we've got you
the issues
In 2021/2022 more than 1.7 million children were persistently absent from school. According to the Department for Education, around 125,000 children spent more time out of the classroom, than in it. Mighty Oak Initiative believe the reasons for this are as broad as they are complex, and our commitment to these young people is the foundation upon which we have established our organisation.
The Inspiration
When I trained to be teacher, I quickly realised that the standardised system in the UK was not providing for a significant cohort of young people. I had spent years travelling the world, completed a Masters degree, been awarded a PhD scholarship, pursued a career in international theatre, worked as a tutor in a variety of settings and already had my own children when I undertook my teacher training. I had been around the block so to speak when I went into school centred teacher training, and I immediately had a passion for my students, who I loved being in company with. Interesting, diverse, inherently creative young people with skills, talents, interests and ideas ready to share, and I was excited and ready to listen and to grow. Like my experiences of travel, theatre and higher education, teaching would represent a melting pot of ambitions and creativity in the classroom...
The rigidity and inflexibility of our curriculum however presented as a problem and almost immediately I felt at odds with "the system." I found myself teaching "bottom set" kids, with behavioural issues so severe, if they stayed sitting down for more than 2 minutes or a table wasn't flipped, the lesson could be deemed a success. However, it was quickly evident that within that class were children who should have been in the "top set" but due to failing standardised testing, were destined to stay in set 6 of 6, probably until they failed school or were permanently excluded. Interesting, funny, genuinely clever and creative kids, literally being left behind because of a system that wasn't able to adapt.
In the following years, I encountered many more young people whose natural abilities and strengths were not able to flourish in a mainstream classroom, and the existing education system was equally unable to facilitate their needs and requirements. Each new, increasingly senior role I accepted felt like another opportunity to make change, but the system was inevitably bigger and stronger than either me or my students, and despite my love of teaching and passion for education, I continued to feel that I was failing, rather than serving, my students. So in 2023 I risked everything to establish a provision that would do things differently. The fundamental ethos was that "my" school would still reach for great outcomes and fulfil individual potential, but the student would be the torchbearer. Robust frameworks that adhered to statutory legislation would provide support for creative pathways, I would recruit a team of highly skilled and experienced teaching staff that were able to incorporate students' inherent interests and passions into the curriculum, to achieve nationally recognised outcomes.
Within three months of opening our doors, we have relocated and expanded both settings to accept more students due to over-subscription. We have received full Quality Assurance and safeguarding recommendations from the Local Authority, and Accreditation as a delivery, assessment and examination centre for City and Guilds. Our first student has successfully passed their Level 2 English and maths Functional Skills exams and we are increasing our curricular offer and staff team.
Many similar experiences I have personally had of children feeling displaced in the classroom were in the years before Covid-19. Whilst the temptation is to point to the pandemic and lay the blame of our endemic issues at the door of social isolation, I believe this only scratches the very recent surface. It directs us away from the real issues. As the parent of a neuro-diverse child, and an educator, I firmly believe it has more to do with a rigid curriculum, standardisation, over-testing and lack of permitted teacher creativity and autonomy. If and when those fundamental aspects of our education system change, we will see an upward trend in attendance, engagement and positive mental health. Until then, the need for an "Alternative Education System" remains an imperative.
Kate Lindsay 2025
the proposal
At Mighty Oak Initiative, our desire is to combine our years of professional and lived experience, and our passion for personalised education that meets the needs of each young person, to offer a unique and original pathway of learning.
Our programme is underpinned by a pastoral curriculum that ensures every young person feels valued, listened to, heard and on a journey of growth, with open access to a key-worker who works closely with them to monitor targets, progress and outcome, as well as celebrate every success. Our young people will always be aware of where they have come from, where they are heading and can be sure that they are never alone on their journey. Their resilience and self-awareness is just as important as the accredited qualifications they will gain with us.
Whilst formal assessment is unavoidable in its entirety, we believe success is all about context and environment. Building confidence and creating a relaxed setting along with plenty of positive reinforcement and access to outdoors and equine facilities is neurologically healing. This allows the brain to be more receptive to learning and perform better in assessment settings. Ongoing formative assessment (informal teacher progress checks) and plentiful positive feedback, sets the young person up to achieve.
Mighty Oak Initiative is also a registered exam centre, giving young people the opportunity to take their formal assessments in a very small, and familiar place. This is also shown to improve results.
If you are interested in chatting to us, gaining further information or registering your interest in Mighty Oak Initiative, please click the
Get In Touch or complete the form below
button and we will get straight back to you!
Let’s Work Together
Get in touch so we can start working together.
