In our commitment to inclusion, we have launched pilots in Stoke and Suffolk to help vulnerable students remain in mainstream schooling.
Part-funded by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), the pilot schemes will see the new Managed Intervention Centres (MICs) provide early intervention support to selected students to help them remain in mainstream schools and fulfil their potential.
The pilot starts in June and will run across three academic terms. They will bolster inclusion provision in both Stoke and Lowestoft, in Suffolk. Each centre will provide five-week placements for up to 15 students who attend 12 academies led by Ormiston across the two areas.
The centres will use specialist frameworks to build students’ positive learning and behavioural habits, foster a strong sense of community, and grow their confidence. The MICs will also offer an individual Personal, Social, and Health Education (PSHE) curriculum to help students best thrive in mainstream settings.
The pilots build on the successful and well-established practice of the Ormiston’s three MICs in London, which are satellite provisions. The model is built on the Westminster MIC which has been operating for over a decade. Evidence gathered during this period shows that the overwhelming number of students originally at risk of permanent exclusion in fact remained and/or completed their education in mainstream settings because of the personalised support they received.
We’ve seen first-hand across Ormiston’s existing MICs the hugely positive impact they deliver for young people and their families.
Wasim Butt, Director of Alternative Provision and Special Academies
In addition to supporting students, both centres will provide high-quality training and professional development opportunities for staff, helping to enhance the trust’s inclusion strategies. The programme will also see Ormiston pioneer and shape a project which will contribute to the wider evidence base on inclusion. The success of the programme will be independently evaluated by the Centre for Evidence and Implementation (CEI).
The programme will support the trust’s commitment to delivering the best possible educational opportunities for young people, regardless of background or barriers.
Wasim Butt, Director of Alternative Provision and Special Academies, said: “Ormiston Academies Trust has always been committed to supporting students from all backgrounds achieve their full potential and so we are incredibly proud to be collaborating with the EEF to provide the best education for vulnerable students. By expanding our MIC network we are continuing to grow our knowledge and experience, and will be helping even more students achieve their best.
“We’ve seen first-hand across Ormiston’s existing MICs the hugely positive impact they deliver for young people and their families. The new centres in Stoke and Lowestoft will build on this to create the best possible opportunities for these students.”
Tom Rees, Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are proud to be scaling up our existing provision to provide bespoke, early support to more pupils within our trust who need that extra help to succeed. Ormiston’s latest partnership with the EEF will not only help ensure more students can remain engaged in mainstream education settings where they can fulfil their potential, but provide us with research findings that will mean practice in this vital area continues to improve.
“We’re really looking forward to working with the students and staff involved across the MICs and to seeing the positive impact of this programme.”