Hope Meadows Alternative Provision is a highly specialised service that supports a small number of children and young people with social, emotional, or mental health difficulties who aren't currently accessing full time education and are interested in equine-based learning. Our Alternative Provision Lead, Beth Fuller, is passionate about putting education at the heart of our curriculum, whilst ensuring our day-to-day learning is based on therapeutic principles such psychological safety, attachment theory, and trauma-informed practice. 

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The young people that come to us have often had incredibly difficult learning experiences that may include interpersonal trauma, isolation, shame, or loss of identity. As a therapeutic alternative provision, we focus on students' mental health and wellbeing as part of their journey to re-engaging with education.

 

We utilise our team of highly experienced therapists to support this process, with Dr Emily Walters providing therapeutic oversight and many learners accessing Equine Assisted Psychotherapy as part of their package.​

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Our goal is always to support young people to find their way back into meaningful education and to feel confident while doing it. They can achieve a range of certificates and awards with us, if they would like to, such as the ABRS+ equestrian care certificates, UKRS Level 2 Principles of Equine Yard Work, and Functional Skills English & Maths.

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Our AP team facilitate sessions with the following principles in mind:​

• Offering equine-based education that genuinely interests the young person

• A relational approach, facilitating empathetic horse-human and human-human relationships

• Promoting nature connectedness

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Hope Meadows offers placements in small groups for one or two days a week. We are open to primary, secondary placements, and post-16 placements. These can be short-term (booked termly) or longer term. Placements can be self-funded, funded by the local authority, or part of an EOTAS/C package.