“There is increasing awareness of the disproportionate impact of formal exclusions (fixed and permanent exclusions) on disadvantaged young people – and, devastatingly, increasing numbers of very young children who are being formally excluded from mainstream early years provision. Despite this trend, Alternative Provision (AP) schools are not equipped to cater for very young children. Due to their small size, most APs have young children in a mixed-age primary classroom, which is very difficult to manage and often disruptive. Springwell’s innovation would be the first of its kind in AP – providing an appropriate early years space and curriculum for those formally excluded at a very young age so they receive the support they deserve to have the chance of reaching their potential.”
Gina Cicerone and Sam Butters, Co-CEO’s Fair Education Alliance
About Springwell
Springwell Alternative Academy Spalding works with children who have been excluded, or who are at risk of exclusion. All of their students have Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs, and some have other needs as well, such as Autistic Spectrum Disorder. They don’t intend for children to stay with them for a long time – they try to work with them to build the skills they need to succeed in mainstream, and to return there, or to support them to secure an Education Health and Care Plan and move on to a special school.
Recently, Springwell have been seeing increasing numbers of very young children coming through their doors, and increasing numbers of children who are still working in the Early Years Foundation Stage, despite being older.
Through the Intrapreneurship Award they are very excited to develop an appropriate early years space and curriculum, and take on a new hire to lead this new initiative. They believe this initiative has huge potential to support some of the youngest, most vulnerable, and most disadvantaged children, and make a real difference for them at this early stage in their school career.