Pupils at Bristol’s Frome Vale Academy are enjoying some unique lessons in responsibility and entrepreneurship by running their own school shop.

Frome Vesco is a wholly student-operated convenience store. Designed and named by the school’s talented pupils, Frome Vesco is now open for business, offering a wide array of goods tailored to meet the needs of pupils.

Located within the academy, Frome Vesco is stocked with essentials ranging from books to stationery, providing a convenient shopping experience for pupils. What sets Frome Vesco apart is not just its products, but also its unique operational model. The store is entirely managed and operated by pupils, helping them to evolve their own sense of responsibility and business.

It also gives pupils a chance to spend their Penguin Pounds, a bespoke school currency which can be earned by carrying out jobs within the academy. The store is open twice a week at break time.

Pupils in charge of the shop are then expected to do a weekly stock check and report this to the principal so stocks can be replenished.

Pupils can earn their Penguin Pounds by applying for jobs including first aid monitors, lunch trolley monitors, play buddies and recyclers. Initially they need to earn Frome Vale citizen cards for good behaviours and carrying out their jobs. When they have 10 Frome Vale citizen cards, they can convert them to one Penguin Pound.

This initiative is teaching pupils the importance of working hard, spending and saving wisely, but more importantly about the power of teamwork and collaboration with their classmates.

Jan Saunders, Principal of Frome Vale Academy, said: “This is the next step in providing children with the opportunity to understand commerce and develop skills that replicate those in the real world. It is also a natural part of providing an opportunity for children to spend the hard-earned Penguin Pounds.”

A joint academy careers trip opened up a whole new world of amazing opportunities for two Bristol academies within the Cabot Learning Federation.

A group of 11 Year Nine students from Bristol Brunel Academy and City Academy spent the day at the Bristol Port Company thanks to an Insight Into Apprenticeships programme run by South Bristol Youth.

As one of the UK’s major ports, Bristol Port provides an extensive range of port, warehousing, logistics and distribution services. It is also the UK’s only deep-water port to have direct motorway and rail connections to all points of the compass.

During their visit, students explored the diverse career pathways available within the transport and logistics sector, gaining invaluable insights into the bustling operations of the docks. They had the chance to work with training equipment used to prepare port operatives, providing them with a firsthand glimpse into the dynamic world of port operations.

Craig Jordon, Careers and Employability Coach at Bristol Brunel Academy, said: “Operating the crane was my favourite part but the tours and talks highlighted the numerous opportunities that the sector and The Bristol Port Company has to offer from school leavers through to graduates.”

Rachel Martin, Careers & Aspirations Co-ordinator at City Academy, said: “It was a fascinating and fun day for the students who loved being able to control a crane. The employees at the port were very welcoming.”

This initiative between Bristol Brunel Academy and City Academy underscores the Cabot Learning Federation’s dedication to academies working in collaboration to give all students the best life chances possible.

Pupils at Haywood Village Academy were treated to an unforgettable experience as they delved into the captivating world of rainforest animals. Reception had the unique opportunity to meet an array of fascinating creatures during a special visit from Zoolab.

Zoolab, a renowned family-run business, brought the rainforest to life right in the heart of the academy. For over 20 years, Zoolab has been astounding, educating, and inspiring children across the UK with their diverse collection of exotic animals.

During the visit, pupils were introduced to a python, scorpion, giant African land snail, white tree frog, and a stick insect. Despite the variety of creatures, the pupils showed remarkable courage as they eagerly embraced the opportunity to hold each animal.

Their curiosity shone through as they posed thoughtful and engaging questions, demonstrating a genuine enthusiasm for learning.

Della Hall Class Teacher at Haywood Village Academy said: “We have been learning about the rainforest as part of our themed enquiry. The children thoroughly enjoyed meeting real animals from the rainforest to support their understanding about the world around them. We are looking forward to writing about our experience.”

Staff and pupils at Snowdon Village, part of the Cabot Learning Federation’s central alternative provision, had a fun day dressing up as superheroes in recognition of children who are suffering every day with a syndrome without a name (SWAN).

A charity awareness day was held for SWAN UK, celebrating Undiagnosed Children’s Day, which takes part every last Friday in April. SWAN UK is the only dedicated support network in the UK for families affected by a syndrome without a name – genetic conditions so rare they often remain undiagnosed.

The aim of SWAN UK is that every family gets the support that they need, regardless of whether or not they have a diagnosis.

Enthusiastic pupils from Years one to 11 took part in the charity fundraising day which has raised over £400 in donations so far. All proceeds raised will go to SWAN UK’s invaluable efforts to support their incredible work, providing much-needed assistance to affected families across the UK.

