Alternative education
Encouraging alternative learning for children and young adults
Alternative education sessions
Calvert Stables are proud to offer alternative education provision for young people with special educational needs and disabilities. We do this through two different schemes allowing us to support children and young adults of all ages and abilities.
Changing Lives Through Horses – British Horse Society (BHS)
Changing Lives Through Horses sessions are available for children and young people aged from 5-25. This innovative programme was created by the British Horse Society (BHS) to encourage alternative learning for children and young adults with special educational needs and disabilities who may be struggling in a mainstream school environment.
Through structured, practical equine activities participants can develop confidence, responsibility and work on relationship-building. Sessions go beyond just horse riding, and include horse care, grooming and stables management too, teaching new skills in a safe and supportive environment.
Achievements are recognised through certificates linked to educational outcomes which provide a positive pathway to learn and succeed.
These Changing Lives Through Horses (CLtH) sessions give young people the space and tools they need to unlock their potential, creating meaningful, lasting change.
Alternative education with Haddon Training
Working with Haddon Training, a specialist in equine and land-based education, we offer 14-16 year olds the opportunity to learn outside the classroom.
Harnessing the healing powers of our ponies, this programme includes Level 2 and Level 3 vocational City and Guilds qualifications for young leaners with an EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan). Spend up to 15 hours a week at the Stables, learning about horses, horse care and health, as well as core curriculum topics like maths and English.
Why alternative education?
The benefits of spending time with horses are numerous, and our ponies are specially selected for their calm and nurturing personalities. Alternative education offers unique opportunities for growth by helping young people build better self-awareness, regulating emotions and inspiring trust.
Our experienced and inclusive stables team ensure every session is nurturing and tailored to the needs of every group and we love celebrating the successes of our learners!
Upcoming taster session
Alternative education FAQs
Who are Changing Lives Through Horses sessions for?
The Changing Lives Through Horses programme welcomes children and young people aged 5-25 years with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) who would benefit from access to equine facilitated learning. Participants may include those with social and emotional mental health needs, those who may be disengaged or excluded from education, those who are without a school place or are electively home educated and those who may have experienced trauma or adverse childhood experiences.
However, we offer different wellness and horse care options for people who don’t fit these criteria. Get in touch with the stables team to find out more.
Who are Haddon Training sessions for?
Through Haddon Training we offer 14-16 year olds alternative education provision based at our accessible and inclusive stables. Young people in this age bracket with an ECHP (Education, Health and Care Plan) are eligible for these City and Guilds vocational qualifications.
What do sessions involve?
The main aim of both programmes is to develop and support communication, confidence, teamwork, building relationships, perseverance, and responsibility.
For Changing Lives Through Horses, the programme is structured around two frameworks – the Achieve and Explorer awards. Both offer horse care and ridden modules with structured awards and certificates that recognise and reward achievement. Activities contained in each award provide opportunities for the participant to develop in the six key life skills that are widely transferable back to school, further education opportunities or socially, practice learning skills linked to their school curriculum and build a portfolio of equine knowledge and experience that could lead to a pathway of further industry qualifications.
With Haddon Training, work-based qualifications are obtained that involve equine elements as well as core subjects like maths and English. Learners typically commit to 15 hours a week although this timetable can be flexible.
Are these sessions accredited?
We are also able to offer the BHSQ, an Ofqual accredited Personal Development Qualifications integrated within the programme at Entry Level 3, Level 1 and Level 2. BHSQ works in partnership with a variety of organisations to develop and award qualifications for the equestrian industry. This contributes to ensuring BHSQ qualifications are fit for purpose and meet the needs of the sector.
BHSQ is responsible for ensuring learners are registered and certificated accurately and fairly. It has many systems, policies, and procedures in place to ensure it does this. These are checked closely to ensure assessment is accurate and fair by verification and monitoring of BHSQ approved Centres.
BHSQ qualifications are:
- nationally recognised
- quality assured
- vocationally-related
- mapped to national occupational standards (NOS) where appropriate
- designed to meet the needs of employers
- regularly reviewed by industry practitioners.
BHSQ qualifications provide valuable opportunities for learners to:
- develop new skills
- develop existing skills
- gain underpinning knowledge and understanding
- progress to further study, education and training
- progress into employment
“Our daughter started on the Changing Lives Through Horses programme back in October as an alternative learning provision to school on a Tuesday and Thursday morning and the impact it has had on her is nothing short of profound.
Before starting the programme, traditional learning environments were, and still are, a huge challenge.
However, the unique combination of the stables’ supportive atmosphere and working with the horses completely turned things around for her. The difference in her 10 months there has made a massive impact on her.
Emma
