Skills for life
Education
New Meaning Foundation offers a range of alternative and further education programmes for people aged
14-16, 16-19, 19+
Getting a vocation can be hard. For young people it might be that the formality and structure of mainstream education didn’t work out for them, which might have led to low attainment and engagement. Coming away from school without the normal progression pathway keys, like English and Maths qualifications, can mean that people feel that doors are closed to them. It can be expressed as disinterest and negativity or it could be a sense of hopelessness, but the reality for many is that they’ve not yet tuned into something that works for them. It’s like something needs to flick the switch. Or it may be that there have been other life experiences that have been blocking their path.
For adults the barriers to work might have begun when they were young, or it may be that life has been challenging more recently. The reasons are always complex.
New Meaning Foundation is experienced with working with these people and we believe we can help them to fulfil their potential. We patiently work in a holistic way to understand their barriers to learning and to work out a way forward. We want to help learners to be inspired about possibilities and opportunities and then to see that they can take more control of their future.
For 14-16 year olds our Alternative Provision involves partnering with the school the young person is registered with. For 16-19 year olds we offer a year-long further education accredited programme as an alternative to sixth form college. For adults we have a range of options including some of the year-long courses as well as short courses in tiling, carpentry and painting. Everyone deserves the chance to learn to earn.
Programmes
Work & Study
Covering Cambridge and Suffolk
Support finding a long-term work placement
Employability Skills
Functional Skills
Carpentry & Joinery
At Waterbeach
Foundations for Future
Preparations for adulthood
Relationship, Employment & Independent Living Skills
Online Safety & ICT Skills
Want to make a referral to us?
Click on the button below to download our admissions form and risk assessment
Work & Study Programme
Covering Cambridge and Suffolk
16-19 year olds can attend a work experience placement of their choice for 39 weeks at 15+ hours per week, with a New Meaning Mentor helping to support them adjust and learn new workplace habits. Alongside this experience, our trainees can qualify in English, Maths and Employability Skills between Entry 3 and Level 2 with one-to-one, safe, supportive tutoring each week.
Experienced tutors help young people to work out what they want to do and then get them started with real, on-the-job learning. These Work & Study programmes have a proven track record and are successful due to the perfect mix of work experience along with one-to-one peripatetic tuition on employability skills and to get those crucial Maths and English qualifications.
Carpentry & Joinery
Waterbeach
If you don’t or didn’t fit in at school or college, our informal, small group training centre might suit you. Better still, we have live build works so your learning can be applied to real work. We build small, modern, modular homes to a high quality, low carbon standard at our workshop – The Rubb Building – at Waterbeach Barracks. These homes are used as a training model to help you gain experience and skills in construction in a safe, friendly, informal team.
A training course with live build* work experience built in. Working in small teams, this Carpentry & Joinery Diploma includes health and safety, construction multiskills, sustainability, erecting access equipment and preparing and using portable power tools.
*Our “Live Builds” might be for SPACE Micro-homes for homeless people, Mojo Space Garden Studios for charity customers or similar projects.
Foundations for Future
A differentiated pathway that has been developed based on the Preparing for Adulthood Framework. It is based on elements of the long-established proven programmes “PALS – Proactive Life Skills” and “PAWS – Proactive Work Skills” developed by New Meaning in 2006. Includes Functional and Living Skills and is designed to help young people aged 14+ (whether or not they are an EHCP holder) to prepare for living in the real world. Some aspects of this modular programme might be eligible for full funding for 19+ year olds. Ask us for more information.
A differentiated pathway that has been developed based on the Preparing for Adulthood Framework. It incorporates elements of the long-established proven programmes “PALS – Proactive Life Skills” and “PAWS – Proactive Work Skills” developed by New Meaning in 2006. Includes Functional and Living Skills and is designed to help young people aged 14+ (whether or not they are an EHCP holder) to prepare for living in the real world.
Short Vocational Courses
for Adults in Cambridge
Vocational and purposeful programmes that help to
support people over 18 into meaningful work or further training
Qualifications for young people in Cambridge and beyond
Download detailed guidance on our qualifications 2022-2023
Operation Encompass
Operation Encompass is a charitable organisation set up in 2011. It has since enabled effective interventions to many thousands of children who’ve experienced domestic abuse.
We are registered with it as an education setting in Cambridgeshire. To learn more go to operationencompass.org
Our Partners
Find out more about
New Meaning Foundation
Find us
Address
Waterbeach Barracks
Denny End Road
Waterbeach
Cambridge
