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Alternative education school opens at rugby club

Edward RoweGloucestershire Political Reporter
BBC Two man cutting a red ribbon. Alex Brown, on the right hand side is wearing bage trousers and a dark grey top. He is holding the scissors with the ribbon between the two blades. Whilst Rhys Morris hold the ribbon to make sure it is taught for the cut. He is wearing a suit jacket and black trousers which almost disappear in the background of the black wall behind them. The logos of Gloucester Rugby and the Busy School are on the wall at head height behind them and the ribbon.BBC
CEO of Gloucester Rugby Alex Brown (pictured right) said the partnership with The Busy School was "unique"

A new school set up to teach pupils who struggle with mainstream education has opened up next to a premiership rugby ground.

Gloucester Rugby has partnered with The Busy School to host lessons for about 40 pupils.

Students will be taught core subjects like Maths and English as well as important life skills - but there will also be a focus on E-sports.

"People drop out of education for whatever reason, and miss the opportunity to thrive and learn from those experiences," said Gloucester Rugby CEO Alex Brown.

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The school will take pupils from across Gloucestershire and possibly further afield.

"We feel at Gloucester Rugby that it's within our gift to support whatever goes on within our community," said Brown.

Almost a million young people across the country are defined as NEETS - not in employment, education or training.

A photo of a sign pointing up some stairs. The sign is stuck to a white wall. It is grey in colour, with 'the busy school' etched on it in white with an arrow pointing up the stairs. The Gloucester Rugby logo sits on the top left hand side with the Busy school logo also situated there.
The school will teach pupils who find mainstream education challenging

The BUSY Group, started in Australia and has schools in New Zealand, Canada and the UK.

It is a not-for-profit organisation which promotes alternative education methods to prepare people for work.

Erase 'hopelessness'

Rhys Morris, the group's managing director, said he does not believe a standard approach of GCSEs and A-levels followed by university works for everyone.

"We're breeding a generation of hopelessness as far as young people are concerned, many of whom don't understand how they bridge to the next part of their future," he said.

"What we're trying to do is show an alternative path, help people understand where they can build futures that isn't about hopelessness."

It is hoped the focus on E-sports will deliver a different way of learning, combining the games with maths challenges and leadership skills.

The fact that the school is part of Gloucester Rugby's high-performance training centre is aimed at motivating the pupils.

"You're coming to an elite training facility, seeing the best athletes in the country," said Brown. "We want the students to come in here and be inspired."

Heyma Holmes, chair of the Gloucester Rugby foundation, said she believes the new facility will have a big impact on those who study there.

"It absolutely will give them more positivity and confidence when they're actually entering the job market or whatever they want to do," she said.

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