
Lapwing is a specialist education provider delivering bespoke alternative provision to young people aged 4-25 years old with complex additional needs across East Anglia. The organisation's core aim is to develop a students' personal, emotional and life skills, which underpin their ability to succeed academically and socially/personally.
Student programmes are highly personalised and designed around a young person's needs, interests and aspirations. These can include a broad range of content and qualifications including academic (GCSEs, Functional Skills), vocational (Arts Award, AQA unit awards) as well as life skills/employability/work experience and therapeutic interventions.
The Lapwing office is situated in Martlesham Heath near Ipswich but staff work peripatetically across East Anglia going out to students and working with them in venues and with local partners which are deliberately sourced to support that student's specific programme objectives. Lapwing work with a whole range of young people with complex additional needs including social, emotional, behavioural, mental health and learning difficulties and disabilities.
Lapwing offers a range of programmes supporting students in 2:1, 1:1 and small group settings. Young people who have accessed a Lapwing programme may be:
- primary and secondary school students struggling to manage in a mainstream, PRU or special school placement due to mental health, anxiety, social, emotional, medical, behavioural, learning difficulties, Autism/Aspergers, exclusion
- primary and secondary school students with complex Special Educational Needs or a Disability who require a highly personalised provision to meet their needs
- primary and secondary school students requiring a short term specialist programme before transferring into a long term specialist placement
- children in care requiring a short term 'school ready' programme while waiting to take up a school, PRU or special school place
- post 16 students with Education Health and Care Plans who are unable to access a conventional college place and require a bespoke programme tailored to meet their needs and aspirations
- young people (aged 4-25) with severe learning disabilities who require a personalised programme focusing on their personal development, communication, independence, life skills, literacy & numeracy, transition to adulthood
- young people requiring therapeutic interventions including integrative therapy, psychotherapy, counselling, art therapy, music therapy, speech and language therapy, Neuro-linguistic programming, Thrive approach, sensory techniques, etc. as part of their programme
Lapwing's provision is truly bespoke and programmes are designed with a student's needs, interests and aspirations at the forefront, maximising engagement and outcomes. Lapwing can deliver an holistic and in depth initial assessment process (to ascertain learning, social and emotional development) thereby offering support, information and advice to help take a young person forward to reach their potential.
This provider was Quality Assured in 2017 and is now an approved provider by Suffolk County Council's Quality Assurance and Provider Development Team - find out more here.