P.A.S.T WAYS

OUR STORY

P.A.S.T Ways is a charity that was established in 2012. We are based in Ecclesfield but support children, young people and families across Sheffield. We prioritise the Emotional Health and Wellbeing (EHWB) as well as the social development and nurturing of the students we teach. Our belief is that before a young person can focus on their educational development and look forward to their future, they must feel safe, secure and cared for. With this in mind we teach in fun, interesting and engaging ways with a family-style ethos to foster the key elements needed for young people to be able to concentrate on their education. 

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Our purpose is to provide social, emotional, educational support and guidance to young people and their families. We aim to help people overcome adversity and focus on their personal and academic growth, offering a safe place for learners who are not coping well in mainstream education. 

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Our number one value is listening. We listen to young people and their families, raising aspirations, self esteem and self belief. Supporting the growth of all these things in our learners helps them to become strong, happy and productive members of the community. Our relaxed, family-style atmosphere takes away the pressure, and often results in happier, less stressed students that are able to learn better and have overall better behaviour. Lessons are also facilitated with team building games and discussions, working in this way means students reengage with a structured lesson more easily when they are ready. 

PAT BOOTH

Managing Director (Designated Safeguarding Lead),
Pat has over 30 years' experience working with young people and families in this area. Pat grew up in the area and started  this project, from scratch, as a labour of love, she is a strong leader for our staff team and loves helping students develop their skills.

SARAH MORTON

Deputy Manager, Teaching staff, (Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead). Sarah has over 10 years of experience working with young people and helps to provide a safe, fun and engaging environment for young people to learn in.

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TEACHING STAFF TEAM

Our main teaching staff that you will see day to day at P.A.S.T Ways. Jess, Jade and Christine bring their wealth of academic qualifications and personal experience into the classroom. They strive to make learning fun and understand all our students' individual learning styles.

VOLUNTEER TEAM

Our amazing volunteers that you will see often here at P.A.S.T Ways. Each have their own experiences to share with young people, some have previously been students of the project themselves, bringing a unique perspective.

LINKS WITH SHEFFIELD UNIVERSITIES

University students complete placements at P.A.S.T Ways as part of their ongoing progression and training to become future teachers, social workers, counsellors, along with many other roles that involve working with young people.

BEHIND THE SCENES TEAM

As we are a charity, we are supported by many people behind the scenes, they are made up of a board of professionals. Much of their work is unseen, yet vital to the project.  They take care of all the technicalities and support the project in its day to day running.

FOR ALL STUDENTS

All our students have a learning package that is tailored to their needs, abilities and progression routes. We work in tandem with schools, using resources such as online learning, to keep students on track and make sure they are able to sit their SATs and GCSEs, as well as any other achievement tests, such as Wide Range Achievement Tests (WRAT).  We also offer flexible hours for students who struggle with full days at school, P.A.S.T.ways will facilitate and encourage the student to work up to attending full days.

We give all our students our best care and guidance to help them progress onto the next stages of their educational career. We prioritise emotional and social wellbeing, while providing each young person with an age and ability appropriate curriculum, making sure they do not fall behind in their educational work. We have a range of classrooms that provide different working environments to suit each student.

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Each student has the opportunity to take part in the AQA Unit Award Scheme, helping them to build knowledge and skills in a portfolio of certificates. We also run team building exercises and outdoor work to build social skills, communication and teamwork. 

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Additionally, we work closely with schools to support the writing of My Plans as well as Educational Healthcare Plans (EHCP). 

FOR ALL PARENTS

It can be a hard job to be a parent, so we encourage parents to keep open contact with us. Our staff have many years of experience and can put parents in touch with other services and agencies, as well as just lending a listening ear. Keeping us involved with the care of your child outside of school will allow us to provide better care and approach them with more understanding.

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P.A.S.T.ways can help to be a bridge between parents and school. 

FOR SECONDARY STUDENTS

The majority of our students are secondary school age. With each year group we make sure we teach their curriculum so they do not risk falling behind. Our priorities and aims for each student are individual to them, however, we do have collective priorities depending on what year a student is in.

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For our year 7 and 8 students the priority is looking at and working through any emotional needs or any underlying needs that my not have been identified, for example investigating behaviour that could be linked to autism or ADHD (amongst others) and working towards a diagnosis. We try to understand why students are not doing as well in mainstream education as their peers and what the best strategy for reintegration would be.

Our year 9 and 10 students will be introduced to GCSE material and we will work with them to  understand and overcome any concerns they might have. 

We continue working on emotional and social skills as, if these needs are not met, then students won't be able to fully concentrate on learning.

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Year 11 students will be prepared for their GCSEs, given careers advice and assistance to fill in collage applications. We support our year 11s in a stressful and worrying time giving emotional and practical support so they can make the next move in their educational and professional career. 

FOR POST 16 STUDENTS

Post 16 students focus on completing coursework and passing any upcoming exams. We focus on employability skills, life skills and emotional well-being. We appreciate this can be a stressful and confusing time and our staff aim to help students think positively about their future and the paths they can take.

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Additionally, post 16 students have the opportunity to become learning mentors to primary students, helping with their work, teaching responsibility and giving a confidence boost.