Education

Part time education placements for young people who require alternative provision.

We offer highly personalised creative and therapeutic education placements for young people with an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP). We specialise in working with young people experiencing complex social, emotional and mental health difficulties (SEMH), often with a comorbidity of developmental diagnosis (eg ADHD, ASD) who are not suited to traditional schooling.

Working closely with the young person, parents or carers, the named school and professional networks, we develop bespoke objectives and support their individual learning strengths, building on their interests to foster a love for learning.

A young person drawing coloured lines on a whiteboard.

Creative Learning

We take a creative approach to learning and have developed a unique learning and evaluation framework called ‘The Characteristics of Creative Learning’. Through this approach young people are able to direct their own learning, gain agency and hope while developing important, secure relationships with staff and other young people.

A diagram depicting: ‘Creative Learning, Behavioural, Cognitive, and Social and Emotional’.

Our team is highly experienced and includes qualified teachers, SEMH specialists and an art psychotherapist. Along with our Visual Art and Music Leads, we offer a broad and rich curriculum that accommodates the strengths and interests of each learner.

Some rainbow coloured woven textiles.

We pride ourselves on providing 1:1 care for each young person. Our Youth Engagement Producer is always on hand for pastoral support.

Upstairs at the Arts Education Exchange Studios, where we do visual arts.

Our space is warm, welcoming and well resourced.

What we offer

  • 1:1 personalised learning with our experienced staff

  • Visual arts, Music and English

  • Academic year placements

  • Art Therapy

  • Open to referrals for young people aged 10 - 18

Painting of a blue horse on cardboard, with a gold mane.
A rainbow spray painted shirt hanging in our courtyard.
Painting of a burning house that says ‘Heartsnatcher. A descent into madness’.

Lynne Morris, Head of Hartsdown ARC

“I cannot praise the work they do enough - we have already seen the impact it is having on some of Hartsdown’s very complex students. They are all starting to take risks in a safe environment engaging and participating in activities well beyond their experiences to date.”

Young Person

“I mean like this is literally my home away from home, like I feel safer here than I do in my own house. Because this has the greatest community I've ever seen.”

Micheala Clay - Executive Head Teacher - Enterprise Learning Alliance

Arts Exchange is a fantastic organisation that works with pupils and meets their individual needs. The staff engage and build positive relationships with the pupils.