Our Story
Community Ed C.I.C. started as an unregulated alternative provision (AP) in 2020. The provision was set up to provide community learning for young people who had no educational provision or who could not maintain their current educational placement. By providing person centred learning to students on the periphery of education we demonstrated that students wanted to belong and learn. We supported them to experience learning that looked very different to a mainstream provision and met them at their starting point, allowing them to progress and achieve. Students built relationships and gained confidence and developed their self-esteem in order to move on to positive post 16 provisions. Community Ed continued to go from strength to strength, however our ability to provide longer term placements that led to national accreditation was limited.
Building on the already positive reputation of the AP provision leaders registered an independent school allowing us to take the next step to extending our provision providing local SEND students the opportunity to achieve academic progress in a safe and supported environment.
The school is a not-for-profit independent school that opened in September 2023 and is supported by a varied and experienced team of governors who have a regular and visual presence within the school, and who support and challenge the leadership team. The school delivers the same person-centred model as the Community Ed AP provision. The Headteacher has been an Executive Headteacher for over 10 years leading two local SEND School leading to ‘Good with elements of Outstanding. The Headteacher strategically leads the school, supported by a strong SLT and teaching team.
The school is delivered across two floors of a large adapted building that suits our learning needs. Community Ed Academy is available to boys and girls as day students from across Norfolk and Suffolk, aged between 11 and 16, and all of them have an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP) that detail one or more specific learning difficulties. EHCP’s are often accompanied by negative reports on past exclusions from mainstream education which can leave students feeling let down by education resulting in mistrust and frustration, and often, this leads to challenging behaviour. Community Ed Academy focus is on the social, mental and emotional barriers affecting the student’s future progression. Community Ed Academy facilitate and develop positive relationships, and offer a broad curriculum in order to prepare our students for the next stage of their lives.
We offer experiences that develop their understanding of risk and equip them with the skills necessary to make safe and informed choices about their future.
We also have a lot of fun along the way!