Pictured above: John Truslove (centre) with teacher
John Bates, pupils Jordan Bettis and Darcy Goodyear, and head
teacher Tania Craig.
A special secondary school for pupils with behavioural
difficulties has launched a pilot scheme to work with partners in
the Midland automotive industry to train its pupils in car
maintenance.
One of the first tasks will be to build in its new workshop a
racing go-kart, fast enough to compete in the Unipart 2010 Go-Kart
Championships.
The Kingfisher School at Redditch has acquired a 2,475 sq ft
workshop with K F Alliance Engineering Ltd on the Enfield
Industrial Estate, in a deal arranged by business property
consultants John Truslove.
The majority of the 56 pupils are boys, but all of the girls who
attend the school will also have the opportunity to participate in
the training scheme.
Head teacher Mrs Tania Craig said: "All our pupils have
experienced a wide range of difficulties in mainstream schools
prior to joining Kingfisher but many are flourishing now they are
in a special educational environment."
She added: "We are now seeking employer partners in the Midlands
to work with us to provide workplace secondments and teaching
input. We think this a very innovative scheme and we are optimistic
it will be a sustainable programme. Certainly the challenge of
building a racing machine and then seeing it compete at a national
level will be a tremendous stimulus and very exciting."
John Bates, teacher of motor mechanics at the workshop said:
"Our workshop will give these youngsters the opportunity to learn a
technical trade and they will go through the NVQ system leading to
employment in the automotive industry".
John Truslove said: "Many of the pupils at Kingfisher School
have had some involvement with a range of different agencies
including social care and the Youth Offending service, but they are
now being nurtured in an atmosphere of special care and
attention.
"This new scheme is just what the youngsters at the school need
and I hope local employers who are in a position to assist John
Bates will do so."