New Bridge School will create life-changing opportunities for its pupils with Special Educational Needs working with some of the biggest names in the tech industry, thanks to over £80,000 in Turing Scheme funding. 

New Bridge School, part of the New Bridge Group, is a state-of-the-art secondary special school in Oldham, developed to meet the needs of pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND). It has created an exciting Turing Scheme project that will see 20 of its students travel to Chicago in early 2022 to present their micro-business and gain insights from some of the giants of the tech world.

The Power Of Technology 

Daniel Wood, Executive Director of the New Bridge Multi Academy Trust said: “Our Turing Scheme project, ‘Enabling entrepreneurship through tech’, focuses on the transformative power of technology, something we very much understand at New Bridge.“We believe technology enables young people to live and thrive independently and we have embraced it across the board to inspire student creativity, collaboration, and confidence. In 2019, in partnership with Apple, we adopted the innovative use of iPads throughout our schools where every student and teacher has access to their own iPad, making us the first SEND Academy in the UK to partner with Apple in this way.”

Pupils benefits for the future 

The project will dovetail with New Bridge’s mission to create ‘Meaningful Futures’ for all its students.“Participants in this aspirational project will gain increased knowledge and skills in digital technology and entrepreneurship as well as enhanced social and communication skills, through the planned presenting, collaborative working and peer mentoring. A project like this can be life-changing, broadening horizons and raising aspirations, as well as enhancing work/life prospects.“Through our Turing Scheme project New Bridge will gain ground-breaking new teaching and learning practices. We will also strengthen our international peer networks and enhance partnership opportunities with Apple Distinguished Schools internationally. New skills and role models will inspire the group’s entire learning community,” concluded Daniel.