Redwood Park Academy teacher receives letter from King for hard work and dedication

Nicole Edgcombe joined Redwood Park Academy in September 2022 as a newly qualified teacher.  Nicole had previously worked at Redwood Park as a teaching assistant before leaving to undertake teacher training - and she re-joined the team to make a difference in young people’s lives.

Redwood Park Academy is a school for young people between 11 and 16 who have complex learning difficulties. Nicole has gone above and beyond for her students and one set of parents were so impressed with her support, they wrote a letter to the King. To Nicole’s surprise, she receievd a letter from the King who commended her for her work.

Dave Turner, head of school, said: “This is incredible recognition, that confirms and celebrates Nicole and her teams hard work, commitment and professionalism. This award has been superbly received from Team Redwood which reinforces the impact of the whole teams work with our young people and the school community.”

Redwood Park Academy was awarded ‘outstanding’ status by Ofsted in November 2019.  The report stated that ‘pupils at Redwood Park Academy thrive’ and ‘staff are passionate that pupils become successful, proactive members of the community’.

Olivia Gosney, the parent who sent the initial letter to the King, said: “We as a family feel it is very important to acknowledge the positive impact that Nicole and Redwood Park has had on our daughter since joining the school.  We wanted to show our gratitude, so decided to write to the King telling him how wonderful they are, and we were so pleased when we received a letter back from Buckingham Palace.”

Solent Academies Trust also leads Portsmouth’s Mary Rose Academy, The Lantern for pupils with complex autism, Craneswater for post-16 students, Cliffdale Primary Academy for pupils with complex learning difficulties aged 2-11, Littlegreen Academy in West Sussex for boys with social, emotional and mental health needs and Dove House Academy in Hampshire for pupils with moderate learning difficulties aged 11-16.

For more information about Redwood Park Academy, click here.