Brook Academy

My name is Robyn-Lee Gibb and I am delighted to be starting as the Headteacher of Brook Academy. I have been working with young people with special educational needs and disabilities for 14 years. I am passionate about ensuring all young people have equal opportunities. I started my teaching career working in primary school mainstream and moved to working in specialist all through schools. Currently, I am working for Learn@ Multi Academy Trust running the Central Alternative learning provision for those who are struggling to access education in their current Academies.

I am particularly looking forward to working with the young people who will be joining Brook in September and their parents/ carers to shape the development of the academy as we work to build a thriving community and learning environment around the academy.

I am excited to share some news around Brook Academy. Many of you may know it is a new academy, with a specialist purpose-built building that is specifically designed to meet the needs of young people with education, health and care plans. Brook caters for secondary aged pupils from year 7 to year 11. Young people will have the same learning opportunities as their peers in mainstream schools however in addition to that young people will have access to a mechanics workshop onsite which includes a working garage, hair and beauty salon, extended music opportunities with a recording studio and a separate 1:1 music lesson space, extended art opportunities with a facility for pottery and art design. We have separate areas for KS3 and KS4 to have lunch and breaks with outdoor areas that will allow them to be physically active or relax in a calm space before lessons. There is a BMX track and a full-size rugby pitch where pupils can access PE lessons and after school activities. The site strives to be carbon neutral which means we have solar panels and the building is heated via a ground source heat pump. We will have electric charging points for use with school vehicles, members of staff and members of the public. We want to ensure we are doing our part to reduce our carbon foot print to ensure we are actively involved in reducing our impact on our planet.

Brook Academy will have 32 key stage 3 young people in the first year. We will have key stage 4 in the second year. We expect that the academy will have 80 young people with 40 staff by the 4^th year of being open.  There will be 8 young people in a class with up to 3 adults depending on the young people needs in the group. All young people will have access to speech and language interventions, specialist careers input and advance, support around mental health (school nurse and/or counselling depending on young person’s needs), occupational therapy in additional to this Brook will have a all year around family support worker.