Sen.se Pop up Shop Celebrating Success

In the virtual Somerset Business Partnership (EBP) Awards 2020 held to celebrate business professionals, schools, education providers and work-related learning projects across the county, which was a chance to showcase those who have inspired, raised aspirations and developed a future local workforce.

We are please to announce the Sense-ational Pop-up Shops was a winner in the category of Careers Inspiration in Education Award, after reaching the shortlist last year.

“We are so proud of the achievements of our learners and how much they benefited from their engagement with the shop, it was an opportunity to showcase the skills and talents to the communities in which the shops were situated. There was great excitement when a young person sold an item they had made!”

Julie Walker, Executive Officer, sen.se

Mark Ruffet, Chair of sen.se and Executive Headteacher and Ian Spearman, Sixth Form Lead, both from Selworthy School are pictured with Julie after receiving the award (in a social distant manner) from Andrew Hanson from the EBP. The wooden plant hanger and Christmas tree are products made by learners in the sixth form.

“The pop-up shop has been on hold due to COVID but i feel it demonstrates the power of collaboration, enabling partners to provide more opportunities for young people to gain valuable work experience and skills for life, as single schools we could not achieve this but together, look what we can do. Our aim is to develop a permanent shop, so watch this space!”

Mark Ruffett, Chair of sen.se and Executive Headteacher Selworthy

 This unique business venture in Somerset, led by Special Educational Needs. Somerset Expertise (sen.se), with the support of charity Young Somerset and Somerset County Council. Sen.se is a partnership between special schools and specialist provision within Somerset.