At DESC we place the learner and their family at the heart of what we do.
Our learners arrive at centre with significant barriers to learning.  This can present as:

• Low self-esteem
• Significant gaps in learning
• Poor/Non attendance
• Low literacy levels
• Significant Mental Health issues
• A history of changes in schools
• Safeguarding concerns
• Disaffection with the school system

Our first priority therefore is to re-engage learners through our twin-track approach of addressing their needs through a therapeutic and personalised learning programme to break the cycle of disaffection with education.

Many of our learners have struggled in the past with purposeful, trusting relationships and so staff invest heavily in building positive relationships with learners in and out of the classroom.  This is key in our successful behaviour management strategies around centre.

Our curriculum provision is centred on the needs, interests and aspirations of each individual learner.  Each learner has a bespoke package of learning and support to meet their needs from Key Stages 1 through to 4. 

At DESC all staff together with the Management Committee are committed to this approach.  We believe that learning is the process in its holistic meaning by which learners gradually acquire and assimilate knowledge, concepts, skills, and attitudes to enable them to make greater sense of the world. Teaching and learning is central to our work as educators in order to secure positive outcomes and futures for our learners.