If you are 14 or 16, or will be by 1 September, now is a good time to look at local colleges and find out when their open days are. At 14, some colleges offer (post 14) courses for young people who are home educated. At 16, you can explore a wider range of courses, including apprentiships, GCSEs and Functional Skills in English and maths. An open day is your chance to see the place, meet the tutors and ask what qualifications you would need for a course that interests you. If

When something goes wrong This week, I have spent quite a lot of time talking to the police and CID while supporting somebody who was mugged at knifepoint for their clothes and shoes. That is frightening, and it is serious. I am sharing it with you via The Orchard Gate because something important came out as the police began taking witness statements and putting together what had happened. It became clear that one of the young men involved may not really have been happy about

11 September is Make Your Own Bed Day. It sounds like one of those slightly odd days that appears on the calendar and gives us something to smile about. However, at Orchard, it made us stop and think. Who actually makes your child's bed? And perhaps more importantly: why? It's not really about the bed We aren't particularly interested in perfectly tucked corners, matching cushions or whether the duvet is completely straight. We are interested in what happens when a child begi

Our Orchard Gate assembly — a moment to gather, reflect and wonder, wherever we learn. The Orchard Gate is our equivalent of a school assembly — a moment each week when we all come together, wherever we happen to learn. Every Friday, I’ll be posting a new Orchard Gate. It’s a chance to pause at the end of the week, look back at what we have achieved, celebrate the things that have gone well, think about the things that perhaps didn’t quite go to plan, and look ahead to what i