Undershaw has long-established friendships with some remarkable Charitable Foundations, namely the COINS Foundation and The DFN Charitable Foundation. Their visions are trailblazing in ethos and approach, they are passionate friends of the school, and Undershaw students and staff feel in very good hands when preparing the students for their lives beyond the school gates.
‘We begin with the end in sight’ is a great summary of the attitude to life skills that permeates throughout the school, with innovative approaches to teaching and learning, the many facets of our carefully constructed curriculum, and the development of soft skills for all our learners.
Many of us may still have memories of work experience from our school days, where perhaps we spent a disappointing amount of time shackled to a photocopier… or finding out first-hand what we did not want to do when we entered the workplace! Fortunately, this is far from the truth for our students! So much thought and individual attention goes into crafting a bespoke work experience offering fit for that individual. Our Employability Team are specialists in sourcing and developing relationships with companies where our students can thrive, role profiles are robust, expectations are
One of our most impactful partnerships has been with The Cookie Bar, a social enterprise café very close to the school. Our links with The Cookie Bar go back many years and the COINS Foundation is instrumental in providing support for the enterprise, as well as support for the school.
The COINS Foundation has a number of mission statements:
Engage others to think differently about business and social justice
We are working to make the Foundation more sustainable. We are also influencing business owners to commit equity or profit shares to a foundation or charity.
Encourage social enterprises such as the Cookie Bar
We have set up the Cookie Bar as a social venture to generate profit and deliver social goals.
Support sustainable programmes internationally.
We support programmes that empower individuals and communities. These initiatives foster skills, confidence, prosperity, and encourage greater independence. We build and benefit from partnerships with individuals, companies, traditional charities, social enterprises and NGOs.
”Spending time with Noah and Georgia, watching the skills they have learned throughout their time at school, and being emersed in the full array of technical and soft workplace skills, makes me realise what we have here at Undershaw is very special. The support of our Charitable Foundations through initiatives such as the Cookie Bar enterprise backed by COINS, offers us such a differentiator when it comes to paving a way into life beyond the school gates. We make those seamless connections for our students and pass it to them to see it through. They realise the vision we all share and it leaves us feeling proud, every single time.
Emma WestActing Headteacher
Our latest video shows the Undershaw / COINS Foundation Partnership at its very best: Undershaw embeds the skills required for students to equip themselves for the workplace, whilst the COINS Foundation funds tangible ventures and genuine social enterprises as a Force For Good.
”One of the highlights of my job is seeing Skills learned in the classroom be brought to life. The Cookie Bar is the perfect environment to build confidence in Listening, Speaking, Problem Solving, Creativity, Staying Positive and Teamwork Skills! This work experience is not just about a career in hospitality, it creates the opportunity to provide our young people with a sense of achievement and connects them to our community
Leilah SheridanHead of Employability and Life Skills
