• Alternative provision was the key to helping some pupils back into mainstream education and to preventing others from being excluded.
• The proactive, individual support has proved invaluable in enabling the young people to develop key social skills and achieve success in school.
• The project has helped to support vulnerable pupils in the transition from primary to secondary school.
• The sense of a common purpose and the belief in what Hut 9 is striving to achieve has built strong working relationships between staff from different agencies.
• Hut 9 staff can now access training opportunities available to Forres Academystaff, and more formal training leads to better qualified staff.  

Areas of concern

The main areas of concern relate to the following.

• The lack of sustainable funding puts pressure on staff who are uncertain of what their future prospects. This can divert their attention from the young people.
• The review of the project indicates that more could be done to provide awareness-raising and training amongst those not directly involved. This would enable the vision of Hut 9 to be more widely appreciated.
• The success of the scheme has attracted interest from outwith the catchment area. There are other schools that would like to benefit from Hut 9's facilities without contributing to its costs. 

Future plans

• In-house training of teachers in alternative ways of dealing with young people with behavioural difficulties. Teachers will also be encouraged to share specific teaching skills with other professionals.
• Hut 9 and Forres Academystaff are currently looking at ideas for widening the provision to cater for a broader range of young people.
• Sustainable funding is essential to maintaining and expanding the provision, and to ensuring the security of staff.
• Better facilities are planned – including a bigger kitchen.