Ms Lucianne Bird:

The structure is there and is strong, but it is not interfering with students as they progress through their programme of learning and education. It is not an unstructured environment. It is that we structure things differently.

It is based on where the person is at. People can come in at different times. It is not about starting in September and working all the way through. This means people are at different stages in their learning journey. The classroom itself is small. There are about 12 people in each different classroom, if we can imagine it that way. Everyone is moving through the modules and learning in his or her own way, with individual supports built around him or her. The key thing, and Ms Healy captured it well, is that it is a supportive environment and one where people feel psychologically safe. People talk about belonging and being able to take off their masks for the first time when they come into NLN. They are then able to seek the supports they need to thrive, engage and progress in their an educational journey. Our approach is very much structured around building a different environment, one that feels different to the students.