An Exploration of an Out-of-School Therapeutic Education Programme through the Perspectives of its Students, Parents, and Carers

Abstract

This study is an exploration of the perspectives of students on an Out-of-School Therapeutic Education Programme (hereinafter referred to as ‘OOSTEP’) and is supported by their parents and carers. These bespoke programmes are innovative and student-centred; they cater for individual interests and use out-of-school alternative education provisions including vocational settings. The students are 14–16-year-old boys and the programme prepares them for post-16 transition. The researcher is a practitioner who manages OOSTEP in a therapeutic school. Through a reflective insider-researcher position, the researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with seven students with social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) needs and their parents and carers. This exploration identified that student voices can recognise the worth of their education in schools and on OOSTEP. The parent and carer voices provided validation, clarity, and depth to the student perspectives. The findings confirm previous literature that identify negative elements of the school experience of students with SEMH issues. A key finding is the respite issue that identifies the out-of-school programme as a welcome break from previous schooling, transition, and exclusion processes. The research states that OOSTEP incorporates choice, provides opportunities, builds positive relationships, and assists in the growth of personal development. The research contribution explores the insights of students, parents, and carers; their stories offer clarification and understanding of the school experience of students with SEMH issues. The voice research reveals the barriers faced by these students and identifies the support that families need. It gives guidance for policy and describes how bespoke educational practice can provide positive outcomes for students who are at risk of exclusion.