Leeds school which helps struggling youngsters launches new course due to impact of Covid-19 pandemic

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic means more students than ever are needing extra support, according to the boss of an alternative education provision in Leeds.
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Carl Harrison is CEO of LS-TEN Education in Hunslet which uses sport to help engage young people who have been removed from school due to behavioural issues.

The school is based on the floor above the LS-TEN Skatepark - a community and social hub for local skaters - which students get access to, as well as loaned equipment and free coaching, to run alongside their lessons in a range of different subjects.

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It uses emotional and behavioural management as well as team-building activities to motivate its students back into learning.

Carl said they are trying to make a difference by using roller sports to help boost their self-confidence and encourage them to learn something different. He said: “It doesn’t matter how good you are, as long as you are willing to give it a go. You can simply develop at your own rate, rather than comparing yourself to other people like in team sports.”

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This year, with an increase of pressure caused by the pandemic, Carl said he felt there was a need for more temporary intervention as more students than ever were needing extra support.

So, alongside its full-time programme called 'Motivate', the provision launched a short-term programme named 'Cultivate, which runs for two days a week for 12 weeks.

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It aims to give young people an opportunity to reflect on their well-being and behaviour, provide them with the tools to "de-escalate" themselves and prevent the need for more permanent measures to be put in place.

Reflecting on the mainstream schooling environment, Carl said it can be hard for young people to feel encouraged to learn when they are being told that they are the problem.

“Being in a setting where they aren’t being told that they are causing issues, and they’re instead being told ‘that’s really good, you were engaged for most of the lesson’ it is changing the narrative for them. I think it makes quite a big difference.

“it’s important to stress that mainstream schooling works for 97 per cent. However, there is still that three per cent that need a different approach,” he said.

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Despite the positive change that provisions can make for these students, Carl said many still misunderstand the role of schools such as LS-TEN, often perceiving them as businesses.

He said: “All provisions should be working against themselves. If you’re trying to prevent kids from leaving, then surely you’re doing the wrong thing.”

Misconceptions also lie in the outcomes for those that attend the school. Instead of qualifications and top grades, Carl instead wants to focus on life skills and understanding their potential as members of society

“If all you are trying to do is make that child do GCSEs, it is going to increase the sense of division between that young person and education. Sometimes that person just needs to feel that they are in a place where they are understood and help them engage and realise what basic skills they might need for the future.

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“Our careers programme helps young people realise that they are not defined by their upbringing but can step out of that and build and grow. I am passionate about this because I was one of these kids. If I can get out of that structure, then I think that every young person can do so,” he said.

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