All our centres are now full. In some exceptional cases, we can take further learners’ mid-year (as per is it too late to apply for this academic year question). Please get in touch to talk about places for the next academic year.

At New Meaning Training, our centres do not have your typical classroom setup. We’ve got kitchens, chill-out zones with comfy sofas, and various spaces. It is a departure from the usual stereotypical school, focusing on hands-on learning and collaborative projects. It’s a more relaxed yet engaging environment, promoting creativity and a sense of community among learners.

There are several ways in which places at NMT are funded. Our main funding partner for 16-19 education is Buckinghamshire College Group. We have centres in several locations, so we liaise with quite a few local authorities for learners who have an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP). We can also accommodate directly funded learners. Please note that places offered at NMT are subject to a number of criterion being fulfilled and are not only limited by funding. We always recommend talking directly with the team at your local centre to find out what options there are for each individual young person.

Every learner at NMT is supported. It doesn’t matter whether they have a Special Education Needs or not. We have small group sizes and even one-to-one programmes and the level of support is always tailored to the individuals needs. Our Tutors and Learning Support Assistants have an incredible range of broad and specialist skills to ensure that every young person is seen and supported. It’s important to note however that we can’t help everyone and there may be other settings that are better suited for the young person’s needs. If you are considering NMT for a particular young person and you’d like to ask about whether we can support them we would recommend contacting the team at your local centre.

EHCP stands for Education Health Care Plan. They are tailored completely to the individual. That means that the support we provide is also tailored completely to the individual. Before enrolling a learner, we always take great care to review the needs and assess whether we can meet those needs. Once enrolled, we work with learners with an EHCP to create an Individual Learning Plan (ILP), which we work through and update throughout the year. These provide a structure for helping the young person’s learning and development to keep moving forward. If you are considering NMT for a particular young person and you’d like to ask about whether we can support them, we would recommend contacting the team at your local centre.

NMT is very experienced at dealing with young people who aren’t school-shaped. We believe we can help support even the most reluctant learner to make progress and improve their prospects of being able to earn their own living. It’s a two-way street though, and we can’t wave a magic wand. If you are the parent of a young person who has been excluded from school (but still under 16), you will need to liaise with your Local Education Authority. They will know all the options in your area and will be best placed to assess what Alternative Provision will be right for your child. NMT may be one of the options, but this will be down to the authority to determine. If the young person in question missed some of their education (whether it was due to exclusion or not) and they are between 16-18, then our provision might well be a good option. Contact the team at your local centre to find out whether we can help.

Yes, young people in care can enrol at NMT. Initially, the young person’s support worker will be best placed to evaluate whether our provision meets their needs. All referral partners managing the needs of young people in care are welcome to contact the team at their local NMT centre to assess the suitability of our provision.

Yes, we always need to consider whether we’re equipped to deal with an individual’s needs. Locality and availability of funding is important. It may be that the young person’s attitude to education in general is quite negative, and this could present in several ways and for a range of reasons. NMT is very experienced at dealing with young people who aren’t school-shaped. We believe we can help support even the most reluctant learner to make progress and improve their prospects of being able to earn their own living. It’s a two-way street though, and we can’t wave a magic wand. Contact the team at your local centre to find out whether we can help.

NMT recognises that disruptive behaviour can often be an indication of unmet Social Emotional Behavioural Difficulties (SEBD) and/or Social, Emotional, and Mental Health (SEMH) needs. Any formal response to a learner’s behaviour will always consider any factors that are influencing those behaviours. In such cases, early intervention is essential to reduce the need for any subsequent exclusion or formal interventions. In this situation, NMT may consider a multi-agency assessment of referral that goes beyond the learner’s educational needs. NMT understands that the first step to modelling good behaviour is leading by example. This means that all NMT staff, volunteers and visitors act professionally, responsibly and with integrity. We work hard to ensure that discipline is consistent across NMT so that behaviour boundaries and sanctions are clear to all and are applied fairly, without discrimination or prejudice and considering Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), as well as additional challenges that some vulnerable learners may face. Please request a copy of our complete Behavioural Policy for more details.

If you are the parent of a young person who is under 16 but is not attending school, you will need to talk with the school your child is enrolled at. The school retains responsibility for providing the young person’s education while they’re “on roll” there. The school may consider funding the young person’s learning at a range of settings, which could include NMT as an Alternative Provision. If a 15-year-old is not registered with a school, they are ‘Not in Education Employment or Training’ (NEET) and as such, the Local Authority would need to be informed and may be able to agree to funding for a place at NMT.

This depends on your Local Education Authority. You will need to contact them to find out what the options are.

We send out a termly report for every learner. There’s always the option to book in a one-to-one session with a learner’s tutor if progress becomes a concern in the interim.

Contact the learner’s tutor directly (details are provided at enrolment).

• Post year 11 alternative education and/or Further Education

• Smaller class sizes (around 10 in a group)

• Tailored teaching methods to suit different learning styles and specific needs, adopting a learner led approach.

• Working to improve social, emotional, behavioural, and academic needs of each learner.

• Building confidence, self-belief, teamwork, and communication skills

• Promoting mutual respect between tutors and learners, as well as between peers.

The short answer is yes but if the young person is being self-funded or they have an EHCP there may be some scope for a mid-year enrolment. Whether you’re a referral partner, a parent or a young person we still want to hear from you if New Meaning Training looks like the right fit. We start the enrolment process for 24-25 in March 2024 and can set up tours and informal chats as needed.

You can contact us on the contact us page and apply through our referral form.

• Please complete and return our referral form. (Located in Where is the enquiry/referral form located question)

• Once this is received, we will then arrange an initial visit to our centre.

• If the young person is interested in one of our courses and we are able to meet need, a formal interview with the relevant course lead will be arranged.

• Our enrolment process takes place in person and takes approximately 45minutes to an hour. We need to see some ID documents: either birth certificate, passport, citizenship card or provisional driver’s license. We also require proof of address as well as the young person’s National Insurance number; therefore, if you have the letter confirming the National Insurance number, please provide this.

Check out our courses here.

New Meaning Training is for young people aged 16 to 18 (up to 24 for those with a current EHCP) who have not thrived in a mainstream setting for a variety of reasons.

There are no entry requirements for any of our courses, except for the ACHIEVE Life Skills programme, for which a current Education Health Care Plan must be in place. All other courses are open to learners both with and without an EHCP.

People who can enrol a young person:

The young person themselves, parent/guardian, teacher, careers advisor, social worker, and more.

If you are not sure whether you are able to or not, then get in contact with our team, who can help you.

• Award / Certificate in Skills for Employment Training and Personal Development

• Award / Certificate in Construction Multi-Skills

• Employability Skills

• Functional Skills Maths

• Functional Skills English

NB – Maths and English are included alongside the main course qualification (above) and cannot be undertaken as stand-alone qualifications.

All courses run for 1 academic year (September to July)