14+ Academies

Leeds City College, 14+ Academies Welcome video

Speakers – Various, including current and former learners as well as staff of the 14+ Academies.

Scenery – close-up of 14+ Academies jumper and badge worn by Ellie Barker

14+ Academies Student – ‘before I joined for 14+ Academies, I was in a rough patch. I wasn’t learning in my old school. I wasn’t progressing anywhere. They weren’t giving me the right help. I wasn’t moving forward in life”

Scenery – student crossing waiting to cross the road outside Leeds City College Park Lane Campus

Scenery – ‘Ellie Barker waving to students arriving at the 14+ academies’

Scenery – ‘Niki McKenna and Ellie Barker welcoming a student transitioning to a student laughing and talking’

Scenery – Niki and Ellie welcoming more students, transitioning to two students walking across the road towards the Park Lane campus

‘14+ Academies Student – ‘In my last school I got bullied and all sorts of other issues’

Scenery – student arriving and high-fiving Niki and Ellie

14+ Academies Student – ‘In my previous school the lack of diversity and mental health awareness made me feel really isolated’

Scenery – Slow shot of Park Lane Campus welcome sign

Scenery – shot of the backs of students walking up the stairs towards Park Lane reception

14+ Academies Student – ‘I didn’t really like my old school and I wasn’t really getting on in lessons’

Scenery – Student being served breakfast in Park Lane canteen

Scenery – Students sat at a table, talking in a group in the canteen transitioning to close-up of student laughing

14+ Academies Student – ‘it got to the point where I hated going to school and I’d just pretend to be sick all the time’

Scenery – two students walking towards their form rooms

Scenery – shot from behind a student as they open their locker, transitioning to a close-up shot of the locker opening

Teacher – ‘so when young people join us here at the 14+ Academies, we take hundreds of students from a variety of different schools and they all come with different educational backgrounds, they all come with different mental health backgrounds’

Scenery – Students crossing between classrooms transitioning to shot of students walking through the halls

Scenery – Student skipping towards the camera on way to class

14+ Academies Student – ‘Everyone’s come to the school having a negative experience in the past high school, and I feel like there’s a level of like, I guess, connection because you can all we can all relate to the experiences we’ve had’

Scenery – student sat on the floor closing their locker.

Scenery – Close-ups of two different photo montages showing students from previous years

Scenery – two students walking past Ellie Barker into class

Scenery – form representatives race back to their classrooms with challenges in hand, running down corridors and past 14+ murals on the wall

Niki McKenna – ‘what we’ve tried to create is an environment that would prepare them for the future and their world of work and, you know, yes, we need to make sure that they’re dressed smartly, but we don’t need them all dressed the same. We need to make sure others respect that. But that doesn’t come from saying, Sir or Miss.

Learners come to us full time from their previous schools five days a week. And they study with us four days a week at the Park Lane Campus and they do one day a week of their vacation.

What we’re trying to create here is an environment that they feel safe and accepted that is more normal in relation to what they’re going to have for the rest of their lives and the fact that they can come here at 14 and we can give them the skills to get ready for 16 is transformative’.

Scenery – shot from above as a group of students huddle together to answer questions, transitioning to a different group of students debating

Scenery – Two students running down the corridor with answer sheets in their hands, transitioning to another student running into the chill out room

Scenery – Cut to another student returning with an answer sheet but running past the room by accident. Niki and Ellie lift theirs arms to shout and let them know

Scenery – A different student arrives and passes their answer sheet to Ellie

Scenery – cuts to a student drawing on a white board looking to the class to guess what they have drawn

Scenery – two students smiling, looking at the board trying to figure out what is being drawn, transitioning to another student making gestures to a different classmate

Scenery – that same classmate laughing, holding a pen in front of the whiteboard

Scenery – shot of a student making notes, transitioning to a different shot of the handout the student is writing on

Scenery – close up shot of a student writing on the computer, transitioning to a shot of their hand moving a mouse

Scenery – new shot of a teacher talking to the class, moving through the classroom holding a colourful soft toy, transitioning to a close up of the soft toy in the teacher’s hands

Scenery – the same teacher kneeling next to a student, helping them

Scenery – student looking through learning materials smiling and laughing

Scenery – teacher holding a pen talking animatedly with their class, transitioning to a closer shot of them writing on a whiteboard

Scenery – student listening to the teacher and making notes

*Fade to black*

14+ Academies Student – ‘When I first joined I had no self-confidence. In my first year, I’ve gone from speaking to no one speak to anyone’.

