The Reconnect Learning Award

For a group or organisation that has helped children and young people reconnect to their education.

Won by Woodpecker Court

Mark Piddlesden, Rachel McNicholas, Georgina Meehan and Dominic Meehan receiving the Reconnect Learning Award on behalf of Woodpecker Court.

Mark Piddlesden, Rachel McNicholas, Georgina Meehan and Dominic Meehan receiving the Reconnect Learning Award on behalf of Woodpecker Court.

Woodpecker Court is a specialist educational facility working with young people who struggle to thrive in mainstream education.

During the pandemic, Woodpecker Court adapted their practice to provide outreach learning and support, both face to face and online which, for a great many young people, was quite literally a lifeline. These young people already had low levels of emotional resilience and self-confidence, and the pandemic had a massive and traumatic effect on their lives. They worked to develop learning programmes, safe visits within guidelines, and family liaison. The commitment of the staff to these young people was and continues to be outstanding, and the personal demands on them during this time went well beyond what could be reasonably expected. Dom Meehan and his wife Rachel literally turned their home, Woodpecker Court, into an alternative education provider with specialist post 16 status set in a rural location.

They opened with 1 classroom, teaching 4 students in a converted garage and are now an OFSTED rated post 16 exceptional educational provision, that has grown exponentially and is now teaching more than 40 students per week.