Apprenticeships Benefit Coventry Academy

A multi-academy Trust in Coventry has benefitted from securing a partnership with Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber Training to recruit Apprentices for two schools within the trust.

Founded in February 2013, The Castle Phoenix Trust has three schools within the trust – the original trust member Caludon Castle Teaching School (Coventry), Kingsbury Secondary School (Warwickshire) and Hill Farm Primary School (Coventry).  In addition, two more Coventry schools are due to join the Trust in the Autumn term.

As a Trust working with locally based schools, the aim is to build upon the opportunities for Apprentices to support one another and to visit each of the schools in the Trust to gain different and worthwhile experiences.

Emma Over, HR Director at Caludon Castle School commented: “As a growing Trust, we liked the approach from Chamber Training and their support and guidance has been invaluable. We also appreciated the initial screening they did to identify potentially suitable candidates. The Apprentices have been eager to explore vocational routes rather than pure academic pathways and this eagerness together with the expertise of Chamber Training has meant that our Apprentices have made a positive contribution to school life.  They have enjoyed the chance to learn ‘on’ and ‘off’ the job, to earn money and to gain instrumental experience and skills which have guided them in their choices for the next stages of their careers.

“The Apprentices are all undertaking different routes on completion of their Apprenticeship.  One Apprentice has successfully secured a post as a Teaching Assistant at Hill Farm primary school, where she undertook her Apprenticeship.  Another Apprentice has chosen to go to university to complete a degree in special education following her experience at the primary school. Whilst another Apprentice is staying on at Caludon Castle to undertake her level 3 Apprenticeship and continue to develop within her role supporting food technology.”

Sarah Williams, Training Manager at Chamber Training said: “We enjoy working in partnership with schools to help raise awareness of how Apprentices can make a positive contribution to school life. The success gained at Caludon Castle School and Hill Farm Primary School is very encouraging and demonstrates how Apprenticeships can provide a cost effective form of personal development.”

Photo Captions:

Photo 1 L-R: Rebecca Smith, Teaching Assistant at Caludon School is seen with Sarah Williams and Helen Ruddy

Photo 2 L-R: Hill Farm: Terri Hitchcox, Avril Taylor, Donae Weaver, Courtenay Williams.and Sarah Williams