What is Strides?

Strides is a small alternative provision setting where specialist mentors (from a range of professional backgrounds) work with young people from the ages of 6 to 18 who are unable to access mainstream education.

Our ambition is to help these young people return to education and to set them up for a future where they feel valued within the community and beyond.

What do you do?

Strides provides mentoring that includes academic, mental health, therapeutic and careers support. We are commissioned by schools, or the local authority, to work alongside young people providing a short-term provision. We help them return to school, apply for college, apply for jobs and equip them for the future ahead.

What is academic support?

This is the support needed to help a young person succeed in their studies and develop essential skills. It will always involve literacy and numeracy but will be project-based touching on a range of academic subjects. It may result in qualifications such as AQA, ASDAN and Functional Skills qualifications, or it might just be about building confidence and teaching them strategies to cope in a classroom.

What is mental health support?

This is considered any support provided to help young people manage mental health issues, cope with emotional distress and improve their overall wellbeing. At Strides we are lucky to have an experienced Mental Health Nurse as part of our team.

What is Equine Therapy?

Equine assisted therapy is about individuals connecting with horses to improve their physical, emotional and social well-being. You do not ride the horse but lead them, groom them and care for them. It has a proven track-record of helping with anxiety, trauma and low self-confidence/self-esteem.

What do you mean by Careers support?

Careers support is guidance and advice that helps you identify what you want to do next. It might be help with college applications, it might be help with GCSE/A Level choices, it might be help applying for apprenticeships or looking for part-time employment within the community. We can help with CVs, interviews and applications.

Where are you based?

Strides is based in a field outside Stroud. Our premises is a cabin, which sits in approximately 1.5 acres of land. Sometimes our lessons are inside. Sometimes our lessons are outside. We believe that children learn everywhere.

How do I get to Strides?

Strides will provide transport to and from each mentoring session. This is part of our service and will agree pick-ups and drop-offs with parents, carers, the schools and the local authority.

If I want my child to come to Strides, what do I do?

Contact us directly using the email stridesmentoring@gmail.com or fill out your details in the `Get in Touch` section of our website’s Home page.

How much does Strides cost?

This depends on the service for which you are looking, how much mentoring/equine therapy/private tuition you require and where you live. Each case is assessed separately.

Parents pay nothing unless they are looking to work with us privately.

Should you have any questions about cost, please email us on the Strides email: stridesmentoring@gmail.com

How does Strides keep its young people and staff safe?

At Strides it is our duty to keep our young people and staff safe. We have created and implemented policies and procedures, which have been approved by the Local Authority’s Alternative Provision team. All our team are DBS checked, and our Safeguarding Policy and other relevant policies are available to read on the `Our Policies` page of our website. Should you have any questions about safeguarding or any of our policies then please contact us.

If my child is sick, how do I cancel their mentoring session?

If your child is unable to attend a mentoring session then please contact the child’s mentor on the Strides mobile number they have given you. If you are unable to get hold them then please email stridesmentoring@gmail.com

If my child no longer needs mentoring, how do I cancel future sessions?

We ask for a two-week notice period to end mentoring placements, as it gives us sufficient time to complete any work and helps the student end their mentoring in a way that helps support a successful transition.

What if I am going on holiday and will miss a mentoring session?

If you are going on a planned holiday and will miss a session, we will attempt to rearrange the session. However, this may not always be possible.

What does a typical day at Strides look?

We provide morning and afternoon sessions. Each session lasts for three hours and starts with being collected and ends when your child is dropped off.

Every day is different. Every session is different.

We use a combination of project learning, outdoor learning, animal care, mental health support and equine therapy through a range of planned activities with the aim of helping young people back into education or equipping them for the future.

What if I am not home when you drop off my child?

Please communicate with your child’s mentor, so that we can support you with keeping your child safe.

What else do you offer apart from mentoring?

We also offer private Equine Therapy through an accredited Equine Therapist and English tuition through an experienced English teacher and GCSE English examiner.