A Welcome from the Executive Head Teacher
As Executive Head Teacher of The Fermain Academy, I am delighted to welcome you to our school community.
Fermain is a school where we believe that every young person can succeed. Our role is to understand each student as an individual, identify what they need to thrive, and provide the right environment, relationships and opportunities to help them move forward with confidence.
As a specialist Alternative Provision setting, we work with young people who may have experienced significant challenges in their previous educational journey. We recognise that re-engagement takes time, consistency and trust. Our staff build strong relationships with students, establish high expectations and provide a carefully tailored education that enables young people to reconnect with learning and experience success.
The impact of this approach is evident in the outcomes our students achieve.
We have seen significant improvements in attendance and engagement, alongside strong academic and vocational outcomes. Our students leave Fermain with qualifications, skills and experiences that provide genuine opportunities for their next steps. Most importantly, our destination outcomes demonstrate that our young people are successfully moving into further education, employment and training, with our NEET figures in line with national mainstream education figures.
We are ambitious for every student. Academic achievement is important, but so too are the personal qualities, practical skills, confidence and resilience that young people need to succeed beyond school. Our curriculum therefore provides a broad range of opportunities that enable students to discover their strengths, develop new interests and identify pathways that are right for them.
The Mill @ Fermain –
A key part of provision is our specialist vocational facility. The Mill provides an exceptional learning environment where students can develop practical and creative skills across a wide range of subjects, including Bricklaying, Carpentry, Plumbing, Construction, Fashion and Textile Design, Hair & Beauty, Art and Child Development. The facility includes a fully operational hair and nail salon and a dedicated Art Studio, providing students with opportunities to learn in realistic, purposeful and inspiring environments.
The Mill is an important part of our commitment to ensuring that success at Fermain is not defined by a single pathway. For some students, academic study will be their chosen route; for others, vocational learning provides the motivation, confidence and skills that enable them to achieve. We value both equally.
The importance of building strong relationships
At the heart of Fermain are our relationships. We work closely with students, parents and carers, partner schools, colleges, employers and other professionals to ensure that young people receive the support and opportunities they need. We believe that when high expectations are combined with strong relationships and the right support, young people can achieve far more than they may previously have believed possible.
I am extremely proud to lead a school that is ambitious for its students and committed to achieving meaningful outcomes for every young person. Our success is measured not only by qualifications and attendance, but by seeing students re-engage with education, develop confidence, recognise their own potential and move successfully into the next stage of their lives.
At Fermain, we want every student to leave us with the confidence to say, “I can achieve.”
Thank you for visiting our website. I hope that exploring our website gives you a sense of our school, our values and, most importantly, our commitment to the young people we are privileged to work with.
Warm regards,
Mr Simon Cotterill
Executive Head Teacher
The Fermain Academy
