With the end of term and the academic year fast approaching its been so super busy both for our young people taking part in awesome experiences but also in the admin department – the reason why this week’s blog is a double whammy 2-week extravaganza!

We are not “going loco in Acapulco” we are “going loco in Newmarket 1” – with the loco-motive project being worked on this week. Brilliant welding skills being put to the test here – great for hand eye co-ordination.

We stay with Newmarket 1 for now and look at some great mechanic work on the MX5 project and tyres being changed on our new tyre machine. Brilliant life skills being learnt here.

Lets head down the A14 now about 2 hours away is our Lowestoft unit.

They have been working really hard to get the unit ready to provide all the amazing activities to teach young people.

The Beauty room is coming along nicely. We have been working on the outside area, tiding away weeds, planting in our new planters, cleaning, sorting, creating geometric shapes to liven up the inside space and making the lean to roof – looks like from the swinging they have made a study structure!

Our newest activity is Forging

Forging is a manufacturing process involving the shaping of a metal through hammering, pressing, or rolling. These compressive forces are delivered with a hammer or die. Forging is often categorized according to the temperature at which it is performed—cold, warm, or hot forging. A wide range of metals can be forged.

Back to Newmarket – but this time Unit 2. Carpentry – some brilliant skills here making a chopping board, coasters and a Call of Duty style resin laid Charcuterie board.

At Newmarket 2 we have also had bicycle maintenance.

And brilliant bricklaying skills. I see a career in the making here!

Moreton Hall is a space that lends itself to so many varied activities: Sports / Team Work and apparently slime bubbles!….

And of course cooking at Moreton Hall is always a popular life skill to learn…I spy this week chocolate brownies, carbonara, mince, pasta and garlic bread, chorizo and cheese Gordon blues and chocolate chip cookies. YUM!

Learning to cook is just part of the process, first we have to learn what are the right ingredients and how to pay for them.

We are super lucky to have two Arts & Craft areas; one in Newmarket 2 and one in Ipswich. Here in our Ipswich unit we have been using some acrylic paints to create wall art to brighten up our unit.

Two different age groups – same great location – Anglo Saxon Village. What a great way to learn about history.

Birds / Squirrels and a visit to the Zoo – learning about animals in different environments.

A trip to Bressingham and Clacton

And exploring High Lodge in Thetford

A trip to Framlingham Castle

and Ickworth House

But this was the biggest trip this week; a team of instructors and students went, climbed and conquered Snowdon!

Snowdon or Yr Wyddfa is the highest mountain in Wales, at an elevation of 1,085 metres above sea level, and the highest point in the British Isles outside the Scottish Highlands. It is located in Snowdonia National Park in Gwynedd.

Well done, what a great achievement.

A little closer to home…but still some climbing at Clip & Climb, some trampolining, and a friendly game of Ninja Tag

A little fun at Jump this week too…

Some footie and cycling was also enjoyed when the weather shone…

A little gym work – showing how they can work as a team to support each other.

Over in Primary we were having lots of fun learning outside, finding frogs, painting, learning about the solar system, pincer grip and fine motor skills and playing cooperatively to dig a hole with our friend.

And building friendships.

Over in the Clockhouse we have been making a start on our new project to design a database, we have been learning about Quadratic sequences and percentages.

Primary have also been learning about Euros and counting money.

They have also been reading and acting out stories with puppets.

And labelling body Parts

We even managed some maths when bowling, by adding up the scores

We welcomed two Work Experience students this week who go to have some hands on learning in Newmarket 2 themselves!

A visit to the Evidence room for some of our older students

“No Child Should Ever Feel Lonely” – A Buddy Bench Promotes Making New Friends.

Here is an awesome way to finish the week – a Buddy Bench being made by one of our young people and presented to the Head teacher of a local school.

Our Ethos

No one can begin to affect the world around them until they are CONFIDENT , COMFORTABLE, happy in their own skin and have found their SPARK! We take the time to understand and develop programmes from where the learner is in the world not where we think they should be.