Loughborough’s Pathways CIC becomes first local provider to offer A-Levels in alternative education
A Loughborough-based education provider is being celebrated as a regional trailblazer after becoming the first alternative provision in the area to offer A-Level courses for young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs).
Pathways Provision CIC, a not-for-profit organisation based in the heart of Loughborough, has expanded its offer to include A-Levels in Psychology, Sociology and Maths. This gives students who are unable to access mainstream college or sixth form a genuine academic route towards higher education.
Traditionally, students in alternative education settings face limited academic options once they finish their GCSEs. Many are directed into vocational training or life-skills programmes, even if they are capable of more.
Pathways Provision is changing that and giving local young people the chance to keep dreaming big.
“Just because a student doesn’t thrive in a mainstream setting doesn’t mean they don’t have aspirations,” says Victoria, founder of Pathways Provision CIC. “We’re here to show them that university is still possible. Their future isn’t limited. It’s just beginning.”
A local CIC making a big difference
This new academic offering is part of Pathways’ wider commitment to providing inclusive, personalised and meaningful support for young people aged 14 to 25 with SEND, SEMH and complex needs. Alongside A-Level study, learners can access therapeutic mentoring, work experience, independence training and functional qualifications.
Victoria explains: “We want our students to have the same choices as anyone else. Offering A-Levels gives them back that choice. It opens up a world of opportunity and helps rebuild belief in what they are capable of.”
The long-term impact of this kind of support goes far beyond academic results. Students develop confidence, motivation and self-worth. They leave not just with qualifications but with a renewed sense of who they are and what their future could look like.
For many families across Leicestershire, Pathways Provision has already made a huge difference. For some, it has provided the only educational environment where their child has felt safe, seen and understood.
Changing futures, one student at a time
With the number of young people on EHCPs rising year after year and mainstream colleges struggling to meet their needs, this kind of provision is more important than ever.
Victoria adds: “We’ve seen students go from feeling completely lost to achieving qualifications they never thought they could. That kind of transformation stays with them for life. It changes the course of their future.”
Whether a student wants to go to university, run their own business or simply gain the skills to live more independently, Pathways Provision CIC is showing what is possible when young people are given the right support, at the right time, in the right environment.