James Brindley Academy is a specialist academy which provides a high quality education in a safe, supportive and aspirational environment for all children and young people unable to attend mainstream school because of health related or special educational needs. We provide education for children and young people aged 2 - 19 who are in hospital or unable to attend mainstream school due to their medical conditions or special educational needs. James Brindley Academy delivers education across 11 sites including teaching centres and hospitals throughout Birmingham. We were excited to be involved with Skills Builder Accelerator to make more of an emphasis to our young people of the essential skills they were developing with us. It was also a great platform for staff to create new opportunities for pupils and staff to build and showcase these skills.
The highlight for us this year has been the Take Over Day where pupils from all age ranges of the school took up leadership opportunities. Students applied for roles and were interviewed by the careers team for job roles within the school such as headteacher, caretaker and administration with a particular focus on highlighting which essential skills they would bring to the role. The Accelerator programme gave us the tools and understanding to develop opportunities for pupils. The biggest impact was around the off timetable days where pupils demonstrated the essential skills, such as the Take Over Day. These days created a real buzz around the school, with pupils talking about the essential skills they that had demonstrated. These conversations continued in the playground long after the lessons were over.