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About Us
Kickstart is a key stage 4 (years 10 and 11) alternative provision based in Telford, and became part of the Learning Community Trust in September 2023.
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Kickstart Academy
Kickstart Academy is a key stage 4 (years 10 and 11) PRU based in Priorslee, Telford, and became part of the Learning Community Trust in September 2023.
We provide learning programmes for 60 students who are referred from within the Telford and Wrekin area.
This referral takes place through the well-established Fair Access Process (FAP), due to behaviour concerns, being at risk of permanent exclusion, or those that are permanently excluded from school.
We pride ourselves in supporting students with a wide range of special educational needs, including Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) difficulties, language and learning needs and neurodevelopmental conditions, such as Autism and ADHD. The support students receive from the academy is intended to support our students to return to mainstream education. Where this is not viable, students remain with us, and we look to achieve the best possible outcomes for them.
Our ethos at Kickstart is for students to learn and develop as a young person in the most positive way possible, we pride ourselves on giving students the opportunity to better themselves.
Our core curriculum includes mathematics, English and reading. This curriculum delivers knowledge-rich content to enable students to gain GCSE qualifications in preparation for a successful transition into post 16 destinations.
Our personal development curriculum focuses on relationships, sex and health education, British values, citizenship, civic competence, digital literacy, careers education, Duke of Edinburgh and online safety education which permeates through the curriculum to prepare our students for life as young adults. Students also develop their home cooking skills and nutrition knowledge to prepare for independence in adulthood.
Students choose options to develop their skills and interests which prepare them for future careers. Subjects including sport, creativity and project enterprise, and hair & beauty are designed to support their next steps beyond school and into adulthood.
We have individual subject teachers, support staff, and highly experienced teaching assistants. All students are encouraged to take a range of examinations, which best meet their needs, from the adaptive curriculum. Each student will have an individual curriculum specifically designed by the experienced staff team.
Safeguarding is at the heart of all that we do, to ensure that our students are safe and can enjoy their education. Kickstart Academy prides itself on its close working relationships with parents/carers and good communications between home and academy happens on a daily basis.
There is a strong academy culture of wanting the very best for our students and being ambitious for students’ outcomes. As an academy, staff go the extra mile to ensure our students have successful lives and are well prepared for their next steps.
Here at Kickstart, we have a 3-tiered approach to our educational offer for students. Through our induction process we gather as much information as possible about each student. This allows us to plan a bespoke learning package of support for each student, ensuring that we effectively meet the needs of all learners.
‘Kickstart 1 Endeavour’ is a warm and welcoming learning environment. We have 5 classrooms, a small IT suite, a small gym area, and an outside courtyard. We have a team of teaching staff who deliver lessons in their specialist subject. Each class is also supported by a Teaching Assistant to further facilitate learning.
There are 3 classes per year with up to 8 students in each class. Students are organised allied to prior attainment. Students will have been in receipt of high levels of support for behaviour, learning and attendance in their home school.
‘Kickstart 2 Empower’ is a nurturing SEMH base with 3 supportive members of staff, including a lead teacher, teaching assistant and learning mentor. This small setting offers a safe secure classroom, with IT facilities. There is also a small on-site kitchenette area which is used to deliver our home cooking qualification and support our preparation for adulthood offer. There are lots of opportunities for reward activities and sporting activities throughout the week.
‘Kickstart 3 Emerge’ and ‘Kickstart 4 Engage’ programmes are learning packages that may be offered as a hybrid approach within the home or at a community venue. Within Kickstart Academy there are 12 places for students with identified complex behaviour needs which include high risk management and wider multi agency intervention.
Across all Kickstart pathways we provide a high standard of pastoral care and safeguarding. All students also have access to our academy SENDCo to support any additional needs. We offer a careers programme and work closely with career agencies who support students to explore options and make decisions regarding post-16 pathways.
