Our impact in 2024/25
We supported 648 vulnerable young people to make positive changes in their lives.
That’s a 42% increase in the number of young people helped since 2023/24.
After attending a SLTH Therapy or Education programme:
93% of young people said they had more confidence in their abilities
93% said their teamwork skills had improved
88% said their communication skills had improved
213 young people achieved a qualification
100% of referring staff agreed that help provided by SLTH was good
100% of referring staff and parents said that ability of young people to manage relationships with their peers had improved
In 2024/25, 81% of young people reported improvement in all three personal development goals set.
This data comes from the goal-based outcomes model, which is the mental health outcomes model of choice for the NHS and CAMHS.
At the start of each programme young people set three personal goals for what they would like to achieve as a result of the programme. These are based on what changes would make the biggest positive impact on their lives at the time.
They rate themselves for these goals at the start and end of the programme on a scale of 0-10.
Personal goals are categorised under the following areas:
The view from young people
“This is a very peaceful place. I feel happy here 💛 Horses are nature's healers 💛 I hope many young people find healing here 💛
It has helped me get out of my house when I hadn’t for years.
I have learnt more about horses and an improvement in my mental health and anger too. Remember when I arrived, I was ALWAYS angry? My favourite horse is Tilly, I feel like I taught her as much as she taught me. I helped her adjust better when she was new and was among the first to study her temperament. Hopefully, now she can be less scared around others.
I would say I have learnt to manage frustrations better than before. My experience at SLTH was a learning curve to say the least. From learning to communicate and work better with my peers to managing my anger and improving my mental overall health. I would say that these all fall under the category of “skills” and important life skills. Especially for a professional career and work life”
What our client groups say
SLTH has been a fantastic experience for my students. The staff and horses have helped their confidence and self-esteem. They have enjoyed the sessions thoroughly. Roxeth Primary School
This service is so good. The staff are excellent – calm, clear, confident and caring. The amount of activity and stimulus is well-judged, and if/when a child is dysregulated, they handle it really well...The staff are amazing, very knowledgeable and excellent with our challenging children. PEARS
I really recommend this provision; I have seen a difference in our pupils in multiple ways. Especially their confidence and teamwork. Saracens Therapy Group
Parent’s reactions
I just wanted to say a huge thank you for the care, thought and sensitivity you put into working with X, When he first joined SLTH he was very low and struggling both mentally and physically. These sessions gave him a reason to leave his bedroom, a sense of structure to his week and an additional purpose. I have seen him gain in social confidence and self-esteem as a result of what he has achieved with the horses - it has been a tangible change in him and has given him a space to be himself that is not school or home.
You've been so accommodating of his needs and considerate of his social and emotional development. It was the right intervention at the right time and I cannot recommend this approach enough, especially for young people who are reluctant to open up in traditional forms of talk therapy.
Halving the attainment gap at Strength and Learning Through Horses
We believe our work aligns with the government’s targets to halve the attainment gap for children and young people.
The schools white paper proposes reforms in several areas;
Raising attainment and reducing absence
Halving the attainment gap between disadvantaged children and their peers at GCSE
Raising attainment so that, on average, children leave compulsory education with GCSEs at grade 5
Reducing school absence by 1.3 percentage points, to 5.85% by the 2028 to 2029 academic year, equivalent to 20 million more days in school
The Alternative Provision (AP) at SLTH is committed to closing this attainment gap and we have developed our offer to a provision operating four days a week. 51% of the young people who attend our provision are in receipt of Free School Meals, a widely recognised indicator of socioeconomic disadvantage. This means that the majority of the young people we support are statistically at greater risk of underachievement and reduced life chances. Closing the gap for them is both a moral responsibility and a practical priority.
Incorporating literacy and numeracy in practical ways
An integral way we work to improve young people’s attainment is by incorporating literacy and numeracy within our practical sessions. Rather than teaching skills in isolation, we integrate reading, writing, measuring, calculating, and problem solving into real life activities.
Activities may include;
Preparing the horses’ feed where quantities and ratios are calculated
Measuring the height of horses and watching them being weighed
Completing risk assessments, tests or doing oral presentations to a group
Creating feeding plans for bespoke horses
Learning is engaging, relevant, and memorable and works for young people who struggle in traditional classroom environments. We are now also offering Functional Skills in English and Maths from Entry Level through to Level 2. This provides young people with the opportunity to gain recognised qualifications in a setting where they feel emotionally safe, supported, and able to learn. For many of our learners, confidence and regulation are the barriers to achievement and by addressing emotional wellbeing first, we unlock their academic potential.
Empowering young people through qualifications
Our educational offer empowers young people to achieve accredited qualifications and develop the skills required to ultimately successfully engage in education, volunteering, or employment.
An ambitious approach that builds confidence
The offer is ambitious for young people and boosts self esteem, with a view to creating a mindset of “Anything is Possible” and improving the long term trajectory of young lives.
Practical, accessible learning
Sessions are practical, involving hands on learning with all the theory taught in a practical, accessible way, without the need for classroom based work, where students struggle to engage in classroom settings.
Closing the attainment gap is about more than data. It is about young people and their future life chances and SLTH can help each young person realise their full potential.
