Bristol Brunel Academy
The first school in the UK to benefit from N-able, Northgates managed learning environment.
Bristol Brunel Academy (BBA) was newly built and opened its doors to 600 pupils in September 2007. It is the first school in the UK to benefit from N-able, Northgate's learning environment, designed in partnership with teachers and students to meet their vision of a new and media rich, on line experience and to support the government's pursuit for excellence in education.
Bristol Brunel Academy is a mixed sex and multicultural secondary school for 11 to 18 year olds in east Bristol that welcome students of all faiths and none.
First Class Education
BBA, a brand new Academy aims to provide a free, first-class education for students of all abilities and aims to deliver real 
improvements in education through:
- offering a broad curriculum balanced between vocational and academic learning
- providing personal learning plans for each student
- the communications specialism focusing on English, ICT, performing and visual arts
- cutting-edge Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and leisure and learning facilities, which are shared with the local community
- well qualified teaching and support staff
- encouraging students to get involved with the local community and for people to take an interest in the Academy's development
- partnership with other educational organisations and local businesses to provide opportunities for work experience and to develop life skills
ICT Managed Service
The new managed learning environment, N-able uniquely provides teachers, students, parents and the local community with on line access to all resources they need to make the most of their teaching and learning experience including:
A fully integrated on line education environment - linking the running of schools to the provision of a virtual learning environment, to the management of information and the development of a cashless system in which a smart card is used to register for classes, catering and the library;
Anywhere, anytime' learning - enabling teachers, students and parents to access the learning environment from school, home or anywhere where there is internet access;
multiple access - using computers, games consoles and mobile phones as a means of connecting with the environment, including the use of thin technology;
Personalised learning - enabling students to direct their education through a personal work portfolio which provides a personal on line space, information on assessments, a personal learning plan and information on the progress - students will be able to use email, submit homework and view timetables and outstanding tasks;
Collaborative learning - allowing students to share files and resources with enhanced opportunities for group working and collaboration between students, parents and the local community - students will be able to use instant messenger technology to collaborate with friends in real time enabling them to work collaboratively and together remotely;
parental involvement - parents will be able to get actively engaged in their children's education and involved in the running of the school through the on line parent's centre;
Teacher information centre - providing teachers with a one-stop shop for all the data and information that they need on students including subject notes, personal notes, assessments and attendance details as well as advanced reporting and alerts;
a sustainable, safe and secure environment - including constant monitoring to prevent bullying and the use of inappropriate websites, and a reduction in unnecessary bureaucracy and paperwork.
Tim Byles, Chief Executive of Partnerships for Schools, said:
"Bristol Brunel Academy is wonderful news for the young people, teachers and local community here in Bristol, giving them a fresh start, new opportunities and state-of-the art facilities.Bristol Brunel Academy exemplifies what we are trying to achieve through the BSF programme and we are working hard with local authorities and the private sector market Students and staff at Bristol Brunel received their GCSE results on 21st August 2009 along with at a number of other schools which have been refurbished or built from scratch as part of the national Building so that every child in England has the same opportunity to thrive and reach their full potential.
Partnerships for Schools seeks to harness the best of the public and private sectors to deliver learning environments that our young people deserve and of which we can all be proud. I congratulate the Bristol Local Education Partnership on their commitment and resolute focus on achieving that goal and I look forward to seeing the very real difference that this school makes here in Bristol - to students, to teachers and to the local community more broadly."
Bristol Brunel Academy
Schools for the Future (BSF) programme. The results showed a marked improvement in the percentage of students awarded five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C (the figure in brackets includes English and Maths)
Armando Di-Finizio, Principal of Bristol Brunel Academy, said:
"The whole school team have been 100% committed to making Bristol Brunel Academy a success, and the personalised learning agenda - working on an individual basis with every student - has made a real difference."
Tim Byles, Chief Executive of Partnerships for Schools, the government agency delivering the BSF programme, congratulated students and teachers across England on this year's exam success. He added:
"Whenever I visit new or refurbished BSF schools, teachers, students and their parents tell me what a difference the new environment is making, and independent research is starting to confirm this as well. Young people feel safer, they feel proud about their school and want to go there every day, and most importantly they feel inspired to learn.
"And when students want to spend time at school, to enjoy new facilities such as state-of-the-art ICT and new ways of learning, then we hope that the outcome will be greater exam success, and brighter futures, for millions of young people.
