Context

Stopsley High School is a secondary school in Luton serving a diverse community. Like many schools, Stopsley High School has already established an internal alternative provision – an inclusion support base within its wider inclusion strategy – to support pupils to stay in school and reduce lost learning. Whilst it was having some success, there was a sense amongst school leaders that it could do even better.

In April 2025, Headteacher Karen Hand attended The Difference conference on Internal Alternative Provision. The event prompted a fresh look at Stopsley High School’s approach and sparked some ideas of how to strengthen their model.

Partnering with The Difference

Following the conference, Stopsley High School partnered with The Difference to re-examine the purpose, structure and delivery of their internal provision, developing a clearer whole school inclusion strategy with a focus on inclusion, achievement and belonging.

This collaborative work proved creative and developmental for staff across the school. It created space to rethink how the support base functioned day to day, and how it connected to the wider school culture.

From provision to programme: Connexions

As a result, Stopsley High School rebranded and redesigned its internal alternative provision as Connexions: a six-week intervention programme delivered through an inclusion base with a clear focus on achievement.

Key features of Connexions include:

• A defined six-week structure with clear entry and exit points
• Lessons delivered by the school’s most experienced middle leaders
• A strong academic curriculum alongside a deliberate focus on personal development
• An explicit emphasis on pupils’ sense of belonging to the school community

This shift has from the provision being seen as a space to a programme has been one of the most profound changes. It’s clarified how teachers, pupils and parents perceive it, changing how they engage with it.

Impact on pupils, staff and families

The difference in the learning environment is noticeable, too. Staff report that the experience of walking into Connexions – the school’s inclusion support base – now feels markedly different from before: calmer, more focused and more purposeful.

Pupils are receiving a high-quality educational experience and are strengthening their sense of belonging at school, which was a central design principle of the new model. Relationships with families have also improved, supported by clearer communication and shared goals for pupils’ progress.

Beyond the programme itself, Connexions is helping to build staff capacity across the school. Teachers are developing their practice and confidence in working with pupils who are struggling, strengthening inclusive approaches in mainstream classrooms and supporting the school’s wider whole school inclusion strategy.

Early outcomes and next steps

Although the work is still at an early stage, initial indicators are positive. Suspensions across the school are lower this year than last, suggesting that the redesigned approach is beginning to have an impact beyond the programme itself and helping reduce lost learning.

Stopsley High School’s next ambition is to share its model more widely across Luton, working collaboratively with other schools to strengthen inclusion and support the development of inclusion bases and specialist bases across the local system – ensuring every child has the support they need to belong, achieve and thrive.