Scenery – close up of the 14+ academies journey mural on the wall, students can be seen waiting between classes in the background

Scenery – Student dancing with other students in their form room

Scenery – Close shot of a drama student falling backwards into the arms of their classmates, transitioning to the student being caught and put back on the ground as they smile

14+ Academies Student – ‘so they give you more responsibilities, they give you chances to redeem yourself’

Scenery – shot of a green on air sign as students rehearse in the room beyond

Teacher – ‘It’s a huge mental hurdle to be able to get over when they’ve had years of being told that they’re not very good at a subject when they’ve had people not reinforcing the kind of growth that we would hope to see from a student. Seeing that change over the course of a year and seeing the person really flourish is a it makes every day worth it’

Scenery – shot of two students controlling lighting and sound in the rehearsal room, transitioning to a close shot of them moving dials on a sound board

Scenery – shot from outside of a workroom, Ellie is speaking to a student in the background

Scenery – a closer shot of Ellie speaking with the student

Scenery – student speaking to another student in front of a computer, smiling and laughing

Scenery – Ellie and Niki speaking with an ex-student outside the Quarry Hill Campus, cutting to them speaking with another ex-student outside the Printworks Campus

Scenery – Ellie and Niki speak with another ex-student inside the Printworks Campus

Scenery – Close shot of a student with earphones on completing their work in class at the Quarry Hill Campus

Scenery – shot from outside of a classroom looking in as a student smiles at their teacher

Scenery – two students on the giant swing Herd Farm, transitioning to a group of students pulling the giant swing up to prepare for another turn as the two students are seen in the background

14+ Academies Student ‘ 14+ Academies is a great place for a fresh start’

Scenery – A student navigates the high ropes at Herd Farm

Teacher – ‘What I love about this place is actually the learners, they’re fantastic. They come with energy, they come with lots of things going on. I love to find out what the story is, what their background is, and just build in that rapport and getting to know them’.

Scenery – a student is dressed with a safety harness and safety helmet

Scenery – another student tackles a large gap between walking planks on the high ropes as a teacher and student watch on, smiling

Scenery – close up of a student wearing a safety helmet talking and smiling with friends, transitioning to another group pulling a rope for the big swing with shots of students hanging and swinging

Scenery – close up shot of a student smiling on the big swing transitioning to a shot of harnesses on the floor and a student adding a helmet they no longer need

14+ Academies Student – ‘I’m getting a lot more work done. I’m understanding the work. I know what I’m doing, and sometimes I don’t really often need help’.

Scenery – a teacher stands at the front of the classroom, engaging with students

Scenery – A close up of a student as they complete their work, transitioning to another student sat in class, smiling and listening to their teacher, followed by another close up of a student smiling and a student concentrating in front of a laptop

Scenery – Shots of students feet walking in the corridor between classes, transitioning to a shot from behind a student as they walk to their next class

14+ Academies Student – ‘Since joining the 14+ Academies I feel a lot happier within myself because the teachers come and help you and the more supportive and make me feel like I have someone to talk to rather than just suffer in silence’.

Scenery – An engaged student looks towards their teacher in a classroom, cutting to a close up of a student’s hand writing notes

Scenery – A student in a full classroom holding their hand up to get teacher’s attention, transitioning to a teacher helping two different students

Scenery – a close up of a student writing during class, transitioning to a close shot of the pen and paper they are writing on

Scenery – shot from behind a teacher with their arm up, talking to the class

Scenery – a teacher having a 1-2-1 private conversation with a student

Scenery – a shot from behind as a teacher crouches next to a student to help them with their work, transitioning to a drama teacher reading out instructions to the class

14+ Teacher – ‘Learners and the staff together, we’re a big, massive team and we work together with one goal in mind and that is the learners can achieve their GCSEs and move on to the next stage and build their future’.

Scenery – A teacher address the class whilst two students write on whiteboards to either side

Scenery – A teacher smiles listening to a student

Scenery – A member of staff talks on the phone in a busy office

Scenery – A teacher points towards a whiteboard whilst addressing a class, transitioning to another teacher writing on a whiteboard with a red pen

Scenery – Niki touches a learning handout that depicts regions of the brain that a student is wearing on their head

Scenery – A teacher and drama class rehearse their dance moves, pointing away from the camera, transitioning to a shot from below as students circle a student as they sing

14+ Academies Student – ‘Since coming to the 14+ my grades have just shot up so much in the space of a year and a half’.

