Thank you for seeing my daughter for the loving soul that she is and not by her disabilities… I see the excitement in her eyes every time Wednesday rolls around and know the true bond she has allowed herself to have with you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for putting a smile back on her face.
Parent
Taleblazers run a series of term-time programmes designed to support young people who are unable to access full-time education. We work with children and young people who have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND); who are struggling with mental health; are excluded, or close to being excluded; are ‘in need’; are not attending school for medical reasons or are school refusers. Interventions typically last for a term, but a small number of students work with us long-term and we can offer emergency short-term places. Our programmes are bespoke and student-centred, built on trust and positive relationships, and we work hard to make sure all our young people know we are there to support them.
We aim not just to provide a pure interventions service but also to support the young person’s ongoing learning, and we aim for every young person to leave our provision with an external award or qualification of some type.
Staff leading the sessions are qualified teachers and outdoor leaders. We are registered as an alternative provision with Torbay Council and have completed their Quality Assurance process and we are also registered as an alternative provision with Devon County Council. We form part of Torbay Council’s Local Offer and referrals to our programmes can be made via schools, SEN caseworkers or social workers.
We currently offer programmes in the following educational areas:
- John Muir Award, an environmental education award which encourages people to connect with, enjoy and care for wild places.
- Tifa’s Challenge, an outdoor programme which we have set up in memory of one of our students
- Outdoor Leadership qualifications at L2 and L3, accredited by the Leadership Skills Foundation and aimed at young people aged 15+
- Arts Award, a wonderful and flexible arts programme managed by Trinity College London.
- Bushcraft and Conservation – programmes which take place in our forestry site at Treacle Valley and can lead to environmental leadership qualifications.
Children of primary school age will normally come to us for multiple sessions per week and we have a separate page about our primary offer here.
