The Alternative Curriculum - Glasgow City Council: What did you learn?
This section contains observations and reflections from the partner’s involved in delivering the project, specifically detailing advice and guidance, challenges and solutions and lessons learned from their perspective.
Building trust in the power of youth work helps to develop strong links with all partners in the chain. A plan to deliver a package based around identified need is important, but there must be flexibility in the alternative curriculum and allowances for staff to work at a pace dictated by the needs of the young people, while also making learning fun.
The training on Adverse Childhood Experiences, Understanding Trauma and Mental Health awareness have been invaluable for staff development. Quick tempers of young people and their self-exclusion from activity can be understood more clearly. Most importantly there is greater understanding from staff where additional and specialised support is required.
Community Learning and Development CLD) youth workers are valued members of a wider educational workforce, but their identity and parity of esteem in the traditional system of education can be overlooked. Sharing information about the programme provides greater awareness and understanding of the role and purpose of youth work in supporting improved outcomes for young people, reinforcing the value of partnership working.
Staff primarily work with young people who are disengaged from their communities and formal education. They can have significant barriers to learning and behavioural difficulties. Therefore, staff were required to be patient and work responsively to set a pace that worked for the young people, which promoted successful engagement and positive relationships. Not imposing arbitrary time-limits on the progress of young people helped to build and manage realistic expectations of everyone involved and create the ‘right’ conditions for young people to develop self-esteem and self-efficacy.
The project stopped for one month and the attendance of the young people declined. The impact on the community was noticeable with a rise in anti-social behaviour and theft. Consistency is key in how the project is run and stopping the project would have a detrimental impact on young people and their families, their school and the wider community.
Going forward, establishing regular and consistent data sharing with schools to monitor and track the impact of the project on the remainder of the school week, would reinforce the sustainability of the ‘Alternative Curriculum’ model.
There are many factors that impact on attendance that are complex and multifaceted, including attitudes and perceptions on the value of education and access to additional support needs. By noticing and celebrating small changes, such as a new skill, and helping young people to believe in themselves can make a significant difference.
The value of feedback or recognising something positive a young person has done promotes a sense of achievement and positive association with educators and the learning environment. This is important for creating and maintaining an environment and culture where young people feel included, valued and belong.
