Principal's Welcome
At Southway, our approach is not to say ‘these are the expectations, you need to meet them’ so much as it is to say ‘we will meet you where you are at, no matter how ‘far away’ you feel, how hopeless and helpless it seems, and we will bring you with us towards these higher expectations. Step-by-step.’
Southway is an organisation that is committed to two key principles above all else: 'give hope' and 'build healthy relationships'. These are our core values. We expect to see our staff relentlessly adopt this approach and we also endeavour to foster these qualities in the young people we serve.
We recognise that a significant proportion of the students that come to Southway, have in a variety of ways and for a variety of reasons, been ‘let-down’ somewhere along the line, or else have found themselves stranded and at times abandoned in circumstances they cannot or do not know how to resolve. This feeling of helplessness, abandonment, of ‘not fitting-in’, often expresses itself through disengagement and challenging behaviours.
The analogy I often use, when talking to people about Southway’s work, is of a person stood on a tiny outcrop of rock, in the midst of tumultuous ‘white-water-rapids’; young people feeling scared, confused, powerless and overwhelmed by the circumstances and life contexts they find themselves surrounded by. Expending most of their energy just trying to keep their feet dry and their heads above water. Wrestling back some control, by any means possible, usually carries the consequence of further isolation from school, from their families, from society.
At Southway, we believe it is our singular purpose to change that reality for every student that walks through the doors. To regulate, build healthy relationships and give them tangible, credible hope.
Carl Miller
Principal
I am absolutely thrilled to be able to work at this amazing setting, with colleagues who are artisans in the crafts of hope-giving and relationship-building and education, and to be able to witness the impact that these crafts have on the lives of the young people we serve.
Having worked at the Rodillian MAT for 19 years, in various teaching and pastoral leadership roles, in a number of our schools across Leeds and Wakefield, and then, having joined Southway in September 2021, I can see now, with crystal clarity, the need that our school endeavours to meet.
Dealing with significant numbers of students as they do, mainstream schools tend to (have to) engage with families through a ‘these are our high expectations of you and your children’ approach; high expectations of behaviour and conduct, of uniformity, of academic performance, of attendance. For years, I believed in and upheld these very high expectations with all their associated protocols and policies. I was a Deputy Head teacher responsible for Behaviour and Welfare for 7 years in schools in communities with above-average levels of deprivation.
Working at Southway has changed me. Slowly, but significantly. I can see now that the approach adopted by many mainstream schools, that I helped to uphold and implement, appropriate though it may be in that setting, is not suited to all children or all families.
Understanding this and adopting a different approach, as we do here, does not amount to having low or no expectations of students, I have come to realise. At Southway, our approach is not to say ‘these are the expectations, you need to meet them’ so much as it is to say ‘we will meet you where you are at, no matter how ‘far away’ you feel, how hopeless and helpless it seems, and we will bring you with us towards these higher expectations. Step-by-step.’
One of the most impactful statements I have ever read was made by the CEO of Trust in the South of England. I read it during a 2016 conference I attended on the subject of Pupil Premium; Closing the Gaps. The CEO’s statement, presented as a reference read ‘We stopped having hard-to-reach families, when we stopped being a hard-to-reach school’. That is mine and my Leadership Team’s ambition for Southway: to not just be easy-to-reach, but for us to be the ones doing the reaching.
The Rodillian Multi Academy Trust is the sole shareholder in the company called Southway. Southway is an Independent School, which provides alternative provision and education for students at KS3 and KS4. We have extremely high aspirations for our young people and we strive to give them the education and life skills they will need to move on to the next stage of their life. Every single member of staff at Southway is fully committed to raising the aspirations of every single student who in turn work towards achieving meaningful qualifications that will lead to relevant next steps and Post-16 pathways. Over the last six years Southway is very proud to report that we have had no NEETs.
Southway provides alternative provision for the Trust academies and a range of schools from across Leeds and neighbouring authorities. We are situated in a ‘My Space’ building, with six classrooms as well as a fully equipped recording studio and media suite, sports facilities and large outdoor spaces, which includes a developing garden. We have developed links with other local settings to provide a broad and enriching curriculum.
We have a dedicated Multi-Agency Team and two SENDCO’s on site. Each student is allocated a Key Worker from the Multi-Agency Team, who liaises with the student and their family, the mainstream school and any other relevant agencies. This provides wrap-around support, ensuring every child has the opportunity to achieve their full potential.
Southway is, quite simply, a unique school, an amazing alternative provision which allows students to reset, rebuild and succeed. If you are interested in being part of this exciting and innovative educational setting, then please contact me directly and I will be more than happy to facilitate a visit.
