Les Voies celebrates "best year"

Monday 30 September 2019

Students, teachers, parents and carers joined together at an Oscars-style event to celebrate Les Voies pupils' huge achievements over the past year.

The school, which supports young people with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties, has received a lot of praise recently, with a glowing inspection report and high GCSE success rate.

"It's lovely to see all the students reluctantly smiling and feeling that sense of praise," said Headteacher Jon Furley. "This year has been the best in terms of our inspection and results, and then to see a full house and so many people celebrating with their children was brilliant."

A number of prizes were given out at the ceremony, with three students nominated for each.

Pictured: Les Voies School.

"Those students weren't necessarily the best in each subject," explained Mr Furley. "They were the ones that maybe put the most effort in or came on the biggest journey. The staff are really skilled at making sure they're picking out what they need to see more of and hopefully they all get that notion of how to improve and how to make the next steps.

"Our bread and butter is routines, relationships and responses and I know we talk about outcomes and we want the children to aspire to being like every other youngster at 16 and get results in their GCSEs, but actually we want to build them as people. Learning how to build relationships and how to respond in the right way is part of the wider curriculum that we offer."

One student to be praised at the ceremony was Stevie Austen, who was awarded the Headteacher's Award and the Art prize for her work throughout her final year at school.

"I'm glad I got the art one most because I'm in art college now," she said. "There were some hard parts but now I'm at college it's great."

Pictured: Parents and carers joined staff and students to celebrate.

Miss Austen's mother, Tracey Austen, added: "It was difficult for her to start with but she got better really quickly. All the teachers were great right from the start. They have the patience of saints."

Miss Austen is now studying for a Level 2 qualification at the College of Further Education.

"The journey that Stevie had been on was remarkable over the last year," said Mr Furley. "You wouldn't recognise her a year ago. It's about the journey."

Les Voies was only officially designated as a school in 2013 and now caters for children between the ages of four and 16. Those pupils are placed at the school through formal assessment, while the team also works with pupils across all other Bailiwick schools.

"I started in April and it's been great," added Maths Teacher, Abi Akinrowo. "It's one of the best schools I've been in and I've been in a lot. The kids are willing to learn and behaviour-wise it is the best school I have worked in."