Taking new directions: Students graduate from the Inspired Directions School

We waved goodbye to ten Year 11 students from the Inspired Directions School this July as they prepare to take their next steps, with an impressive number of students securing local college placements.

Staff and students gathered to celebrate their success as well as the progress made during their time at the school. Nine of our graduates will be going on to further education, studying for a range of vocations including Business Administration, Health and Social Care and Hair and Beauty.

Prior to arriving at Inspired Directions, our students were unable to receive the  support needed or had disengaged with education. Consequently, they had struggled to make progress and achieve their potential. Our dedicated staff have since supported them to explore their interests, develop their creativity and achieve core qualifications. One recent graduate, Gemma, expressed her gratitude at the help and encouragement she received: “The thing that has helped me most this year is the personal support the school has given me with my college application and exams.”

During their time at the school, students have been encouraged to consider their futures. Their  understanding of the world of work has increased through a range of enterprise projects and work experience opportunities. This year saw our largest intake, with 30 young people referred to us over the course of the year. This marks a significant change since our humble beginnings in 2009, when we began providing full-time education to just three students. We relocated to new facilities in March to accommodate this growth, and now have the space needed to run a varied and exciting curriculum.

We wish our leavers every success in their further studies, whilst offering ongoing support and interaction with the Inspire! community. “It has been a joy to watch our recent graduates develop in their time at Inspired Directions – they have all progressed personally, academically and socially” said Joel McIlven, our Head of School. “We look forward to hearing about how they get on with their next stages and the future successes that they are destined to have.”

To find out more about the alternative provision offered by the Inspired Directions school, please visit our webpage or contact the head teacher.