ASDAN is on a mission to engage, elevate and empower young people with diverse needs
ASDAN is an education charity and awarding organisation providing courses, accredited curriculum programmes and regulated qualifications to engage, elevate and empower young people aged 11 to 25 years with diverse needs.
We define diverse needs as those living in poverty, without support for their emotional and social needs, those with a special educational need or disability, those not engaged or succeeding in their education, who miss an English and/or Maths pass at 16 or subsequently, and who are at risk of becoming NEET.
Our goal is to engage them through relevant and motivating courses to achieve meaningful learning outcomes, which elevate them to go on to further education, training and work, and empower them to take control of their lives. We do this by developing courses with an accessible and practical pedagogy for learners; and by working with our partner educators to foster the personal, social and work-related abilities of young people in greatest need.
We know the development of personal, social and work-related abilities is vital for learners of all abilities because:
- strengthening these abilities supports academic and vocational learning
- they are particularly effective in re-engaging young people in greatest need
- they are important for accessing knowledge and skills at work
- they are especially important for entry level work
- they equip learners to live well and make full use of their abilities
We believe that young people should have the opportunity to discover, develop and make use of their abilities to affirm their identities, contribute to society, and challenge educational and social inequalities.
Our courses are designed to develop skills for learning, work and life, with practical and accessible pedagogy. They help young learners discover their passion and purpose as they move forward into further education, work or training.
Why choose ASDAN?
ASDAN has a successful history of working alongside mainstream and special schools, further education colleges, pupil referral units, local authorities and a variety of voluntary and community organisations across the UK and the rest of the world.
We value and celebrate a wide diversity of learners’ achievements, equipping them to develop their identities. We value their contributions to learning, work and society, supporting them to create the roles they want to play in the world.
Everything we do is underpinned by a commitment to promoting professional practice development for teachers and educators working with the young learners we are here to support.
What are programmes?
ASDAN offers a wide choice of activity-based programmes for learners working at a range of levels. More flexible than qualifications, our courses offer imaginative ways of developing, assessing and certificating young people’s knowledge and skills development.
Explore programmesWhat are qualifications?
ASDAN offers a range of nationally approved qualifications based around the development of personal, social and employability skills. Our qualifications are offered to learners working from Entry 1 up to Level 3.
Explore qualificationsASDAN's values
- We are proud to be a charitable organisation – we approach our work with integrity and aim to do the right things in the right ways for the right reasons
- We have ambitious plans for growth, but will only grow at a pace that guarantees our quality
- We strive to make effective use of technology in socially responsible ways.
- We seek to achieve diversity in our outlook, our people and our courses
- We are committed to ensuring equality of access and opportunity for learners, educators, our staff and trustees
- We work closely with educators, learners, employers and community organisations to keep our courses real and relevant
- We understand the challenges of teaching and the courage it requires, and aim to support educators in practical ways
- We work with all those who share our vision to help learners make full use of their abilities
- We aim to be good partners – locally, nationally and internationally
- We are future focused – committed to helping children and young people prepare for their adult lives
- We have a restless curiosity about effective pedagogy and assessment
Our values are the key beliefs and principles that people within ASDAN and our customers and partners consider important. They define the way we work.
ASDAN's educational principles
Our courses support children, young people and educators develop the confidence, self-esteem and resilience to enjoy and (sometimes) endure learning and to believe in themselves and the value of their learning.
We are dedicated to active, relevant and accessible learning; to developing curious, alert and daring learners.
We motivate and engage learners through making their progress visible and celebrating genuine achievements, early and often.
We want children, young people and educators to be creative in their learning lives and ambitious for the roles they play at home, at work, and in their communities.
At our best, we equip children, young people and educators to make full use of their talents and abilities as a force for good in the world.
Our educational principles underpin our approach to fostering the personal, social and work-related abilities of young learners.
Our starting point is to recognise that many learners experience barriers to learning.