Fermynwoods Contemporary Art partner with The CE Academy to provide alternative education for young people who are permanently excluded from schools prinicpally within Northamptonshire. Students visit our remote rural outreach base in Fermyn Woods to participate in a wide variety of artist led workshops for an entire academic year. Students also visit exhibitions, research the arts and plan and lead their own activities.

Increasing numbers of students are being excluded from mainstream schools in Northamptonshire. Students have a wide range of behavioural and mental health needs with many suffering from anxiety, which can result in disruptive behaviour. They frequently work with Mental Health Services and may have histories of self-harm. Many have complex communication difficulties. Research has demonstrated that the arts can be the most effective positive intervention in these young people's lives.

As a result of our project, many of the students will achieve Arts Award qualifications (equivalent to passing grades at GCSE), despite their age and existing setbacks. Many also successfully return to mainstream education, exhibition, sell work and win arts prizes. The effect of this will be both a sense of agency and further personal, social and educational development for the young people.