Alternative Provision

Overview for Families

Wild Minds Alternative Provision (Wild Minds Pro Ltd) provides term-time placements for learners who are finding school difficult to access.

We support learners who may be experiencing anxiety, emotionally based school avoidance, autism/ADHD-related needs, trauma, or repeated placement breakdown. Our aim is to help learners and young people feel safe, build trust, and re-engage with learning and everyday routines.

We are trauma-informed, regulation-first and relationship-based. That means we focus on emotional safety and steady relationships before we expect learning to happen.

Learners are supported by consistent adults, clear routines and a calm, structured day. We use a supportive, non-judgemental approach that helps learners and young people understand their feelings, build coping strategies, and develop confidence over time.

Wild Minds Alternative Provision is delivered across a small number of campuses. Each learner has a primary base (their main site), and some learners may access planned, risk-assessed enrichment sessions across campuses where it supports their goals.

Our campuses include:

The Farm (Bourne End)

Acorn House (Flackwell Heath)

Cookham Lodge (Cookham)

The Neuroresilience Hub (partner campus, Aylesbury)

Our standard day runs from 09:40–14:30.

The day is designed to support regulation, engagement and progress. Most learners experience:

A calm arrival and settling routine

Support to feel regulated and ready

Practical, meaningful learning activities

Breaks and transitions that are planned and supported

A clear end-of-day routine

Some learners start with a supported access plan (shorter sessions) to build trust and tolerance, with a planned move towards full days.

Every learner has a personalised programme, but most placements include a blend of:

Therapeutic engagement and emotional regulation support

Personal development and wellbeing

Preparation for Adulthood skills (independence, routines, community access)

Practical and vocational learning (depending on the campus and the learner’s interests)

Employability and work readiness (where appropriate)

Courses and Accreditation

For post-16 learners, our main programme is NOCN Skills for Employment, Training and Personal Development (SET-PD). This can be delivered with or without Functional Skills, depending on what is appropriate.

Alongside this, learners and young people may access vocational pathways such as:

Construction

Animal care

Equine studies

Hospitality

Health and social care

Hair and beauty

For learners who need a portfolio-based route, we may use options such as ASDAN and AQA Unit Awards to capture progress in a meaningful, achievable way.

Safeguarding and wellbeing

Safeguarding is central to everything we do. We use clear risk assessments and support plans, and we work closely with professionals involved in the wider network around the learner.

We take a regulation-first approach to behaviour support, focusing on understanding what a learner is communicating and helping them build safer, more effective ways to cope.

Working with Families

We know that families are carrying a lot. We aim to be clear, responsive and supportive.

We work in partnership with families (and with the commissioner/school where relevant) and provide structured updates and reviews so you can understand what is being worked on and how progress is developing.

How placements are arranged

All placements are commissioned via one of the following routes:

EOTAS

Section 19

School referral

If you are a parent/carer and you would like to explore whether Wild Minds could be suitable, the next step is to contact us. We will explain the referral route, arrange a visit where appropriate, and discuss what support may be needed to access the placement successfully.

Next Steps

To discuss a potential placement, ask about a referral, or arrange a visit, please contact us and we will guide you through the options.

Referrals | Wild Mind Well-Being