Sports Alternative Provision launched to engage young people in Northamptonshire
A new sports alternative education provision has started to support young people struggling to attend mainstream school.
ExCo
Future Lions Education now have two sports venues with classrooms in both Kettering and Wellingborough, welcoming learners five days a week for a balance of education and sport.
With a high staff ratio of 1:3, their service is for up-to nine children aged between 10-19 years old, who are at risk of, or have already been, excluded from school.
Lead sports mentor Matt Carr said: "To find the right blend for each individual, initial assessments are done in the first few weeks to ensure we get the balance right with our core academic subjects like English, Maths and our lifestyle qualification. With the fantastic sports facilities available to us, our learners have the freedom to choose from a range of indoor and outdoor activities.”
Staff at Future Lions can provide education for an individual for up to three days a week, across a 39 week academic year, designed to build confidence and encourage re-engagement with learning.
The newly opened Kettering Sports Park boasts a new state of the art 3G all-weather astroturf pitch, sports pavilion and athletics stadium.
Whilst Wellingborough Old Grammarians Sports Fields have access to 47 acres of fields for sports such as football, rugby, cricket and Tennis.
“A proven and established reputation”
Future Lions Education have successfully supported thousands of Post 16 learners with significant qualifications over the past decade by balancing education and sport in the midlands area. Now they have designed innovative and transformative programmes to address the critical needs of young people in Northamptonshire.
Former professional footballer and director, Luke Graham, who represented Northampton, Kettering and Brackley Town in the county, is delighted with what the provision can offer: “It was clear from our research in the county, that there were provisions who do not offer sport and sport provisions who do not offer education. With our years of experience of combining education and sport at Post 16, it became our mission to put our new provision together to benefit the local community.
We aim to be a positive step in a young person’s daily journey towards belonging, learning, inclusion, hope and their own future aspirations being reached. We believe we are working with the best sports facilities in the area and we thank everyone who has supported us in making this happen.”
To get in touch with Future Lions Education, please email [email protected]