“The three wise monkeys are a Japanese pictorial maxim, embodying the proverbial principle “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil”. What is the meaning behind this…..Literally an instruction to avoid bad behavior.

As well as practical and academic skills, we teach our young people life skills to help them into adulthood. Learning about what is acceptable behaviour is a big part of this – helping them to understand right from wrong. I think these three wise young boys have learnt some brilliant life skills about working together as a team, supporting each other and of course having some fun!

Over to Newmarket 1 first for an update on the MX5 project:

• All suspension arms and subframes back from powder coating.
• Front & rear subframes fitted.
• Entire Poly-Bush kit being fitted.
• Callipers back from re-con.
• New full clutch fitted.
• Cam belt & water pump fitted.
• Fully serviced.

She’s getting perilously close to being on x4 wheels again… Soon be time to start cutting sills out.

Holiday Snaps. This young person had an awesome holiday in Wales and coped so well with all the different situations and new experiences and wanted to share their pictures with us – looked like a great adventure 🙂

One of our young people didn’t understand what had happened to this young bird. So we discussed the reasons it had not lived very long, and they insisted on a photo and a birdie funeral.

Sometimes in life we have to experience sadness and death – if you don’t understand what happens when someone dies, it becomes more difficult to cope with personal loss. Children’s misunderstandings may unnecessarily increase their sense of guilt or shame or increase their fears and worries. By acknowledging and talking openly about death and grief, it can help children and young people to trust in the adults around them. Encouraging them to ask questions, share any worries and express their feelings.

Now for something more fun. This young person had an amazingly creative afternoon in the sunshine. He came up with his own concept design and painted it onto a scroll canvas. Looks awesome!

When it’s sunny we must visit the beach – a great day at Felixstowe and a chance to get our feet wet and of course the obligatory fish & chip lunch!

Toasting Marshmallows on an open fire (supervised!) is a great way to have tasty fun outdoors.

Lots of different ways to do English and Maths – sometimes its indoors with pen and paper, sometimes its watching a screen play, sometimes it’s outdoors having fun and learning at the same time. Even writing out a recipe for next weeks cooking lesson involves Maths and English or reading about Otters and Crayfish by an Otter Cave, encouraging our young people to learn at their own pace, in their own safe unpressurised environment.

Back outside making the most of this lovely weather:

• A trip to the park for some good old fashion kids play
• Abbey Gardens, learning about where the Magna Carta was signed and visiting the church
• A nature trail walk, where they found an art gallery and couldn’t resist a play too
• Foraging in the forest looking for items to make a 3D picture
• Making new (duck) friends

Lots of sporting activities this week too:

One of our favourite places to visit is Phoenix Bike Park. Its a great place to allow our young people to be outside, get fit, challenge themselves, be proud of their achievements – thrown in some maths, balancing and co-ordination skills – its a great way to learn and have fun.

We have also done skateboarding, long jump, football, bowling and golf.

One of our Youth Support Workers did a Work Placement with us and produced this awesome piece of work about their time at Pushforward.

From young people learning, to work experience, to accreditations. This young person is working towards their Level 1 Plumbing, by constructing a pipe rig.

Back over to Newmarket 1, as part of the MX5 project we have young people working on the re-bushed diff cleaning with a needle gun, before being fitted back on the MX5, fitting the subframes and re-bushing the suspension arms. Wow some amazing team work happening with the MX5 project!

Together with some gardening to make sure the perimeter looks smart and shows off all those signs!

From a work in progress vehicle to a working car – How great is it to be young and find exploring a car such an adventure, learning how all the buttons work, testing to see what happens and then finding some loose change to count up!

Over in Newmarket 2 where we have Carpentry happening this week – beautiful wooden chopping boards and coasters, sanding and finishing projects with branding, and measuring the mould and laying out the inside of the resin bench project.

Our newest unit Lowestoft is getting a painting makeover…

Visiting some Museums and Art galleries now. What a lot of learning can be done by visiting these amazing locations:

• Bressingham Steam Museum – Bressingham is the home of Alan Bloom’s collection of plants and Industrial, mainly Steam powered, engineering. Open to the public since 1961. A place where he wanted a hands on approach for all the family to have fun.
• The Dad’s Army Museum – located in Cage Lane in Thetford in Norfolk, England, dedicated to the BBC comedy series Dad’s Army.
• Bury Regimental Museum – showcased on the site of a former armory where soldiers were outfitted. The museum was opened in 1935. The displays tell the story of the regiment from its foundation in 1685 to amalgamation with the Royal Norfolk Regiment in 1959. The history covers the regular, militia, volunteer and war-time battalions as well as the experience of individual soldiers and is told through medals, uniforms, photographs, weapons, equipment and personal memorabilia.
• Art Exhibition showing Banksy and others – Banksy is a pseudonymous England-based street artist, political activist and film director whose real name and identity remain unconfirmed and the subject of speculation.
• Including visiting some local art with important messages, especially around consent

Where at Museums and Art Galleries young people can learn so much about history, the Zoo or Park are great places to learn about nature. And opportunity to feed the animals, learn about their habitat and of course have fun.

In the kitchen this week we made chocolate brownies, mac and cheese – we learnt about hygiene in the kitchen, how to measure, cut, chop, bake and eat!

A different type of baking now – not sure I fancy eating their creations from lotions, potions to mud pies! Is this learning?, of course it is – just in a more fun, experimental way!

Children working together can practice social skills such as cooperation, negotiation, communication, and sharing. They are without realising it using maths and science skills, solving problems, working with different textures, testing their ideas in a safe place and being creative.

Over in our Ipswich unit where we have arts, crafts, music, podcasts and videos etc, we have been practicing our editing skills.

We have been learning about animal habitats and making our own hoverfly lagoon.

And we have been helpful…

We finish this week off with a massive congratulations for one of our young ladies and to let her know how super proud the whole Pushforward team are of her, for attending school to take her exams. Good Luck we know you will have aced it!

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.