A GREAT PLACE: THE SHEFFIELD INCLUSION CENTRE!

I visited the Sheffield Inclusion Centre yesterday to see my colleague and friend Andy Ireland, who now heads up this dynamic and supportive learning environment. The Primary Inclusion Centre and the KS3/KS4 Inclusion Centre support children and young people from across Sheffield who are either displaying challenging behaviour in mainstream primary school or who have been permanently excluded from mainstream secondary schools.

Andy and his team are clearly working hard to provide a structured and supportive learning environment for a huge group of young people with complex needs. Having worked with places like this before, I know that to give these students the best opportunities to thrive, learn and succeed requires a highly skilled and committed team who understand their individual needs, and who can put in place a curriculum which secures both academic achievement and personal development.

We are discussing how the 'Better Learners, Better Workers' programmes might help and possibly secure an apprenticeship or a job with training for a targeted group of these young people.