Proud to be a Wirral Guild Alternative Education Approved Partner

At Grow Wellbeing, we believe that every young person deserves an education that meets them where they are. For some, the traditional classroom isn’t the right fit. For others, life has thrown up barriers that make conventional schooling feel impossible. That’s why we’re proud to announce that we are now a Wirral Guild Alternative Education Approved Partner - a badge that reflects our commitment to delivering high-quality, safe and meaningful outdoor learning for young people across Wirral.

What the Wirral Guild Approval Means

The Wirral Guild of Alternative Education was established to ensure that young people who have disengaged, or are at risk of disengaging, from mainstream schooling have access to the best possible educational and therapeutic provision. Its vision is clear: “To ensure that young people have access to high quality education and learning opportunities within Alternative Education on Wirral”.

Being an Approved Partner means we have been rigorously assessed against the Guild’s core values and safeguarding expectations. All providers within the Guild are subject to agreed safeguarding processes and must meet Wirral’s safety expectations. For schools, parents, and young people, this approval is a mark of trust: it signals that our programmes are certified and of the highest standard.

Why This Matters for Wirral’s Young People

The Guild exists to promote the best quality educational and therapeutic provision to students who have disengaged; so they can achieve positive outcomes within a caring, supportive and safe environment. The Guild also works to reduce permanent exclusions and the stigma that too often accompanies them, ensuring that young people accessing alternative education have the same opportunities, qualifications and quality of experience as their peers.

For us at Grow, this aligns perfectly with our own mission: to help people reconnect with nature, community and their own agency through enjoyable, practical outdoor experiences. The Guild’s core values - a commitment to young people’s safety and wellbeing, positive regard and respect, holistic provision, and quality relationships - are the same values that underpin every session we run.

What Approved Provision Looks Like at Grow

Our flagship alternative provision offer is the Nature Resilience Toolbox, a small-group woodland programme designed for young people aged 11–18 who have found formal classroom provision problematic and who learn best by doing.

Held at Bidston Hill Woodland, the programme runs over six weeks and uses practical outdoor skills to build confidence, resilience, and next steps. Participants work towards a skills certificate while taking part in activities like fire lighting, safe tool use, shelter building, outdoor cooking, navigation, and woodland management - alongside games, challenges and time to relax in hammocks.

The programme is intentionally small, with a maximum of eight participants, so that every young person is seen, heard and supported. We begin with a two-hour taster session so participants can meet the group and try things out before committing to the full block.

Crucially, the Nature Resilience Toolbox is designed as an early-help programme. It is for young people who may be at risk of exclusion, disengagement or dropping out - those who need a different kind of environment to thrive. We welcome referrals from schools, alternative provision settings, Career Connect, community partners, home educators and self-referrals.

A Partnership Approach

The Guild model is built on partnership: schools, approved providers, students, parents, the local authority, and external agencies working together to deliver a broad curriculum offer. We are proud to be part of that collaborative effort, sharing best practice and contributing to a coordinated approach that puts young people first.

Looking Ahead

Being a Wirral Guild Alternative Education Approved Partner is not just a badge - it is a commitment. It means we will continue to be held to account through quality assurance, regular monitoring and a shared dedication to continuous improvement.

For us, it also means we can reach more young people who need what the outdoors offers: a chance to build skills, relationships and a sense of belonging. We know that when young people are given the right environment - one rooted in respect for self, nature, and others - small wins add up, confidence grows and doors open.

If you are a school, a parent, a carer or a young person wondering what comes next, we would love to talk. The Nature Resilience Toolbox is open for referrals, and we are always happy to discuss bespoke provision for those who fall outside our current age range.

Get in touch to find out more. Let’s grow something better, together.