A New Dawn for Solihull Young Learners
At Solihull Alternative Provision Multi Academy Trust, we are proud to launch the first ever Primary Alternative Provision in Solihull: Apollo Centre.
We were delighted to be joined at our opening ceremony on Friday the 15th of November, by the Mayor of Solihull: Shahin Ashraf MBE, who cut the ribbon officially launching Apollo.
We also welcomed more than 60 visitors throughout the day: including local headteachers, SENCo’s and support staff from Lyndon School, Windy Arbor, Bishop Wilson and Our Lady of the Wayside among others. Along with SAPMAT staff, trustees and guests from the local authority, as well as various agencies & children’s services, we celebrated this momentous occasion with tremendous gratitude, excitement and plenty of balloons.
Mayor Ashraf commented that it was the most important thing she had done all week and expressed how vital it is that we are opening such a facility for children who may not get a second chance otherwise. We were delighted to receive an invitation from her for our children to visit Solihull Civic Hall for a tour, later in the school year.
Indeed, she was not the only one to praise Apollo’s efforts thus far. A Local Authority representative shared that: “The child-centric approach and the involvement of the parents was, quite simply, outstanding!”
Solihull Parent Carer Voice commented: “Apollo is a fantastic place with a wonderful team of really dedicated staff who want to help children have a positive way forward.”
Parents too, have fed back through the Education Participation Advisory Service (EPAS) and been extremely complimentary of both the provision itself and the staff team.
At SAPMAT we want to take the opportunity to thank all those who have helped us to realise this vision. As our CEO Stephen Steinhaus has said:
“Apollo centre shows what is possible when a Local Authority and AP provider work together and stand shoulder-to-shoulder to provide the best possible outcomes for young people. If it takes a village to raise a child, I am excited to see what this village can do for our children, through their support of Apollo Centre”
From the ground up
Apollo is purpose-built, and every brick was laid with the needs of our children in mind. Our goal is to offer a lifeline, a light at the end of the tunnel for children who are struggling in mainstream school. We offer short-term provision for primary-aged pupils, with the aim of helping them build the essential life skills and confidence in order to succeed in mainstream education.
We follow a thematic approach to the national curriculum with reading, writing and phonics, but we also have the flexibility to adapt this to meet the needs of each individual child. Apollo offers a nurturing environment and aims to eliminate the sensory overload that some children can find so challenging. We have plenty of breakout areas, calming spaces, sensory rooms and of course, a forest school and PE space(s)
In addition to our dedicated and experienced team of 13 teachers, teaching assistants and support staff, we also have a trained play therapist and a cognition and learning specialist teacher, who visit us for weekly sessions.
Apollo has small class sizes with a maximum of five pupils, and each child has an individualised learning plan. The Boxall Profile helps us to develop personalised interventions (including SEMH interventions), and assist children in learning self-regulation, managing triggers and building confidence.
Our team place emphasis on transition, both into Apollo and when our students move back into mainstream schooling.
We begin with outreach and relationships. With the child, their families & caregivers, and with the teachers at their current school if appropriate. We provide home or school visits and really get to know the children before inviting them and their families to come and visit us on site.
When the child is ready, we can begin an introduction week. The transition period is completely tailored and will flow according to the needs of each child.
It was wonderful to welcome our first families on site for a visit last Thursday prior to the launch, and I don’t mind telling you there were a few teary eyes (and I’m not talking about the children)!
Our outreach doesn’t stop when our children leave us and transfer back into mainstream education. We provide a bespoke ‘pupil strategy document’ for each child, detailing all we have learned about which interventions work and which don’t; equipping their new school and teachers with the tools to help them continue their successful journey…and we make sure to stay in touch.
Our commitment is to ensure that our children have a second chance at learning and education. As Marie Meehan – the Director of Apollo – said to me this morning: “if we do it right, their future is brighter”!
We look forward with hope and dedicated hearts, to bring light to the children and families we serve and to help secure their futures.