A NEW eco ‘micro college’ is being set up in South Devon, and parents and students are invited to find out more, including an open evening tonight, May 22, at Ashburton Town Hall, from 6pm to 9pm.

A series of open days is being held to find out about the New Futures Academy, a small college for around 20 to 30 students per year, aged 16 to 19, based on hands-on vocational qualifications, ecological design thinking and project-based learning.

A spokesman for the academy said: ‘Based in the Totnes and Dartington area, the new academy’s curriculum will focus on employability and sustainability. It will provide young people with the opportunity to find the practical skills and personal attributes to meet the needs of society, industry and the planet in a changing future.

‘The program will feature work placement opportunities and live client brief situations, community collaborations, outdoor learning and nature connection experiences, with fully supportive mentoring from staff.’

Open evenings in Teignbridge are being held tonight at Ashburton Town Hall and at Newton Abbot Library on June 15, from 6pm to 8pm.

The academy is currently going through a free school application process with the Department for Education, with an aim to submit a formal application later this year. Staff want to collaborate with parents and students to get their views on how the college will work before submitting. Courses are expected to start in September 2019.

South Dartmoor Community College, The Totnes Progressive School and Sands School have said New Futures Academy will be of particular interest to many of their students.

Chris Smith, the academy project director, said: ‘We aim to work with industry leaders and social entrepreneurs, making local, national and international links and opportunities for our students to gain the most enriching experiences possible.

‘Much of the learning will be hands-on and practical, with time and effective mentoring to help the students reflect on their learning in every experience.

‘For the students, the experience will be fun, creative and adventurous. It will be a college where the students are encouraged and helped to be independent, where students will be treated as adults and really listened to.

‘We’ll help each student to shape their learning experience around their own unique interests and abilities.

‘Importantly, it’s about connection - helping our students to connect to their true selves, their peers, communities and the planet.’

The New Futures Academy will run BTEC extended diplomas, vocational qualifications equivalent to three A levels. The Academy also aims to work with Pearson, the BTEC awarding body, to design a new qualification for ecological design and communication. Maths and English GCSEs, as well as art, photography, creative writing and video will also be incorporated into the curriculum alongside professional qualifications.

For those who can’t make the open evenings there’s an online survey available at https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/YM9ZBGG or on the academy’s website at www.newfuturesacademy.co.uk