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Children are put on a stable footing
A centre which uses equine psychotherapy to help people with learning disabilities is now running an OFSTED-backed school for children with extreme behavioural problems.
New Direction, in Clowne, takes pupils aged 11-16 through a curriculum of key subjects combined with counselling activities involving horses and other animals.
Derbyshire Times reporter Jennifer Ivers spoke to centre chiefs and parents to find out what impact the school is having on troubled young lives...
Described as the 'last chance in education' for youngsters with behavioural problems, a Derbyshire school is aiming to help its pupils with difficulties both in and out of the classroom.
New Direction, in Clowne, provides a range of psychotherapy and counselling to manage the young people's conditions, which include autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Headteacher Gary Saul said New Direction, which currently has just four pupils, can provide one-on-one support to troubled youngsters, adding: "We've got one young man who was the worst student his former school had ever had. He was trashing classrooms and never settled.
"He's now in year ten and for the first time he's enjoying learning."
Qualifications
Pupils work towards academic qualifications in key subjects including numeracy, literacy and ICT, and also have opportunities to develop life skills, such as cooking.
The timetable incorporates equine psychotherapy sessions, which use activities with horses as a focus for counselling, and other forms of behavioural therapy.
Mr Saul said: "All the students have got statements of educational needs. They've all failed in mainstream schools and this is their last chance in education.
"The pupils have had a lot of problems in their backgrounds and we aim to provide a coherent care system. We deal with problems both in and out of school."
The school day starts with breakfast at 9am followed by maths and English lessons in the morning.
While some pupils help make a cooked lunch, the others groom and feed the centre's horses.
Afternoon activities include ICT or student council project work and there is time for various forms of counselling.
The day ends with a review where teachers reward achievements and good behaviour with points which pupils can 'exchange' for activities they enjoy.
New Direction, an independent school where pupil places are funded by local education authorities, has space for eight more young people.
For more information, contact manager Yvonne Evans on (01246) 810456 or by email on ringer.villa@btconnect.comHorses reign over therapy
The advantage of equine psychotherapy is that the horses take the focus off the therapy, according to headteacher Gary Saul.
He said it is effective because while the pupils are carrying out tasks with the animals they're not thinking about being counselled.
Mr Saul, who has had years of experience working with pupils with behavioural issues, said: "Where kids have got lots of complex problems any sort of counselling would help, but the advantage of equine psychotherapy is that it takes the focus off the fact that they are having therapy.
"To try and get the kids to sit down and have counselling, it just would not happen."
New Direction is based in the rural setting of Clowne's Ringa Villa Farm, which houses 29 horses as well as cows, goats, ducks and chickens.
Trained counsellors base their sessions around activities with the animals, which are often simple tasks including grooming and riding.
Mirror
Centre manager Yvonne Evans explained: "Horses mirror human behaviour so you can use them to help people gain confidence, improve their ability to complete tasks and work as a team."
She said the animals help the pupils, many of whom have problems relating to people, relax and open up about aspects of their behaviour, adding: "You can have meaningful conversations with them."
The centre has provided therapy for people with learning disabilities for 20 years and continues to do this alongside the school. The animals are looked after by a team of adults with various behavioural issues.
Yvonne said: "It's a community. The adults mix with the school pupils and they are helpful to each other."Jamie's sanctuary
A teenager who was expelled from three secondary schools is settling into the stable life of his farm-based school.
Jamie Eyre (14), who attends New Direction, was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) two years ago.
His disruptive behaviour, which included throwing chairs around the classroom and abusing teachers, led to his permanent exclusion from one mainstream school and both inclusion centres in Sheffield – lasting just a matter of months at each.
Mum Lisa Nettleship, who lives in Beighton, said: "It was very upsetting. I've got two other children to look after and I was getting phone calls most days to come and pick him up. He wasn't getting any education."
But she said since her son, who takes medication and sleeping tablets to control his symptoms, has been going to New Direction his behaviour has greatly improved.
She said: "That school has been so understanding with us and patient with Jamie. He gets on with the teachers and has settled down."
"There's outdoor things for him to do. He deals with the horses and absolutely loves that.
"He's got NVQ levels one and two in horse care. That's an education for him. He's learning something and wants to carry it on."
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