Group of Wexham School pupils complete two year BTEC course

Last week, a group of pupils from Wexham Secondary School in Slough celebrated completing their two year, Construction BTEC Level 1 course. The pupils were treated to a special lunch before each being awarded a keepsake trophy and a small gift to recognise their achievements.

The course, which was organised and funded by Slough Urban Renewal (SUR), has been hailed a huge success by the school and the families of those pupils, who took part. The course recorded a zero drop-out rate and teachers reported a notable improvement in confidence and positivity among pupils.

All of the pupils who participated in the course have since opted to continue their journey in education. Eight of the pupils are progressing onto College Construction Courses and have been offered places at East Berkshire and Reading Colleges, with the remainder going into fulltime education.

In September 2017, SUR first sponsored the SATRO mobile classroom programme to deliver weekly training over a two year period. The school has been delighted with both the students’ progress and joy it has brought to the school. SUR have since sponsored a second cohort of year 10 pupils, who started their course in September 2018.

Ged Humphries, SUR Training and Skills Coordinator has worked alongside the programme throughout, arranging curriculum enhancement visits, which have brought a real life dimension to the course. Pupils benefitted from several visits into a new extension also being built by SUR at their school, plus the residential development Wexham Green. The highlight was a hands-on painting day at the Dulux paint studio in Slough.

Ged Humphries, Training & Skills Coordinator at SUR, said: “We have watched these pupils grow so much in self-confidence over the last two years, building self-belief and self-discipline. The success has very much been the result of a team effort between the course tutor Peter Scott, the school staff and their high level of commitment and the positive participation from the pupils themselves.”

The school Headmaster Lawrence Smith attended last week’s celebrations, along with pupil mentor Sue Maunders, the SATRO mobile classroom tutor Peter Scott and the programme manager Anne Edward (SATRO).
The keepsake trophies were generously sponsored by MP Build, SUR’s small sites contractor.

Surrey SATRO run a fleet of six vans packed with all the tools, equipment and materials needed to teach young people valuable skills in carpentry/joining, plumbing, electrical, brickwork, painting and decorating. SATRO tutors are highly skilled and have years of experience in the building industry and are passionate about what they do. SATRO mobile tutors visit schools on a weekly basis across Surrey and the South East England.