Rathbone offers a flexible range of education and training programmes – Youth Choices (Pre-16) - designed for young people aged 11 – 16 (Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4) who are experiencing difficulties in mainstream education, in particular:

• pupils who have been permanently excluded
• pupils excluded more than twice from mainstream schools
• those subject to Education Supervision Orders
• pupils returning from secure accommodation
• young people who have not engaged in formal education for more than 12 months

‘You can really talk to people at Rathbone and I am really looking forward to the future now. Rathbone includes me and listens to what I have to say.’ ‘You (Rathbone) have done a remarkable job with a group of youngsters who quite obviously have some unique needs in terms of education…’ John Barnes, 14 – 19 Curriculum Co-ordinator from the Chorley and South Ribble Consortium. ‘I am much happier now and really proud of what I have achieved. I didn’t think I could ever do so well. I know I am now going to have a decent future, thanks to everyone who has believed in me.’

Youth Choices (Pre 16) can also help young people who may benefit from a more vocational learning based curriculum. We provide part-time vocational programmes in a range of vocational areas ranging from construction, motor vehicle and catering to childcare. This offer varies from centre to centre, depending on local context.

Individual approach

Rathbone considers each young person and their needs individually, and works together with schools and other professionals and parents and carers to develop an appropriate programme with flexibility to where – and how – it’s delivered.

A young person’s individual programme may balance some attendance at school with off-site learning opportunities in a Rathbone centre. For some, this model can help a young person remain engaged at school and may be a relatively short-term intervention to support them back into full time attendance. For others, we deliver ‘in-reach’, where qualified staff work within a school on re-engagement and vocational programmes.

Rathbone also has a small number of Independent special schools that offer full and part time education to young people.

Youth Choices helps young people take control of their lives through a combination of individual support, tailor-made programmes, specialist training and education and work placements. We know that some young people are struggle with classroom style learning, for a variety of reasons, so we’ve developed a teaching style that puts at its heart a personalised approach. We help young people overcome personal and social barriers and increase their motivation and raise their self-esteem.

Experienced

Rathbone is a national charity – we work with thousands of young people all over the country. Rathbone was one of the first voluntary sector organisations to develop a pre-16 programme in the late 90s as we recognised that some young people needed our intervention to continue in education and to achieve.

Youth Choices is delivered nationally in a variety of locations, contexts and partnership arrangements. In 2008/9, Rathbone’s pre 16 programme supported 700 young people. We work with 20 local authorities, a growing number of 14 – 19 consortia and over 50 schools.

Qualifications

Rathbone offers a range of qualifications, depending on local context and professional assessment.

In some cases vocational qualifications are available, depending on what’s been developed at a particular Rathbone centre to respond to local need and employment opportunities.

Next steps for young people after their Youth Choices programme

Rathbone recognises that many of the young people who join Youth Choices, following disengagement, are unsure about what they want to do after 16 or they lack the confidence to articulate future ambitions. Rathbone works with a young person during their pre 16 programme to identify their next steps.

Following the programme, a young person may well be ready to take their next step for themselves –whether that’s taking up a place at college, getting a job or an Apprenticeship. We’re there to help them as Rathbone is well placed to make recommendations to young people about what their next steps could be – we’re well networked with other providers in the areas where we work.

Alternatively, if a young person wants to stay with Rathbone, we offer Destinations - Rathbone’s name for foundation learning at post-16. Within Destinations, we create a tailored individual programme to take a young person to where they want to go: whether that’s a place at college, a job or Apprenticeships, which Rathbone also offers in different vocational areas.