As the summer holidays draw to a close, we wanted to give you an update on the fun-packed August we’ve had here at Storyy Group!
Alternative Provision
Our Alternative Provision sites have been gearing up for the new school year throughout the summer, but we’ve still had exciting activities taking place across our various Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) camps in Reading, Maidenhead, and Wokingham. We were thrilled to host 93 young people eligible for free school meals, offering them a range of enriching experiences.
Wokingham HAF: Building Skills and Giving Back
At our Wokingham HAF, young people have been diving into new trades and skills, from roofing, carpentry, and mechanics to podcasting, hair and beauty, photography, and graffiti art. Stepping out of their comfort zones, they eagerly embraced the opportunity to learn different trades that could support their future career paths. Beyond learning new trade skills, they also gave back to the community by volunteering at SHARE in Wokingham and Suffolk Lodge Care Homes, where they took on gardening and fence painting projects. The teamwork and engagement displayed by all the participants were truly inspiring.
Reading HAF: Olympic Fever
Our Reading HAF embraced an Olympic theme this year, where young people explored cultures, foods, and languages from around the world. They even held their own Olympics at Palmer Park, competing in events like the relay, shot put, and long jump. Additionally, they honed their culinary skills by preparing dishes from various countries, such as curry, stir fry, and fajita wraps. It was a fantastic way to combine learning with fun, all under the global spirit of the Olympics.
Maidenhead Creative HAF: Performing Arts and Podcasts
Over in Maidenhead, our Creative HAF camp focused on building confidence in the performing arts. Young people engaged in writing their own plays, acting out roles, and sharpening their singing talents. They also created podcasts on contemporary topics like the Olympics and environmental conservation. The creativity and enthusiasm they brought to each session were remarkable.
Preparing for the New School Year
With the new school year around the corner, we look forward to welcoming our young people back to our Alternative Provision sites starting Thursday, 5th September.
At Storyybrook, our Primary-aged Alternative Provision, we’ve adjusted our hours slightly to ensure a smoother transition between morning and afternoon sessions. The new session times are 8:45 am – 11:45 am and 12:15 pm – 3:15 pm. These changes will allow our mentors to see off our morning children safely and prepare the environment for the afternoon group.
Exciting Enhancements to Our Alternative Provision
We’re also excited to announce significant enhancements to our Secondary-aged Alternative Provisions, Birch Hill and Finchampstead, designed to empower students with the skills, knowledge, and confidence they need for a successful future.
We offer various skills, trades, and vocational training across our Alternative Provision sites to ensure each young person finds an activity or programme they enjoy and take pride in.
When a young person joins us, their bespoke timetable may include:
- Birch Hill (The Hub): Boxing, Sports, Gym, Gaming/Coding, Music.
- Storyybrook (Trades): Carpentry, Mechanics, Roofing, Plastering, Scaffolding, Flooring, Graffiti, Gardening.
- Finchampstead: Education & Life Skills: ASDAN, City and Guilds (theory only), Tutoring, Functional Skills, Careers; Creative Skills: Textiles, Art & Design, Fashion Design, Hair & Beauty, Photography, TikTok & Social Media.
Each young person will begin their session by registering at Birch Hill, followed by heading to their designated site with a dedicated behaviour mentor to carry out their personalised programme plan.
For more information on these exciting changes or to visit our provisions, please contact Lee Barefoot, Account Manager at [email protected].
We hope you have a really wonderful start to the term! If you would like to make a referral to our Alternative Provision, you can do so here: www.storyy.group/referral/
Children’s Home & Supported Accommodation (16+)
Emerald House’s First Adventure in the Cotswolds
Our Children’s Home, Emerald House, enjoyed a fantastic first holiday in the Cotswolds, staying in a luxurious home complete with a hot tub and games room. They also spent a day exploring Wake the Tiger and Bristol, and took on an inflatable assault course, where most of the time was spent splashing around in the water!
We are also thrilled to welcome Bethany, our new Deputy Manager, to the team! We’re so pleased to have Bethany join us.
Supported Accommodation (16+): A Summer of Connection and Fun
Storyy Group currently provides Supported Accommodation (16+) for 16 young people across four homes. August was filled with socialising and fun activities for our young people:
- Carnival Party: Young people and staff from all our homes came together to celebrate with a Carnival Party at our new home in Holland Pines.
- Countryside Walks: One young person enjoyed some downtime with a walk in the local countryside, picking blackberries and having keywork by a peaceful lake.
- Water Pistol Showdown: One of our homes hosted an epic water pistol battle and BBQ in the garden.
- Games Night: Another home had a lively games night featuring Uno, Jenga, and a Draw-Off contest.
- Fajitas Night: We also enjoyed a Fajitas Night where the young people took charge, preparing and cooking the entire meal for the house.
- Photography Adventure: A young person and her support worker went on a photography outing, capturing cool landscape shots for our upcoming photo contest.
- Gardening: The young people in our newest home have been actively involved in designing and maintaining the garden and veggie growing area.
- Quote of the Day: At Holland Pines, a young person has inspired everyone by regularly updating the “Quote of the Day” on the kitchen whiteboard with motivational messages.
- Go-Karting Thrills: We all had a thrilling day out Go-Karting, thanks to the charity ‘Absolutely Together.’
- Roller Skating: Last week, a group had a blast roller skating at Bracknell’s Lexicon.
- Summer Finale: The grand finale of the summer break was an unforgettable trip to Thorpe Park, which everyone absolutely loved.
Mark Jolly, our Homes Operations Manager recently featured in an article written by Children & Young People Now magazine. The article explores high spec Supported Living and really highlights why we do the work we do. You can read the full article by clicking here.
Apprenticeships & Training
Our CPD Licenses are only £69 per user throughout September and will last until March 2025. You can view our full range of CPD courses here.
We have the lovely Amanda Slough joining us as our new Early Years Tutor in September, just in time for our next Early Years cohort to kick off!
Do you have new or existing staff eager to gain qualifications such as:
- Playworker Level 2
- Early Years Practitioner Level 2
- Early Years Educator Level 3
- Team Leader Level 3 (for Room Leaders)
You can find out more about our Early Years apprenticeships here.
Our Partnerships Manager, Lisa, can help secure 100% funding for these qualifications for all ages, provided they are in the right job role and have lived in the UK for the past three years.
As a GOOD Ofsted-rated training provider, we deliver all our apprenticeship programmes online by our incredible tutors! For more information on our September Early Years cohort, please email [email protected] or call 07523 277566.
If you have any questions or queries about our range of services, please feel free to get in contact with us! If you’d like to make a referral for our Alternative Provision, please click here.
