Gallery

Our gallery shows a selection of photographs from across our Academy.

CEO’s Blog – A Celebration of Wellbeing

CEO’s Blog – A Celebration of Wellbeing

CEO's Blog - A Celebration of Wellbeing   This week, I attended a Trust Wellbeing Celebration, where colleagues from across our schools and settings shared the ways they promote welbeing for staff, students and families at their sites. This was a fantastic...

CEO Blog – 22.9.23

CEO Blog – 22.9.23

CEO Blog - 22.9.23   It's been another very busy week for everyone at New Bridge, and it has been so good to see how quickly all our staff and young people have settled into the routines of the new academic year. It is testament to the organisational skills of...

CEO Update – 15.9.23

CEO Update – 15.9.23

CEO Update - 15.9.23 As the second week of the year comes to a close, I wanted to give you all an update on where I’ve visited and what I’ve been up to so far. It has been a pleasure to meet some more of our dedicated staff, parents and partners of our wonderful Multi...

A message from our new CEO, Clare John

A message from our new CEO, Clare John

A message from our new CEO, Clare John   Hello and Happy Friday to you all, I hope the term has started well for you and your loved ones. I'm sure there have been plenty of nerves this week, but lots of excitment too, I hope. If you haven’t met me yet, or seen...

Summer Newsletters (July 2023)

Summer Newsletters (July 2023)   We have reached the end of another academic year! Please find all the latest newsletters from across the New Bridge Group and the New Bridge Multi Academy Trust here:   New Bridge Group New Bridge Group Summer Newsletter 2023...

Graham

I’ve moved offices again this week. I’m still at New Bridge but have transferred to the other side of a corridor.

My new office is approximately 1.5 metres by 2 metres – it used to be a cupboard! I’m feeling like a character in one of JK Rowling’s novels. It’s interesting that I appear to be moving to smaller and smaller accommodation, I hate to think what my next move will look like.

Anyway, while this week’s news has been dominated by Brexit, many of you may have missed the focus that the BBC has had on Alternative Provision. I watched quite a harrowing piece on an independent, alternative provision provider (available here).

I found it quite disturbing on a number of levels.

Firstly, these young people appear to have been so totally failed by the education system. I led some training on Tuesday evening at a high school in a neighbouring authority. We were able to explore the restrictions that mainstream schools are working under; the restrictions around what schools can now teach, the restrictions on when staff are able to intervene, the restrictions within the budget and the restrictions for staff to be able to spend time with children and young people to really get to know them. What amazed me was the massive financial amounts mentioned in the BBC film. They suggested that when the system fails the young people, the costs incurred (as the child becomes an adult) can easily total more than £400k. The economic cost doesn’t include the emotional turmoil that the young person will also, no doubt, go through.

Secondly, there appeared to be a lack of “risk taking” within the curriculum offer itself. Where are the pathways, the pre-internships, where is the community-based learning?

Some of these children and young people are the hardest to reach within our communities. I am a firm believer that the majority of solutions should be found within the state funded system, whether that be at mainstream schools, academies or at local authority Pupil Referral Units. We must “quality assure” provision for some of our most vulnerable people. The independent sector should be utilised to support where LAs and MATs do not have the appropriate provision – not for children and young people with low incidence disabilities or specific needs.

Have a great weekend everyone,

Graham

You can find all Graham’s previous blog entries here

Location

New Bridge Multi Academy Trust
Roman Road
Hollinwood
Oldham
OL8 3PH

School Hours

M-F: 8am – 4pm
Weekends: Closed

Phone & Email

0161 870 9386

info@newbridgegroup.org