About Us

Education

Our education programme aims to assess where each child is on their learning journey and support them to prepare successfully for their future.

Children arrive at AWW from a variety of backgrounds and with a wide range of educational needs. Most of the children we look after have been out of formal education for periods of time or have been unsettled in this environment. Our primary aim is to establish the learning needs of each child, their strengths and interests, and their goals for the future, and to create a personalised learning pathway.

For some children, the most appropriate pathway might be to attend a mainstream or independent school or college of further education, and we work closely with local institutions to facilitate this. However, we also provide education through a ‘home school’ model for children for whom this is more appropriate.

Our Aims

The aim of our educational provision is to help all children achieve personal success, whatever it looks like for that individual child. From climbing mountains to achieving their first ever academic awards, we support all children to achieve outstanding personal outcomes.

We believe that every child has unique strengths, abilities and potential, and we acknowledge and celebrate their progress and achievements.

Our team of qualified teachers support each child on a one-to one basis, delivering a rigorous programme of assessment which identifies their strengths and areas for development. This is used to create a bespoke programme of learning and skills acquisition for each child which focuses on functional skills and preparation for the future.

We are accredited by ASDAN, AQA and NCFE, enabling us to offer a range of qualifications based on the individual learning needs of our children and their wider interests and goals. Children are also able to undertake work experience in local businesses according to their passions and plans for the future.

Our skilled and dedicated education team includes a registered Educational Psychologist, qualified teachers, a Specialist Teacher for social, emotional and mental health, a Youth Offending Support Worker and Outdoor Activity Instructors. We have significant sector experience and extensive knowledge of working with children with a range of Special Educational Needs, including ASD, ADD, ADHD, dyslexia and social and emotional issues. Where appropriate, we seek advice from external professionals, including Speech and Language Therapists, Counsellors and other health professionals. Our teams are trained in supporting children who have experienced trauma and insecure attachments, enabling us to deliver outstanding pastoral care and holistic education which is fully integrated into wider care planning for each child.

We passionately believe that education is not confined to the classroom, and we adopt a holistic approach which seeks to identify and utilise opportunities for learning in the daily life of the child.

Our ‘Wilderness Experiences’ programme of outdoor and adventurous activities allows us to explore relevant educational themes such as risk and self-image, whilst at the same time allowing the children to challenge themselves and learn new skills, and to experience the enjoyment and wellbeing that comes from exploring the world around us.

Many members of our care teams have also trained as instructors for outdoor activities, meaning that outdoor education is an integrated and highly-valued part of the child’s overall experience. We offer a range of outdoor qualifications, including the John Muir Award, Paddle Power and the National Indoor Bouldering Award Scheme. Engagement in these qualifications is often the child’s first positive experience of studying towards an award, providing a solid foundation for future studies.

We also support our children to access relevant work experience and volunteering placements. These provide the child with skills for life as well as offering the opportunity to discover whether a particular pathway or career is suitable for them in the future.

By working together as a cohesive team across education, care and outdoor provision, we aim to not only re-engage children in education but to develop their pride and self-belief, which can have a profound and lasting impact on their lives.

What Others Say About Us

I am truly taken aback by the level of care you have shown. The staff have gone out of their way to show him the attention and care that he has never had. When I visited him, it was like I was looking at a different child to what he was before he came. He was not like a child in care, he was like a child in a family. You have literally saved his life.

Social Worker

All children and young people thrive, and they make progress while living at the home. Because of the services provided the children and young people experience an individualised, stable and consistent home life. Children and young people benefit from the integrated, multi-disciplinary approach to education and care. They each achieve their full potential and, in many cases, do so beyond previous expectations.

Ofsted

I am so grateful to the AWW team for their dedication and commitment to caring and supporting Sam. He recently reported that being at there gave him the space to think and the opportunity to reflect on his attitude and make plans for his future.

Social Worker

I have to share my delight at Luke’s progress at AWW. Thanks to your support, in the last 17 weeks Luke and has turned his life around significantly. From where he has come from to where he is now, I am so proud of him.

Social Worker

The placement was really good and beneficial to me. The staff were all really supportive and nice and always made themselves available to me if I had any problems. The outdoor activities that were offered helped me to have a better outlook and showed me that I can do so much more in life, and it really helped me process and made me feel like a better person.

Child

As METCO Officer for Cumbria Police I have regular contact with the team at AWW in relation to vulnerable children at risk of CSE and going missing. If a specific incident has occurred, the Home Manager and I speak on the phone to discuss the best way forward. She also attends CSE risk assessment meetings and we receive Philomena Protocol forms when a young person arrives in placement.

Cumbria Police