Specialism

Enterprise learning and activities gives NOA students the skills to be prepared for the 21st Century :

resilient, independent , resourceful, reflective and innovative with flexible skills and competencies; team players with a "can do" attitude who can lead themselves and others to achieve their full potential in a rapidly changing world.

We believe in Enterprise learning and activities because they help us improve the quality of education and raise achievement

We believe that enterprise is a way of behaving and learning that all students should experience.

We believe that a whole school involvement in Enterprise activities and learning will help to nurture innovative approaches to teaching and learning and this will enrich learning opportunities for everyone.

Through Enterprise learning, NOA students develop the skills needed to progress into employment, self-employment, further training and higher education to promote their future economic well-being and increasing the nation’s prosperity

Enterprising approaches help us to: build effective partnerships with employers and develop a mutual understanding of needs and contribute to community development.

We will ensure that our students:

• Learn through work, by providing them with the opportunities to learn from direct experience of work. We also encourage our students to develop their enterprise capabilities and employability skills through extra curricular enterprise clubs e.g. work experience, Career Academy, European Junior Enterprise, Young Enterprise and Global Entrepreneurship.

• Learn about work, by providing opportunities for students to develop knowledge and understanding of work and enterprise through their vocational courses and development days. Here our business partners play a vital role in facilitating visits, giving presentations in school and mentoring students through real vocational projects and scenarios. E.g. Formula schools, NOA Hospitality services.

• Learn for work by developing skills for enterprise and employability. Enterprise characteristics and skills our developed throughout the curriculum, PEP and through Enterprise days and events planned throughout the year. e.g. Enterprising teaching and learning is identified in every lesson and students take part in a variety of enterprise challenges throughout the year (Make Your Mark, ULT Academies, Active Kids Get Cooking) and PEPs such as NOA Garden, Eco School, F1 Challenge….

Work-related and Enterprise learning has an important contribution to make to the education of all our students in order for them to make an effective transition from the school to adulthood and employment. So that students are able to make this effective transition, the school provides a wide range of opportunities for them to learn about, through and for work in a range of contexts. These principles are embedded in our values and teaching and learning strategies.

Accreditation

Team worker, Creative Thinker and self Motivator are the characteristics that we want to encourage in our community so that they become skills in our students that they can carry into their experience after they leave.

We believe that students' enterprise activities should be acknowledged and accredited. To this end, we have introduced ‘Brightsparkes’ a simple IT based assessment tool which will record student progress. They can add evidence to this, building up a profile of their enterprise learning which should be of value to potential employers and college providers.