We are a multi-academy trust that predominantly caters to SEND children and we consist of a secondary school, North Star 240°, a primary school, North Star 82° and an outreach programme, North Star Outreach. We will soon be opening a new free school called North Star ALP, and all schools are located in Bristol and cater for students all over the South West.
North Star was born out of a drive to do something different for those who need more. Formed by the desire to shape futures, North Star emerged. We remain where others may part, equipping young minds to join with their communities. Forging together the path ahead, travelling alongside. Our team can bring dreams to fruition.
Throughout North Star Academy Trust we believe that every student should have the education, opportunities and experiences to prepare them for a happy, fulfilled and meaningful life. They should be confident, broad-minded and have a range of skills to allow them to succeed in society. We need to work with them and others to enable them to overcome barriers and achieve their full potential. We strive to work with our families to offer them the support that they need in various aspects of their lives. Students are never judged on previous experiences and our mantra of “every day is a new day” informs our thinking at all times. We pride ourselves on our welcoming and nurturing school environments that respect and celebrate diversity. Our ethos underpins everything we do at North Star, for both staff and students. It is the nucleus of our curriculum, the motivation for our hard work and the beginning of our ambitions.
As skilled and specialist staff, we provide bespoke and personalised teaching in a therapeutic learning environment. This includes Quality First Teaching and one-to-one support, alongside targeted interventions, to accelerate our student’s learning. We look forward and support students in achieving the futures they desire and deserve. Our robust curriculum and strong careers programme ensures our students can acquire the required literacy and numeracy skills, and supports the development of strong communication skills and high levels of confidence and self-esteem.
Strong relationships with our students are built using a trauma-informed approach to provide emotionally available adults and consistent boundaries that help them feel safe. We highly value our relationships with parents and guardians and keep in close contact with them and other professionals. By working in partnership we can offer wrap-around support for our children. We encourage a sense of belonging within our students and develop skills that facilitate access to, and knowledge of, many forms of communities that surround them. Through a variety of targeted intervention sessions, enrichment lessons and external mentors and speakers, our students become confident individuals who are fully prepared to join a variety of local communities. We have high expectations of our students and ourselves as educators and we deliver high-quality teaching that combines our understanding of the neuroscience of learning with our expertise in SEN provision. We offer a wide range of experiences and cultural capital through enrichment trips and careers awareness that inspire our students and broaden their horizons. We maintain their forward-thinking ambition and create pathways to these dreams through the high-quality and personalised provision we offer at North Star.
