Young people learn differently.
So we teach differently.
Thread is personal, creative, hands-on alternative provision for young people aged 9 to 16 who learn best by doing. Based in East Leeds, we work in person across Yorkshire and online across the UK. Small groups, real qualifications and a place where you truly belong.
It starts with you.
It ends somewhere real.
Every young person takes their own path, and every path ends somewhere real. Thread brings together accredited English, maths and business with the creative arts, plus the practical life skills to take it all into the real world and succeed. We put belonging, safety and confidence first, because when young people feel safe to be themselves, the learning follows.
Always small. Always personal.
The rest is their choice.
One-to-one, or a small group of no more than six. In person, online or a mix. Come and just be, join in with the community, sit exams in a room you know. Every young person decides.
maximum of 6
maximum of 6
Real qualifications.
Real recognition.
Young people who arrived anxious or switched off are now joining in, sitting exams and making work that gets noticed. Here’s what that looks like so far.
Every level from Discover to Silver, which is equivalent to a GCSE.
Levels 1 and 2, sat when ready at our approved Highfield exam centre, with readers and extra time where needed.
Work made at Thread was recognised nationally by the Royal Academy of Arts.
An approved provider on the council’s Inclusion Services Framework.
“She has come so far and now enjoying learning, which is massive for her.”Parent of a Thread young person
Hi, I’m Kerry.
I spent 14 years teaching art in secondary schools, as a Head of Year and a Head of Department. Again and again I watched brilliant young people switch off, not because they couldn’t learn, but because school didn’t fit them.
So I left to build something different. Thread is a place where belonging and safety come first, and the learning and qualifications follow. Every young person is an individual, so we teach them like one.
Kerry Thorpe, founder
- 14 years as a secondary art teacher
- Head of Year and Head of Department
- Arts Award adviser, Discover to Silver
- Functional Skills lead at our approved Highfield exam centre
Good questions. Straight answers.
Who is Thread for?
Young people aged 9 to 16 for whom school doesn’t quite work. The reasons are as individual as they are: SEND, ADHD, autism or AuDHD, dyslexia, anxiety, emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA), a health condition, or simply a classroom that doesn’t fit.
A word on SEND. It’s the term you’ll hear most, but we’d love to retire it. A label can open doors to support, but it should never define a young person or limit what they’re expected to achieve. At Thread, nobody is a category. Every young person is an individual, so we teach them like one.
Young people come to us through EOTAS (education other than at school), alternative provision, home education, or alongside school.
We’re also exploring a programme for 16 to 24 year olds who are not in education, employment or training (NEET).
What can young people learn and achieve?
Functional Skills Maths from Entry Level 3 to Level 2, with Functional Skills English coming soon, and Arts Award from Discover to Silver. Life skills and business are coming soon too. We’re an approved Highfield exam centre and a registered Arts Award centre with Trinity College London.
Are your qualifications as good as GCSEs?
They’re real, nationally regulated qualifications on the same framework as GCSEs. Functional Skills Maths Level 2 and Arts Award Silver are both Level 2, the same level as GCSE grades 9 to 4, and Level 2 Functional Skills is widely accepted by colleges, apprenticeships and employers in place of a GCSE grade 4. They aren’t identical to GCSEs, so if your young person has a particular course or career in mind, it’s worth checking its entry requirements. Business and life skills are coming soon too.
Where is Thread?
Our base is in Allerton Bywater, on the east side of Leeds in West Yorkshire, with easy links across Yorkshire, including York, Wakefield, Pontefract, Castleford, Selby and Harrogate. We also teach online across the UK, so young people can learn in person, online or a mix of both.
How big are the groups?
Always small. One-to-one, or a small group of no more than six.
When do young people sit their exams?
When they’re ready, not on a fixed date. Exams are sat in a room they know, with readers and extra time arranged for those who need them.
Can a school or council fund a place?
Often, yes. Thread is an approved provider on North Yorkshire Council’s Inclusion Services Framework. Ask your school or council to get in touch and we’ll arrange a call.
How much does it cost?
It depends on how your young person learns with us: in person or online, one-to-one or in a small group, and how often. Register your interest and we’ll talk it through with you.
Follow the journey
Come and grow with us.
Big things are happening behind the scenes. Follow along for sneak peeks, stories and news as Thread begins to grow.
