“I found it really hard to attend because I had really bad tics at my old school and it just kind of became associated with me not wanting to go into school anymore,” said Mia,whose surname theHerald is not publishing for privacy reasons.
“I think I just needed somewhere that was a little bit more flexible so that I could feel like I wasn’t being pushed so hard and I could focus on getting myself back to feeling OK. It’s really nice to have a smaller community I can get to know on a more personal level.”
The school is one of six independent schools run by not-for-profit Youth Off The Streets,offering a flexible learning approach that aims to get children back in the classroom.
School manager Nathanial Baker said the school took a holistic approach to learning and always put students’ wellbeing first.
“With most of our kids,their trauma and challenges are presented through non-attendance,” he said. “Over 90 per cent of our kids are historical non-attenders,so they come from extended periods of not coming to school.”
The school does not charge fees and it provides breakfast and lunch to students every day.
The school,which is accredited with the NSW Education Standards Authority and covers year 9 to 12,teaches the standard curriculum but offers a flexible learning environment. Students learn to an individualised plan,there is no uniform and they are encouraged to pursue individual interests.