Waverley Action for Youth Services (POEM) is an independent school at WAYS Youth Services for students who have been disconnected from mainstream education. The students often face a number of barriers to education including long term patterns of truancy, significant numeracy and literacy gaps and classroom management skill deficiencies.
Students can complete Year 9, with an emphasis on numeracy and literacy and computer skills, as foundation subjects to assist with their transition back to mainstream education or onto other vocational training options.
The school aims to create a community of young people who are aware, informed, and able to make healthy lifestyle choices about their education and vocational options, recreational activities, health and well being, in order to assist them to participate in society in a meaningful way.
The school achieves its mission by providing a supportive, adventurous and flexible learning environment that helps young people address the barriers to education they may be facing. Students work on individual learning plans which cater to their individual needs, abilities and interests. The school has high staff to student ratios and individual support that enables learning to begin again, problem solving skills to be developed and the pattern of academic underachievement interrupted. There are a maximum of 15 students enrolled in the school at any one time.
