Manchester Young Lives

[EduCativ]

We provide alternative education for students who are not attending mainstream education for a variety of reasons, including those who are at risk of permanent exclusion from their home school, and who have behavioral, emotional, and/or social difficulties, some with SEN and learning difficulties.
We offer support and guidance for non-attenders and vulnerable students who are the subject of multi-agency concern, and our team of experienced and dedicated teachers and teaching assistants help provide an open and focussed pastoral environment for young people.
With an emphasis on Personal, Social, and Health Education and one-on-one personal development, we pride ourselves on a concern for the whole person and accommodating different learning styles. Our students are encouraged to take an active role in their school life, from the setting of behavior targets to careers and work experience.
We offer a broad and balanced curriculum that includes a varied program of enrichment activities and trips, shifting the focus from classroom-based learning. As we develop each academic year, we are including more vocational and skills-based courses for those students of a more practical inclination, who wish to progress to training and apprenticeships.
Manchester Young Lives works to promote the social and educational inclusion of children and young people. We believe everyone can improve their life chances through learning and make a successful transition to adult life given the right opportunities, support, and guidance.
MYL offers a comprehensive and exciting program of after-school and holiday playschemes throughout the year. We offer local children, up to age 13, the opportunities to enjoy open-access play, develop learning, and connect with their communities, all within the safe and supportive environment of our adventure playgrounds.
Across our sites, we provide climbing walls, zip-wires, swings, and obstacle courses that encourage active and fulfilling adventure play. Alongside these, our modern sports facilities and pitches allow for development in sport, and our indoor facilities provide leisure activities and arts & crafts, for when the weather takes a turn for the worse.
We encourage young people to take an active role in the playgrounds, from devising games to being part of our Junior PlayworkerScheme this allows around 250 young people to volunteer at centers gaining valuable skills and experience that supports their personal development. Such support from an early age lies at the heart of what MYL does, and its importance is confirmed by independent research. This concludes that play supports development, encourages learning, as well as providing confidence and skills that are essential for enabling young people in disadvantaged areas to reach their full potential.
At Manchester Young Lives Independent School, we value the relationship between school and parents/carers. Home and school life are closely linked for our young people, and any issues within one can deeply influence the other. That is why we encourage your input and feedback for all aspects of school life. We hold regular review meetings to update you on your child’s progress, include you in the pre-admit process during a referral, and constantly look for your comments, suggestions, and feedback. Any issues or concerns you have, either for the personal or academic progress of any young person, will be noted and dealt with as effectively as possible.
Our work was originally centered on the development and management of adventure playgrounds in Ardwick, Moss Side, Hulme, and Wythenshawe. In recent years we have successfully developed several youth works and educational/training programs, particularly targeted at children and young people at risk of social exclusion. The culmination of these efforts was the establishment of Manchester Young Lives Independent School in 2010.
We believe the integration of play, confidence building, and education within an informal and supportive environment provides a genuine opportunity for early intervention with children and young people who are at risk of falling outside mainstream services and becoming involved in anti-social and risky behaviors.
MYL’s School finds its origins in a 1997 National Lottery-funded youth work project at A6 Education Centre (formerly known as Longsight Adventure Playground). Although initially aimed at unemployed young people, the scheme drew the most interest from school non-attenders up to age 16. This, along with concerns from Ofsted around the levels of non-attendance in the city, led to the creation of a local partnership known as School Otherwise, which launched in 1999.
School Otherwise was developed to provide informal education, aimed at promoting re-entry to school by young people. Working closely with local schools such as Cedar Mount and Ellen Wilkinson High, the project saw 50% of its participants return to part or full-time school between 1999 and 2000. Following the success of this project, MYL continued to develop its provision of education with targeted and focused outreach work, and also for larger groups within its centers. Under the coordination of the late Anne Simmons, our inspirational school leader who had been a key part of School Otherwise, tutors continued delivering sessions at Ardwick and Moss Side, moving towards entering students for various qualifications and accreditations.
The approach proved highly successful and, in 2010, the next logical step was to register Manchester Young Lives as an independent school. Initially sourcing referrals from local schools, many accommodated by an intensive support facility at our Wythenshawe site, MYL soon established a strong relationship with the Pupil Referral Unit. We now receive our referrals exclusively from the PRU and will continue to work closely with them to tackle exclusion and improve the opportunities of some of Manchester’s more vulnerable young people.

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