“FOR ME, WHAT I’D LOVE TO SEE IS OUR MODEL SPREAD ACROSS THE COUNTRY”

We caught up with Business Director Sarah Read to find out what’s been happening since her sixth form, North Ridge Specialist Support High School in Manchester, won the 2024 sustainability star award…

Thank you so much for catching up with us, Sarah. Tell us, how has it been since you won the award?

Winning meant the world to the children. They all really appreciated the fact their endeavours had been acknowledged. And obviously it made them all feel like minor celebrities! We’ve had meaningful conversations with the students about the work we were doing, and it was clear how empowering it was to them. They spoke with such passion about their experiences, which was really inspiring. We were all amazed by their responses and the impact it had on them. They also loved seeing themselves on video clips and on the website. The BBC have now offered to take a group of students around their studios during the summer term. For some, this might be their last year with us, so it would be a wonderful way for them to enjoy one final moment in the spotlight. We also had feedback from some parents, who said, ‘Oh, I didn’t realise you did that!’. They thought it was amazing, and have been quite excited by the opportunities that we could offer. 

What do your students do when they leave? 

Obviously, the ultimate goal for us is to help them gain meaningful employment post-education. We’ve had success with this in the past with students, however, the biggest hurdle we have to overcome is opening doors wider with employers, so they can see these individuals for what they truly are: capable people. They are entitled to have a chance to have fulfilling, post-education careers. They might not do 9-5 jobs, but there are a lot of jobs that can give them purpose and a real working life. Unfortunately, some employers may dismiss them without understanding their potential or seeing how impactful their work can be. We’ve got the cafe and the shop, all of which are run by the kids, it’s not tokenism at all. We want the kids to be involved in every single step of the business, like all the cleaning. They’re quick to tell you that they don’t like the cleaning part, but even that’s important, it’s a job and it has to be done! 

Yeah, when you give them confidence and the space to take on responsibility, they really deliver…

You may have to give them more time and repetition, but once they’ve got it, they’ve got it. And they like doing them – they would be great for those jobs that people generally don’t like, because they’re repetitive. The systematic repetition plays to their strengths. I think this has empowered not just myself, but the whole team, to think that we want more doors opening for our young people. It’s not just about what they can do in a school environment; they can do it outside of that, too. They do it in our businesses, so they can do those jobs in any workplace.

Since winning the award, have other schools been interested to know what you’re doing and how you do it?

I’ve had people from our local area and from other parts of the country ask if they can have conversations about what we’re doing and how we’ve done it. We started these businesses back in 2014, so we’ve been at it for nearly 10 years now. It’s been a long process, but I’m really keen to share our experience. For me, what I’d love to see is our model spread across the country. I think it would help normalise it, instead of having it be viewed as a one-off. A lot of schools, especially special schools, have cafés or similar spaces, but ours is different – it’s an actual functioning business, where people in the community come in and out. That’s what I want to see, really. People from all diverse backgrounds working in shops in the highstreet – they shouldn’t be hidden away, they just need a bit of extra support. It makes me feel excited about the opportunities we’re giving people. It’s all about giving young people the opportunities they deserve, but unfortunately, many young people aren’t getting those chances.

What is the feedback from employers? 

The staff at the hospital, where many of our students work, say having people with disabilities on their team has truly enhanced their work environment. It’s made their work life so much more rewarding. We all have our challenges, don’t we? But when you’re working alongside someone who faces such significant challenges, suddenly everything you might be complaining about feels less significant. It inspires you to do your best.

So you won the Skinny Gardener’s green house prize. How’s that been?

We’ve put it up in our garden near the school, which has given us even more options for growing. And it’s great for those times when we’ve got young people who, for whatever reason, can’t access the off-site allotment – it might be that they need more support than we can provide off-site, or perhaps they display unsafe behaviours at times so they need to be in the school. Whatever the reason, we wanted to extend the provision here, so they weren’t missing out.

So, what are your plans for this year? 

We’re currently planning for the next couple of terms, looking at crop rotation and what that involves. We’re making sure to include updates related to the menus and adding a rotation to the process. We talked about inviting parents to come in and see what we’re doing and take them through the process. We could walk them through the entire process, show them the allotments, and let them experience the catering area so they can see firsthand how everything works. I think it’s about seeing their children happy and capable. 

One of our hopes is to start offering work placements in our businesses. We want to make sure that when parents hear about these opportunities, they aren’t hesitant or worried. You know, sometimes parents can be nervous about letting their child work in certain settings. Sometimes it’s about holding the hand of the parents to make them feel comfortable. 

Since you won the sustainability award, have you noticed any changes in the children?

It’s been interesting, because some of the students have mentioned the little things they’re growing at home, like herbs or plants, which is really nice. One of our ideas is to increase parent engagement by encouraging young people to grow things at home, like onions or herbs, with their families. This way, families can get involved and then cook together.