New Horsham service to help pupils who can’t attend school

Kat Perry launched Learn with Confidence this September and is now teaching more than 40 hours a week on a drop in basis.

She said: “It was set up as a response to a community need that I witnessed over the last six years working as a teacher in and around Horsham – especially seeing that my days were getting fuller as I was being contacted by parents looking to find an alternative to mainstream school.”

Kat added that her service provides for students who can’t attend school owing to social, emotional and mental health challenges.

Learn with Confidence recently become a tuition partner with an exam board which means students can take exams without being part of a school.

The service is currently privately funded by families but Kat hopes this can be subsidised in the future.

She said she is in the process of turning Learn with Confidence into a not-for-profit social enterprise to ensure it runs for the needs of the community rather than any shareholders.

Kat added: “I am currently in the process of working alongside West Sussex County Council to accept EHCP [Education, Health and Care plan] funding too, which means families who have access to government funding can use us too.

“Every student has a personalised timetable catering for the subjects they want to study, and access either individual or very small group tuition with our fully qualified and experienced teachers.

“We’re trying to keep people in education that might otherwise fall through the system and otherwise leave having few qualifications.

“I know there are many families looking for alternative provisions in Sussex, and really would love to be able to help as many of these families as possible.”

Learn with Confidence carries out consultations with families and students to ensure they are in a position to help them.

Kat added: “We don’t really just take on the student we take on the entire family.

“I’m really enjoying this challenge of providing this service to the students that need it.

“I’ve got a really lovely team of tutors. As a team of people it’s just really nice to see it as a family who are all on the same page wanting the same thing for those students who have really struggled with school.”

For more information about Learn with Confidence including the lvels and subjects which are taught see learnwithconfidence.co.uk