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Special Education Needs & Vocational Learning with David Cowell
Description
Welcome back to Season 6! My guest today is David Cowell, Managing Director of ALP Schools, which runs special educational needs independent schools, funded by the local authority.
These five schools are for young people between the ages of 6-19 and 25 who have diagnosed special educational needs.
In this episode, we dive into:
- The potential link between criminal behavior and the kind of educational opportunities we provide for young people.
- What the purpose of education is.
- Providing other learning opportunities for young people who find traditional education challenging.
- How and why, David opened ALP The Lodge.
- The benefits and impact of vocational learning and outdoor learning for those with special educational needs.
- Creating outdoor curriculums.
- PSHE in the outdoors.
- A special focus on our new Paddleboard Project.
- The Rise in SEN figures in England.
Show Notes:
https://theoutdoorteacher.com/podcasts/episode-41-david-cowell-alp-schools/
Music by Geoff Robb: www.geoffrobb.com
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Mentioned in this episode:
The Advanced Certificate in Forest School and Outdoor Learning
https://theoutdoorteacher.com/certificate/
The Green Health Virtual Gathering 2026
Embedding Nature in Practice - From Vision to Delivery This gathering brings together psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists, GPs, allied health professionals and NHS leaders exploring how nature-informed approaches can be implemented safely and credibly within real-world healthcare settings. https://circleofliferediscovery.com/gathering