Success Stories

Having increased the choice and opportunities for the young people at Coln House School during the academic year 2011 – 2012, this had a great impact on the year 11 leavers. The impact came about through good academic teaching and learning and also the number of vocational opportunities offered. These opportunities came through internal and external sessions of work related learning, work experience and training courses. This, in addition to a solid foundation of good careers advice, gave them all the best possible chance of success when they left school. The result was over 70% of leavers gained college and/or training placements and some gained paid employment or a mixture of both.

Here are just some of the success stories:-

Two of our young learners last year worked hard when given work experience opportunities in areas of interest to them, which resulted in them also being able to attend an Agricultural Course at Hartpury College for one morning a week throughout year eleven. This proved to be of great success with one of them staying at the college after she left school in the Foundation Studies department. She is still attending regularly and studying hard to be successful.

Another young lady who attended Hartpury College and who had followed her dream of working with horses for a career, excelled in her work experience placement at a local riding stables near the school. After leaving school and completing her course at the college, still keen to realised her aspirations, she soon secured paid employment at another riding stables with live-in accommodation. This was made possible from her experience and skills gained.

We had two very able young men who have both accepted courses at Gloscol and are both doing very well with their studies and attending college regularly, one at Gloucester campus and one at Cheltenham campus.

The young man at Gloucester campus gained his place on a Performing Arts course by achieving a "C" grade in his English Language GCSE, attending courses at the Everyman Theatre and the National Star College. He worked hard which enabled him to take the first steps on the road of his chosen career path and maybe to become the next Simon Pegg!

The other young man walks to the Cheltenham campus to enable himself to be a regular attendee on his F2FEE course which he thoroughly enjoys. He has developed from a rather timid young pupil in our small school to a much more confident young man in a large main stream college. He is now beginning to flourish and is drawing on and using all the skills he gained at school, including the advice, support and guidance his careers sessions gave him, which is now moving him towards a successful career.

Here is TJ talking about life after Coln House

 JW is doing well. He decided college was not for him and has now enrolled with a training provider called Green Labyrinth in Cirencester under the Youth Contract. He attends two days per week and is undertaking various short courses to improve his long term employability. His tutor spoke to me yesterday about how well he is progressing with the coursework and complimenting him on his attitude to the provision. In addition to this JW has maintained a part time job in a local café each weekend. JW had secured a regular work placement with a landscaper but unfortunately due to illness the employer has had to postpone the start date of the placement. When that starts JW will be involved in positive activities almost every day of the week and is making a great start to his career. My hope is that he can secure a full time job by the time he turns 18.