Scenery – a student files the side of a metal plate, transitioning to a close up of them filing

Scenery – a wide shot of the read of a car within a mechanical workshop, with a group of students out of focus in the distance

Scenery – a shot from below of a student holding a tool, looking at the wheel of an elevated car

Scenery – a student turns a wheel and tightens a bolt to fix a wheel in place

14+ Academies Student – ‘From the get go it was just amazing, everyone was so nice. The teachers and the students, I’ve never met so many welcoming people’.

Scenery – A student uses a piece of machinery as sparks fly

Scenery – A student gets into a car and closes the door shut behind them

Scenery – close up of a student replacing a parcel shelf in the rear of a car

Scenery – a student uses green spray paint on a piece of metal, transitioning to a student in a teaching kitchen, stirring some batter alongside another student

14+ Academies Student ‘I just love being in this environment and it’s really, I’m really thankful to be here and have a place in this college because otherwise I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t get in. I’m looking forward to following my goals and hopefully succeeding in them’.

Scenery – a shot from outside a teaching kitchen as a teacher instructs a class as they prepare to cook profiteroles

Scenery – a close up of a student smiling as they whisk, transitioning to a shot from above of the whisk in batter

Scenery – a wide shot of a class whisking their batter with cooked profiteroles cooling in the foreground

Scenery – a group of student smile as they prepare their batter, cutting to a student placing their whisked batter into a piping bag, with another cutting a hole into a cooked profiterole with the end of a peeling knife

Scenery – a teacher fills a profiterole using a piping bag, cutting to a student placing whisked batter into a different piping another

Scenery – a close up of a student smiling in the teaching kitchen, cutting to the teacher taking a tray of fresh profiteroles out of the oven

14+ Academies Alumni – ‘When I went to 14+ Academies, I progressed in life. I found out who I was. I was quite nervous going into it, but when I got to learn and meet new people, I came out my comfort zone more and became who I actually am today.

…I was George Wilkinson, but now I am Chef George Wilkinson’.

Scenery – following behind as an ex-student enters the kitchen they now work in as a professional chef, transitioning to the ex-student walking through the kitchen

Scenery – ex-student speedily chopping cucumber, transitioning to a pan being put on a hob, frying onions with flames rising from the pan

Scenery – the ex-student talks and laughs with Niki and Ellie, transitioning to the student standing and smiling

14+ Academies Alumni – ‘It changed my life. It’s the best thing I ever did. Even now, my family still say it’s best thing I ever did and I woouldn’t be who I am today if I didn’t go there. I’m just so happy’.

Scenery – an ex-student parts the hair of a customer the hair salon they work in, transitioning to them placing bleach on a strand of the customers hair, using a spray bottle to wet their hair

Scenery – A shot from above as the ex-student parts another part of the customers hair

Scenery – A reflection of the student talking to their customer in the mirror as they comb their hair, transitioning to the student standing and smiling

Teacher – ‘If you’re thinking of applying to the 14+, the advice I would probably give to parents is to trust the process, to trust the staff, and to know that you are in good hands.
We are going to support your child and from the minute they walk in to the minute they leave after year 11 and onwards, because we continue to see learners out and about and we still check in with them, we still see parents and we might still talk to them as well. So, it’s to trust us that that your child, your learner, is going to be in the best hands’.

Scenery – the legs of a student running on a virtual reality machine, cutting to a close up with virtual reality goggles and controllers

Scenery – a group of students talk whilst navigating a game menu screen

Scenery – close-up of a student frantically pulling the triggers of a virtual reality controller

Scenery – a student smiles and watches other students engaging with different types of technology

Scenery – two students talking whilst working on a gaming laptop

Scenery – students rush towards two static balls to pick them up as part of a sports game, transitioning to two other students throwing balls

Scenery – a student collects another static ball, cutting to a student joining others as part of the game

Scenery – a teacher shouts instructions to students on the sports court

Scenery – two students jockey with one another to catch an incoming ball, cutting to a group of students waiting for a ball as another student leaps in an blocks it

Scenery – Ellie and Niki laughing with students in a classroom

Scenery – students at in the corridors jokingly fighting over a phone and laughing

Scenery – a member of staff laughs with other members of staff in the office

Scenery – a student laughs as they turn to another, smiling

Scenery – a student waves to the camera as they enter the Park Lane Campus

Scene fades to black, music ends

Leeds City College, 14+ Academies 10 Year celebration
TRANSCRIPT

Speakers – Ellie Barker, Deputy Head of 14+ Academies Leeds City College / Alan Mckenna, Deputy Director of SEND and Inclusive Provision Leeds City College / Niki Mckenna, Head of the 14+ Academies Leeds City College

Scenery – Chopping board with cut grapefruit.

