as a result our schools behavioural boundaries are clearly defined and communicated. We have a no–exclusion policy in all of our schools.
Logos of awarding bodies
Students with statements
Those who have a Statement of Education Needs (SEN) will receive an education plan which is tailored to meet the objectives of their statement. Additional support is also provided for students who do not have English as their first language. All of our schools are supported by a team of therapeutic specialists which can be used to identify the appropriate support required by any pupil.