At TARGET NEL CIC, our EOTAS (Education Other Than At School) model offers a unique, child-centred approach to education for learners who may not currently be thriving in a traditional setting. Or need some time and support to re-engage in learning & education. Giving the opportunity to be transitioned back into main stream education successfully.
We deliver project-based learning that embeds Functional Skills in English and Maths throughout, ensuring each participant is supported to achieve meaningful progress in a way that suits their individual needs.
Our approach is rooted in constructivist theory, meaning we help learners build on their existing knowledge through interactive, creative, and environmental sessions. These sessions are designed to promote long-term memory, foster social interaction, and stimulate curiosity through real-world, hands-on experiences.
Key Features of Our Model:
Interest-led learning: We use participants’ interests as a starting point to explore broader topics, including those they may not usually engage with, nurturing an eagerness to learn.
Community integration: Participants access a variety of community-run activities, such as:
Cooking
Paddleboarding
Nature walks and canoeing
Fishing
Circus skills
Arts and crafts
These activities encourage physical health, confidence, and real-world learning.
Gradual social engagement: When ready, learners are supported to join small group sessions that encourage peer interaction. These may include collaborative environmental projects, helping to build a sense of belonging and purpose.
Wellbeing focus: We place a strong emphasis on emotional awareness and confidence building, helping participants develop relationship skills, access social opportunities, and build tools for lifelong learning and personal growth.
Supportive learning environment: All sessions are delivered in a calm and relaxed atmosphere, with flexibility to take breaks and adapt activities according to each learner’s needs.
Functional Skills qualification pathway: TARGET NEL offers a a soft transition into accredited Maths and English Functional Skills qualifications, providing learners with recognised outcomes at a pace that suits them.
EHE (Elected Home Education) sessions available on discussion.
TARGET NEL has become a big part of K’s life since he started almost 18 months ago. Kaiden has had a few hiccups along the way, but TARGET NEL haven’t given up on him, they have helped him grow into a confident young man. Just by all the staff showing him the care an understanding he needed. K considers all the staff TARGET NEL to be his safe people and knows if there is anything he wants to talk about, they will listen to him without judgement.
As K’s mum it’s so nice for me to see all the progress K has made since starting TARGET. I’ve never felt so happy for K to attend a provision that he loves.
TARGET NEL is an amazing provision and they really do care.
by ES & DS
I just wanted to take a moment to let you know how thrilled we are with R’s progress and development since they started attending TARGET NEL. Education had been a completely negative experience for them & relationships with educators were negative at best. You and your staff at TARGET NEL have worked tirelessly and selflessly in your endeavour to reverse this. Your truly person led approach has reaped benefits far beyond anything we could have wished for.
R gets themselves up every morning, gets washed and dressed and walks independently to TARGET. Yes, they grumble and groan about it & complain that they feel ill, but they turn up every day & sometimes don’t want to leave. That is nothing short of miraculous!
They have now completed their functional skills assessments & considering how little formal education they have actually received the results were outstanding! We can’t wait to see R fly academically and have no doubt they will achieve some GCSEs in time.
This newfound acceptance of being in a more learner based environment wouldn’t be possible without all the hard work you and R have done, building relationships & creating a safe & accepting space for them to flourish as a human being. This in turn has had a massive impact at home and socially. R very rarely reaches crisis anymore. They are able to self-regulate and talk things through. Even if crisis is reached it is short-lived and R is able to regulate themselves quickly. What a hugely positive impact this has had on our family life.
You and everyone else at TARGET are also always on hand to support us as parents, and as a family unit. You have such a wealth of knowledge and experience as a team that there has never been a problem that we couldn’t solve together.
R and us all as a family, could not be more grateful or appreciative of everything that TARGET NEL has done for us. You have managed to help us heal from the trauma that we all endured within both the mainstream and special education system. We thought R would never recover, but not only have they, they are flourishing as a learner and as a person. We have gone from feeling hopeless to feeling that anything is possible! Thank you.
by AH & DH
My experience with TARGET NEL has been excellent from our first meeting, I had a meeting with Joanne and we discussed my daughters needs. Joanne understood what my daughter needed to get back into education and has put resources in place as well as taking things at my daughters pace. Even when something wasn’t working for my daughter, Joanne changed to accommodate her. I can have open communication with all members of staff when needed, but they have made a good bond with my daughter for her to feel comfortable enough to have those conversation herself.
Since starting at TARGET NEL my daughter has achieved more than she had in school. At the start she would not talk to anyone but now she will talk to all members of staff as well as most of the other pupils. Without TARGET NEL my daughter would not be in education, but they have given her the opportunity to learn in the correct way for her needs. She now gets enjoyment out of her learning. Joanne and her team have given my daughter the chance to be involved in many projects/events which has brought out skills she has that we didn’t know about before. They push her to the best of her abilities in the correct way, meaning my daughter does not resort back to her avoidance of situations. My daughter has things to look forward to in her work with TARGET NEL and she is actually enjoying education for the first time.
I can not thank the team at TARGET NEL enough for how much they have done for my daughter.
by SB
TARGET NEL has been indispensable to us as a family. Since J has been involved with TARGET, he is doing things we never thought we would ever see him do even some things doctors told me he probably would never do. The change in him has been unbelievable. He no longer causes himself injury when he is overwhelmed, he is becoming more social by the day and his general involvement with the outside world is also improving.
No longer do I have to fight to get J to go to “school” … no negotiations – he is finally happy to get in the taxi with a smile and wave as he leaves. A vast improvement to his previous placement at Childwall abbey where everyday would be a battle of tears and absolute panic for him and bruises for me. This makes such a difference to our entire family as the whole experience was traumatising for us all.
I would have to say that when your child gets a placement at TARGET. You are not just getting a placement for your child. You are getting an entire support system – not just for them but for the rest of the family too. TARGET have included my other children at fun events an invited us along to various activities and are always there to help with advice regarding my other children’s needs too, often when nobody else has been, including doctors and schools.
The staff always have time to listen to parents and the communication between us is fantastic – another thing you don’t get in mainstream school.
I know if my son is in crisis that I can’t handle, I only have to call Joanne and I will receive sound advice and assistance – and to a single mum with 3 autistic children at home, that is EVERYTHING. She will make time to talk for as long as you need and you never feel rushed while discussing your child. This is invaluable when SEN parents very rarely get heard.
The staff at TARGET really get to know your child and have very tailored plans for each student too. Which means that your child never has to feel like they’re competing with other children or “failing”.
In my son’s case everything is a slow process, and the staff are so patient and understanding yet at the same time keep gentle pressure on him to try new things and experiences that I never thought he would do. They give your child the perfect blend support, encouragement, friendship and education and it’s very clear to see that they genuinely care for your child, which takes a lot of the parents’ anxiety about leaving them, away too.
J now comes in with a smile every day, he gets on much better with his sister and is more sociable and he actually enjoys going to “school” now. He has learnt so many new skills and I am just overwhelmed and genuinely moved by his progress since he has been here. TARGET is invaluable resource for SEN children and their families, and I am very grateful for them.
by JB
