The Hub launch – serving pupils and the local community
Friday 25 March saw the launch of The Hub, a multifunctional café a stone’s throw away from our TCES North West London school in East Acton. This is an exciting new chapter in the TCES story. The café opened with the support of staff and pupils from TCES NW London, some of whom were showcasing new school projects. In addition, our neighbour, Father Fergal of the Roman Catholic Church of St Aidan of Lindisfarne, Acton East Parish joined the proceedings. This is the first of the Enterprise Centres that TCES aims to open in London to develop sustainable work-based learning opportunities for neurodiverse students. Each Centre will be linked to a TCES school but operated separately as a social enterprise.
The Hub will provide our post-16 students with opportunities to gain work experience and GCSE, BTEC and industry standard qualifications in catering and food technology, hospitality and customer service, food hygiene, health and safety and business studies.
The shocking fact is that less than a quarter of adults with autism are in employment, and the number of employers who feel they understand how to offer students with SEN work experience is similarly lacking. The café is one of many steps aimed to reverse these statistics.
We refuse to give up on our exceptional pupils and The Hub will give our post-16 students the chance to prove to themselves and others that they absolutely belong in the workplace, leading fulfilling, employed lives!
News of the café received top billing on Ealing Council’s website and will also feature in their widely read newsletter.