We have a long successful history of working with young people in alternative provision. Whether your students are taught in Special Schools, Hospital and Outreach, or Alternative Settings we have the skills to ignite their enthusiasm for learning. We are conscious of the importance of young people being “hooked on learning” and for this reason artists deliver our educational services. To take part in any of our Alternative Provision activity please contact james@fermynwoods.org
• ART + ALTERNATIVE SETTINGS
Schools have a myriad of individuals and bodies to which they are accountable, yet for the young person excluded from mainstream their journey back to learning does not begin in accountability but in engagement. Young people from our weekly provision with The CE Academy over the past 14 years have found both our artists and the ways they work fascinating; they have rarely met individuals who have trodden their own path, yet are successful. To be an artist is to be an outsider, and we have watched how young people who have been excluded find it easier to establish a rapport with our artists.
Many students have gone on to achieve Arts Award qualifications with us, and some found their way back into mainstream education with a renewed sense of purpose.
• ART + SPECIAL SCHOOLS
Recognising the complex learning needs of students is the first step in ensuring your students are challenged by our work. When working with Special Schools we start from this belief and the premise of advantage rather than disadvantage; the uniqueness of our artistic practice is utilised to help children explore their potential in new ways and new environments.
Working with Isebrook SEN Cognition and Learning College we challenged students to fuse woodland exploration with Generative Music apps to answer the question “Can you see sound?”
With Rowan Gate Primary we worked with students to generate our own musical compositions created by a fusion of interactive ink, responsive iPad apps, traditional instruments and unexpected sound generators such as effervescent tablets and bubble wrap.
“Everything was pitched perfectly for the children. They were given time to respond and the activities were adapted for their needs, it was almost as if you all had met us before. All of the artists embraced on how the children responded and my other colleagues were very impressed with the whole morning and have not stopped talking to other members of staff within the school. I’m glad you included us as our students often miss out”
Rowan Gate Primary
• HOSPITAL + OUTREACH
The calm atmosphere of working in the woods and the idyllic Sudborough Green Lodge was the perfect location for students from Northants Hospital Outreach School. Working with some of our selected artists, students were made to feel safe before beginning our gentle and bespoke workshops. Discovering through drawing and sculpture that the landscape can be inspiring as well as comforting.
Enduring creation is not just an artistic act; for some young people it can be part of their daily lives. At Fermynwoods we work with young people to provide them with the environment, a challenge, and the tools to explore the artistic act of creation, so students can discover the observation of classicist Nigel Spivey, that “art (can) keep us going in our wounded state”.
“Thank you for being so kind!! :)))”
Student from Northants Hospital Outreach School
For more information or to take part in any of our Alternative Provision activity please contact