Scenery – Plastic cups being filled with the grapefruit juice.

Scenery – Shot of Ellie Barker speaking to a crowd.

Ellie Barker – “Welcome to this extraordinary evening as we come together to celebrate and honour a remarkable milestone, the 10 Year anniversary of the 14+ Academies.”

Scenery – A group of teachers celebrating drinking grapefruit juice.

Scenery – Teachers walking to sit down and get ready to celebrate the 14+ Academies event.

Ellie Barker – “14+ Academies offers and incredible story that highlights the impact education can have on young people if it’s done right, and not only offers an education but has an impact on the lives that supports it. Time after time young people arrive, often without identity with no plan for their futures or no interest in their futures, but with the support of 14+ Academies ethos and culture somehow along the trips, the workshops, the drama-filled lunchtimes and personal progress days things change”

Scenery – Teachers celebrating and smiling talking together.

Ellie Barker – “The 14+ Academies enables us to make a difference, to be agents of change and to foster a sense of community that extends far beyond the boundaries of traditional education.”

Scenery – Shot of Ellie Barker speaking to a crowd.

Scenery – Celebratory balloons transitioning to more teachers celebrating.

Ellie Barker – “Tonight we stand here as a living testament to the transformative power of the 14+ Academies.”

Scenery – Back to Ellie Barker giving the speech.

Ellie Barker – “Every person whether staff, visitor, family member, parent or caregiver has been touched by the profound impact, the most valuable lesson I’ve learnt, one that resonates with all of us is that 14+ Academies has allowed me, and others to be ourselves and be proud of who we are.”

Scenery – Alan Mckenna speaking to the crowd.

Alan Mckenna – “The 14+ Academies has become a very special place. A haven of hope for leaners and their families across Leeds and beyond.”

Scenery – A shot behind Alan Mckenna showing the crowd and him delivering the speech.

Alan Mckenna – “When I came in to education late in life, I had hoped I would be lucky enough to be part of a team that would make a real, tangible, difference to some of the learners in front of me.”

Scenery – Close of up Alan Mckenna.

Alan Mckenna – “I never believed I would be part of a team that made a massive difference to every leaner who we came in contact with.”

Scenery – A handmade logo for 14+ Academies.

Scenery – Shot of the crowd listening to Alan speak.

Alan Mckenna – “With the current staff and those from previous years, the 14+ Academies has built an outstanding reputation across the city, and the UK as a whole. 14 to 16 has become a centre of excellence across the FE sector. Finally, I want to say a massive thank you to Niki.”

Scenery – Camera swaps to Niki.

Scenery – Back to Alan Mckenna delivering his speech.

Alan Mckenna – “For the last four years when I was head he was an Unbelievable support to myself and the team around him. His belief in the staff and learners is unwavering, his passion to announce the lives of rounding shines through.

Niki Mckenna – “10 years ago, when we first embarked this journey we just 13 learners taking their first steps into the Campus, little did they know they were pioneers, blazing a trail and creating something truly special that will lead to the extraordinary educational environment that exists today.

Scenery – Niki walks to the front.

Scenery – Shot of Niki delivering his speech.

Niki Mckenna – “During these ten years we’ve had the honour of welcoming and supporting a total of 1535 young people, that’s 1,535 unique stories, 1535 dreams, and 1535 reasons to celebrate.”

Niki Mckenna – “Although we are bursting at the seams we wear this unique challenge with a badge of honour. I described those working in education as heroes, I also say those working in 14 plus academies of the heroes of a super variety.”

Niki Mckenna – “Our journey of the past 10 years has been nothing short of Extraordinary we have witnessed your minds blossoming shattered Souls and dreams mended and futures reimagined. in the words of Ofsted inspectors and amongst others we are providing life changing and transformative impacts. Heart-warmingly and even more important to us parents and carers tell us we are saving lives as we celebrate 10 years let’s reflect on all we have achieved and what lies ahead the 14+ Academies really is an extraordinary place. It’s a place where barriers are broken and hope is restored. It’s that second chance and that vital lifeline. Finally, in the words of our learners we are not just a school we are a second family and a family that changes lives, thank you.”