Many of the children Snowdon Village support are suffering with needs that have yet to be formally diagnosed. Staff used this day to really celebrate the children they work with and raise awareness about their differing and complex needs.

Alex Davies, Principal of Snowdon Village, said: “I was thrilled with how many staff and students took part in this important day. A highlight for me was talking to the children about how much they enjoyed learning Makaton and exploring what it would be like to lose a skill many of us take for granted such as talking or walking.

“Many of the children we work with are suffering from undiagnosed needs and it was important to us we marked this day and celebrated the needs of the children we work with and other superheroes across the UK who may be suffering with an undiagnosed need. They might not be wearing capes every day, but they are all superheroes in our eyes.”

Through this heartwarming initiative, Snowdon Village reaffirmed its commitment to fostering inclusivity, empathy, and support for all its students and their families.

Students from across the Cabot Learning Federation were given a unique insight into the worlds of policing, politics and public safety in a community assembly attended by the four candidates to be the next Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset.

Bristol’s City Academy played host to the Avon and Somerset Youth Accountability Assembly, an event carefully organised by Citizens Somerset and Citizens Southwest, the local alliances of Citizens UK.

The event saw students from Bristol, Weston-super-Mare and Somerset – representing schools including Hanham Woods Academy, CLF Post 16, and Broadoak Academy – join other regional civil society organisations in putting questions to the PCC candidates.

The agenda had been carefully crafted over 12 months and featured a number of detailed asks they were seeking candidates’ commitment on as part of their ambitions for policing in the region.

Benet Allen (Liberal Democrats), Katy Grant (Green Party), Clare Moody (Labour and Co-operative Party) and Mark Shelford (Conservative Party) will all be hoping to top the ballot when voters head to the polls on Thursday.

But first they were invited to participate in an event seeking to reshape democracy in the region by placing people’s stories at the heart of how future policy can be formulated.

The Citizens UK initiative was designed to help foster closer ties between the candidates and the region’s young people, celebrate past achievements in improving the safety of our streets, and secure public commitments on future initiatives.

Candidates were asked to pledge support for initiatives to tackle knife crime, work with schools to encourage crime reporting, ringfence funding for youth diversionary activities, and help to reduce poverty by creating a Living Wage region in Avon and Somerset.

These actions form part of a ‘citizens’ agenda for change’ proposed by Citizens Somerset and the developing alliance in Bristol, which believes unified community action is vital to help overcome issues such as knife crime and street violence.

Carina Crawford Khan, Assistant Director at Citizens UK, said: “The assembly is an exciting opportunity to reimagine what politics could look like across Avon and Somerset when we are able to bring communities and decision makers together for the common good.

“We are all concerned about the recent rise in violence in our communities and recognise that anger without power can lead to rage. Sometimes fear can lead us to retreat. But through community organising, we are building power to create a vehicle for change and offer hope that things can be different and we can find solutions to tackle this issue.”

Sally Apps, Executive Principal of the Cabot Learning Federation, said: “The voices and views of our children are critical to creating a safer community now and in the future; working with Citizens UK as part of our wider Voice strategy has enabled our children to be taken seriously and to be a powerful force for change.”

The vibrant spirit of the West End descended upon Bristol as City Academy proudly presented the iconic blockbuster musical, The Lion King.

Transporting audiences to the heart of Africa with stunning costumes and sets, this mesmerising production told the story of young lion prince Simba (a role shared by Year 7 students Jada-Leigh Clarkson and Ruby Malone) who was born in Africa. However, Simba’s birth pushes his uncle Scar down to second in line to the throne.

Scar plots with the hyenas to kill King Mufasa and Prince Simba and claim the crown for himself. When the King is killed, Simba is led to believe by Scar that it was his fault, and the desperate cub flees the kingdom in shame.

City Academy’s production ran across two sell-out shows, with more than 350 people watching this amazing production each night, showing great support from families and the local community.

The journey to bring The Lion King to life began months ago in September, with students giving up their own time to rehearse. In total, 50 students were featured in the cast, ably supported by 12 crew members from Years 7-11.

Rebecca Pearce, Teacher of Drama, said: “This has been the most resilient and resourceful cast I have every worked with. Everything for the Lion King has come together seamlessly, and there is an energy and synergy from our cast that I have not seen before. I have found the whole experience extremely uplifting.

“I also want to thank Rebecca Anderton, our very talented choreographer, and Louise Caplin and Ben Van Wyck, our wonderful musical directors.”