FEATURE Shine Learning & Training Centre CIC


Promoting education, developing minds


Mainstream education isn’t necessarily right for everyone all of the time. T ere can be a variety of reasons why a young person fi nds traditional classroom learning challenging, just like there can be a whole range of solutions. Shine Learning & Training Centre CIC aims to make a diff erence


to the lives of students who fi nd it diffi cult to settle into regular school life – whether that’s a few weeks of re-adjustment, or months of support and encouragement. Either way, the aim is to eventually see a student return to the


school environment with a new confi dence and motivation to do well. Until that happens, the support of the staff at Shine remains in place. Shine Learning & Training Centre CIC is a registered not-


for-profit Community Interest Company founded in Luton by Marielle Jewels, who has been working with children and young people for more than 20 years, specialising in emotional wellbeing and safeguarding of those who had faced adversity, turbulence and abuse. She said: “I wanted to make a diff erent to the life outcomes of


students who found mainstream education challenging. T e one size fi ts all rule doesn’t always apply and I wanted to off er a good-quality alternative that off ered a home-from-home approach but focused on


6 ALL THINGS BUSINESS


mentoring and prevention work whilst ensuring academic needs were met and celebrated.” Students aged between 11 and 16 are referred


to Shine from schools where it is felt their needs are not able to be met. Many of those supported by Shine are disruptive in the classroom environment, sometimes due to diffi culties at home or away from school, and often exacerbated by a number of other factors, such as additional needs like autism or dyslexia that make working in a classroom environment diffi cult. Shine Learning & Training Centre CIC off ers


a curriculum that is designed to develop skills for life. English is taught at Functional Skills and GCSE level, alongside Maths, Humanities, PHSE, Health and Social Care and Children’s and Young People’s Settings courses, as well as Business and Enterprise courses and PE. T ere is also a wide range of prevention and intervention programmes including anger management, knife crime and gang awareness. Learning is tailored to help build social skills and


self-esteem, helping those who are vulnerable or socially disadvantaged access skill-based learning based on setting SMART targets and short-term rewards. Marielle added: “T e young people who come


to us are often at risk of exploitation or developing damaging behaviours because of some family breakdown or change in circumstances. Some may already be young off enders or suff er poor mental health and wellbeing, or have anger issues they need to deal with. “All students who attend Shine will be assigned


a mentor because we think it is important to allow the student to build trusting relationships


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