Holistic education, childcare & family sessions
Welcome
On Thursdays, we offer bespoke 1:1 or small group mentoring sessions for home ed/alternative provision youths aged 11-16.
Hang out with Tracy and Dawn, our experienced youth mentors. Let them build a program around you, your interests and your aspirations.
Learn DIY, car and home maintenance, finance, conservation, bushcraft, wellbeing and life skills. Or just play Pokémon, build Lego or chill and crochet - it's up to you.
Free Spirits is an Ofsted registered childcare provision, and a recognised Alternative Provision for Wiltshire and Hampshire LA.
You're welcome to book a free familiarisation visit, as we know it can be daunting going to a new provision.
Functional Skills
You can prepare for, and take, your online Functional Skills exams here at Free Spirits. Ask about Screening Assessments and Tutoring with Gemma.
'Functional Skills' is the overarching term for the subjects Functional English and Functional Maths. Students wishing to embark on a college course, apprenticeship or employment are usually required to have GCSE English and Maths at Grade C/4 as a minimum to demonstrate basic literacy and numeracy skills. Rather than repeating the course, students who did not take or pass GCSEs are usually recommended to follow Functional Skills instead. This is because the syllabus covers basic literacy and numeracy skills in real-life contexts such as starting a business or renting a flat, whilst missing out the higher level skills covered in GCSEs such as advanced algebra, simultaneous equations, deep analysis of literature and creative writing.
Passing Functional English and Functional Maths exams at the top level provides recognised qualifications equivalent to GCSE grade C/4.
Our Mentors
Dawn and Tracy are both DBS checked and have multiple qualifications between them, including L3 Education & Training, Risk Assessment & Management, Understanding SEN, Outdoor Education & Adventure Activities, Forest School, Food Safety & Hygiene, First Aid.
Dawn and Tracy have years of experience mentoring young people from a variety of backgrounds, and have several children and teenagers of their own. They also run our popular In The Wild outdoor sessions on Fridays and Sundays here at Free Spirits.
Gemma is an experienced tutor and is the Founder and Manager of Free Spirits.
