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From breaking ground on our purpose built site to welcoming our first group of students, we are immensely proud of our journey to date and the opportunities we have to shape young lives in the future.
Jack Ray – Formerly a student at the Pupil Referral Unit and now working for William King Construction, tells his story:
Please can you tell me, in your own words! the reasons why you found yourself at the PRU?
I ended up in the PRU as I had no interest in school or learning and didn’t like the teacher!!
What was the difference between your school and the PRU?
Less kids. More attention and support from staff.
How did you find employment?
Family friend worked for WK – Got me a trial
Can you describe your life now? What is it like?
My life is a very full life. I have lots of hobbies. I have a boat, a caravan, I go fishing and work hard during the week. I have just bought my first house on Kells and my girlfriend is pregnant with our first baby!
Without the intervention of PRU and employment, what do you think your life would be like now?
I’d be on the dole, I dread to think where I could have ended up without the PRU.
We want to invest in a construction site to educate and learn pupils from the PRU. We would be looking for mentors, is this something you would consider? Sharing your experience with children who feel they have no chance of future employment?
Yes, I’d be happy to share my experience with the Kids!
What 3 things do you think children at the PRU need to be able to move on to a better life?
The opportunities, role models, better environment to grow – new school
Any other comments / thoughts.
I am excited to see where this goes! If anyone can help these kids it’s William. He has supported me since I started where others might not have.
Spring and Summer 2025 saw the first students benefit from Aspire. Many of them demonstrated increasing levels of competence and skill which impressed everyone. William King explained that, “In recent weeks the students have really come on and are able to not only lay brick increasingly well, but are also demonstrating the behaviours and attitudes that will make them an asset on a building site in years to come. I’ve been impressed with how they handle and respect the tools and materials and how they have listened and applied what we have taught them. Some of them have so much potential to progress well into a career in Construction. I’m excited to see where they go next.” Many of the first cohort of students will complete their BTEC unit in the coming weeks.
Increasing levels of confidence and enthusiasm saw students progress to concrete flag laying at Aspire. Everything from measuring the job, material handling, understanding of why things are done in a certain way, to finishing and assessing. Another impressive unit completed!
From a one-off donation to regular donations by direct debit, legacy gifts or corporate fundraising for us, every penny donated goes straight back into our the Aspire Academy so that we can continue to have a positive impact on young lives in the area.
Aspire Academy is a Community Interest Company (CIC) offering the opportunity for students at West Cumbria Learning Centre to gain valuable skills and experience in a construction industry setting.
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