THE PATCH PROJECT
NATURE, NURTURE, NOURISH
What We Offer
Our mission at The Patch Project is to understand and meet the individual needs of students to enable them to re engage, remember their love of learning and life and achieve their potential.
We work collaboratively with students, their families, schools and other professionals to promote an inclusive, bespoke and flexible programme based at our Environmental Education Centre in Branscombe, Devon.
Our Programme works on a 1:1 or small group basis, focusing on hands on, experiential and choice driven activities, helping students to develop passions, interests, trust, resilience, interaction and communication skills, relationships and self- esteem.
GROWING
With access to extensive land students are guided and encouraged to undertake a range of projects related to growing and cultivating; developing and caring for ecosystems and using homegrown produce to set up sustainable enterprises.
PRACTICAL LIFE SKILLS
Some core values of the Patch Project are collaboration, empowerment and making connections. Students develop practical skills in the kitchen, as well as cultivating food, earth and body connection.
EDUCATION
With over 80 years of combined teaching experience, our education centre also provides numeracy and literacy sessions on a 1:1 basis where students are enabled to engage, participate and contribute to their learning. This teaching and learning is also consolidated within the wider practical programmes in real life contexts.
SELF ESTEEM
The Patch Project nurtures positive social, emotional & mental health, whilst developing speech, language and communication skills.Our programme works on a 1:1 or small group basis, focusing on hands on, experiential and choice driven activities, helping students to develop functional language skills, passions, interests, trust, resilience, relationships, social skills and increased self- esteem.
About The Patch Project
Our Education Centre is based on a 4 acre site in Branscombe, East Devon with a well established woodland, rich in biodiversity, as well as large and productive fruit and vegetable allotments. These wonderful facilities allow students to access a range of eco therapy, artistic, practical and curriculum based activities. We also have access, through the Village Hall, to small quiet learning spaces, tennis courts and an indoor kitchen. Just a short walk away is the beach which lends itself to a plethora of further opportunities for our students.
"Hazel taught my son Isaac from January until July for 15 hours per week. Initially it was for Maths, English and Science. During this time she taught him much more than that, incorporating life skills. She managed it in a way that Isaac didn’t even realise he was learning. It was through general conversation that would include World News and she would listen to his opinions, ask him thought provoking questions that would sometimes happen during a game of table tennis, whilst cooking or when they were sat at his desk.
Hazel has a quality about her that made Isaac open up to her if he felt his life was particularly tough at any point. Sometimes he wouldn’t talk but this was always ok with her. She never pushed him to do anything he felt he couldn’t do at that particular time but somehow managed it at a later date. Her patience seemed to be endless but she always got a result.
Isaac is now a confident happy young man that has just done his GCSEs and is starting college in September. He has a part time job which he had to train and sit a qualification for. I can categorically say that a lot of this was down to Hazel’s understanding that
all children learn in different ways. However, Isaac will always beat her at table tennis!" - Colleen, H (Parent)