Check out what’s new this half term.                                     Newsletter-December-2023

 

April 2023

The new building is progressing well and is on schedule to be completed during the Autumn Term.

Mrs Bellaby visited the site recently to check on developments and even managed to find her office!

We’re looking forward to more visits and progress pictures soon.

 

 

             

We are delighted to share with you the great progress that is taking place at our Squinter Pip Way site, Shrewsbury of the brand new Keystone Academy school building.

Construction is well under way to prepare the land for the brand new building, which will be able to accommodate up to 120 neurodivergent pupils, aged 4-16.

The Keystone Academy which is currently open in temporary accommodation is looking forward to moving into a fantastic new building in September 2023.

We will continue to share the exciting progress of the build as it develops over the coming months.

The Keystone Academy

 

We are delighted to announce that The Keystone Academy will be opening its doors for the first time to pupils on Friday 2nd September 2022.

After many months of preparation and hard work we are all looking forward to welcoming our first cohort of children at this exciting time.

Please keep an eye on the website for regular updates and information as our first half-term gets under way.

Best wishes.

Ali Bellaby
Headteacher

 

 

 

I am delighted to have been appointed as Headteacher at The Keystone Academy and am looking forward to taking up the position formally in January 2022.

I have been a teacher for 21 years, having taught the full age range from KS1-KS4 and more recently have been a leader in the Pupil Referral Unit in Blackpool.  For the last thirteen years in the PRU, I have thoroughly enjoyed working with wonderful young people and their families, all of whom have had such a variety of strengths and needs.  I am passionate about preparing young people with the skills to live a successful life and to realise their unique potential by supporting them to achieve their very best socially, emotionally and academically.

I am thrilled to be joining the team at The YES Trust and to have an opportunity to develop a school which will work in collaboration with the local authority to support and meet the needs of young people experiencing some form of neurodiversity, alongside their families.

Over recent years, I have been especially interested in seeking to understand children who haven’t yet been fully understood in school.  The Keystone Academy’s specialism in social, emotional and mental health needs and in particular, neurodiversity is exciting.  I believe that ‘all behaviour is a form of communication’ and as such I always strive to understand the bigger picture, working holistically with families and agencies wherever possible.

The YES Trust’s vision to develop a school that becomes the figurative ‘keystone’ for children, their families and support services will be at the heart of my practice.  I am committed to working collaboratively with all stakeholders to ensure the best opportunities and outcomes for all children in my care and as such, I’m genuinely looking forward to meeting the children, their families and getting to know the local community too.

Ali Bellaby – Headteacher

The YES Trust is pleased to announce that the second Public Consultation event for our new Keystone Academy will now take place on Tuesday 2nd November 2021 from 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm at Shelton Cricket Club, 27 The Furlongs, Leighton Park, Shrewsbury, SY3 5FU.  

Further to the news item on 5th October 2021, the first Public Consultation event scheduled for 18th October 2021 to give local residents the opportunity to meet key members of The YES Trust and The Keystone Academy,  will now be postponed until November (date to be confirmed).

The session due to take place on Tuesday 26th October 2021 from 10.00 am – 2:00 pm at Shelton Cricket Club, 27 The Furlongs, Leighton Park, Shrewsbury, SY3 5FU will go ahead as planned.

We look forward to meeting local residents at this event.

The Youth Engagement Schools (YES) Trust’s proposal for the opening of The Keystone Academy has progressed to the pre-opening phase and we are now required to undertake a public consultation period. The Keystone Academy will be the latest addition to the YES Trust’s portfolio, which consists of The Axis Academy in Crewe, The Cornerstone Academy in Congleton and The Fermain Academy in Macclesfield.

The Keystone Academy is planned to be built on Squinter Pip Way in Bowbrook. It is a Special Educational Needs school for students with an Educational Health and Care Plan (EHCP) for social, emotional and mental health difficulties. The Academy will provide 120 places for students and will focus on supporting them with specific mental health needs.  Initially it will support students in Years 5 to 9. Moving forward, the school will support children aged 4 to 16.

We will be holding a number of public drop-in events at Shelton Cricket Club, 27 The Furlongs, Leighton Park, Shrewsbury, SY3 5FU on:

These sessions will give local residents the opportunity to meet our team including Alison Bellaby  (Headteacher, The Keystone Academy); Liz Heynen (Pastoral Lead, The Keystone Academy); Nic Brindle (CEO, The YES Trust) and Chris Heptinstall (Director of Business, The YES Trust) and learn more about The Keystone Academy’s ethos and vision and for the local community to share their views and opinions on our proposal.  We endeavour to be an asset to the community and offer a cohesive approach to supporting children’s mental health and education.