Blog

Great conversations, shared values and exciting possibilities.Last week we welcomed Rachel Setter Ashley Bookman from Human Momentum CIC, and Tanisha Vadgama to Phoenix Bay. We spent time talking about something close to our hearts – the power of relationships, and how changing the way we think can genuinely change lives. A big part of the conversation was around paradigms.How our experiences shape our beliefs, our behaviours, our responses. And how

I’m very proud to be President of Plymouth Magic Circle – an organisation with a history stretching all the way back to 1935. And as of last week, the Circle has a new home. Pounds House. We held our first meeting there – an evening of magic, mystery, laughter and a few things that simply couldn’t be explained. The Circle will now meet at Pounds House on the first Thursday

Last week, the Phoenix Bay team proudly wore yellow to support Hello Yellow – Young Minds and World Mental Health Day! At Phoenix Bay, we talk a lot about looking after our young people, but looking after each other matters just as much. Mental health isn’t something we should only talk about once a year. It’s in the little things we do every day. Checking in, listening, showing kindness, having

Last season we sponsored Watts Blake Bearne U14s. They won their league, the Fair Play Award and Most Respect Points at the Devon FA Greatest Game Festival. Now they’re in U16’s Division 2! We’re proud to be back on the shirt for another season – supporting a team that competes hard and does it with respect. They win, but not at the expense of who they are. That matters! At

We were delighted to welcome Fred Thomas MP to Pounds House and share the progress being made towards the opening of Phoenix Bay Park SEND School. Although we’re not yet open and are currently awaiting Department for Education sign-off, it’s exciting to see the building coming to life as we prepare for launch. Over recent weeks, we’ve been welcoming prospective students and their families to a series of informal taster

Every year, we do something ridiculous together as a staff team. Last year it was Minecraft (the less said about the lava chicken, the better). This year? Pokemon. One of our team (ahem) took it very seriously (full Ash Ketchum costume, gloves, the lot). The rest spent the morning chasing Ripley – our resident blue monster – around every corner of Seale Hayne. Ripley, for the record, spent most of

Last Friday, Phoenix Bay came together for our annual Celebration Evening, and what a night it was. Our students, families and staff swapped hoodies for tuxedos, dresses and dancing shoes as we celebrated another incredible year together. Seeing our young people walk into the room with confidence, pride and huge smiles is something that never gets old. The evening was all about recognising progress, resilience, courage and achievement. We celebrated

If you’d walked into the Pavilion hub last week, you’d have known immediately that something special was going on. Mad Hatters Tea Party at Phoenix Bay. And our students had been building towards it all week. Decorations made by hand. Cakes, scones and biscuits baked from scratch. The whole space transformed with Alice in Wonderland posters and fabric – students walking into something they’d genuinely helped create. Then the afternoon

On the opening day of the World Cup, we didn’t just watch. We celebrated.Each class at Phoenix Bay was allocated a country to support – and from there, the day took on a life of its own. Classrooms transformed into flags and colours. Students dug into the traditions, customs and heritage of their nation. And then came the PE – where every class proudly represented their country on the pitch.

We were featured on ITV News West Country this week – and we’re genuinely grateful for the attention it’s brought to SEND provision in Plymouth. Pounds House is coming back to life, and we couldn’t be more excited.This stunning Georgian building in the heart of the city has sat empty for fifteen years. And this September, we’re hoping to open it as a school for young people with SEND who

A handful of our students earned a much-anticipated rewards trip this month – a morning of outdoor laser tag, complete with strategy, sprinting and the occasional victory dance. And they absolutely deserved it. What struck us most wasn’t the laser battles (though those were very much taken seriously). It was watching young people who don’t always get to experience this kind of thing – earning it, planning for it, and

We were in the Plymouth Herald yesterday – page 3. And honestly, it still doesn’t feel quite real. Pounds House in Central Park in Plymouth. For those who don’t know the building – it’s a Grade II listed Victorian villa that’s been sitting empty for years, right in the heart of the city. And with planning permission now secured, it’s going to become ‘Phoenix Bay Park’ – a specialist SEND