Bridge Alumni

At Ormiston Bridge Academy, we are immensely proud of our former pupils and the journeys they have taken beyond our academy. Many of our alumni have overcome significant obstacles and have gone on to succeed in education, employment, training, and their wider lives. Their resilience, commitment, and personal growth reflect the strong values of our school and the nurturing environment that supported them along the way. The achievements of our alumni serve as powerful inspiration for current pupils, encouraging them to believe in their potential, aim high, and recognise that with the right guidance and opportunities, every young person can succeed.

Alumni Testimonial: LB, Class of 2025

Before I came to The Bridge, I felt like everything in school was getting on top of me. I was falling behind in my classes, getting into arguments a lot, and I didn’t really know how to explain what I was going through. It felt like everyone else was coping except me.

When I arrived at The Bridge, I didn’t trust anyone at first. I thought it would just be another place where people judged me. But it wasn’t like that at all. The staff took time to understand me properly understand me not just the behaviour they saw on the outside.

The smaller classes made a huge difference. Teachers actually noticed me, not just when I did something wrong, but when I tried, when I improved, even when I just showed up on a tough day. Slowly, I started to feel seen in a good way.

The Bridge helped me work on things I never paid attention to before my confidence, how I talk to people, how I deal with stress instead of letting it build up. They didn’t expect me to be perfect; they just expected me to not give up on myself.

One of the biggest moments for me was realising I could achieve things I’d convinced myself were impossible. I started enjoying learning again. I even found out I was good at things I never noticed before, like art and creative writing.

Now I’m back on track. I am at college to study health and social care because I want to help other young people one day, the same way people at The Bridge helped me.

The Bridge didn’t just help me get back into education it helped me get back to myself. I’m proud of who I’m becoming, and that’s something I never thought I’d say.

Alumni Testimonial: JM, Class of 2024

Before I joined the Bridge, school felt like a place where I didn’t fit in. I was struggling both with my behaviour and with things going on outside of school, and it reached a point where I stopped believing I could achieve anything. When I first arrived at the Bridge, I was nervous and honestly a bit defensive. But things changed quicker than I expected.

What made the biggest difference was how the staff saw me. They didn’t just see the mistakes I’d made – they saw the potential I didn’t realise I still had. The classes were smaller, which meant I couldn’t hide at the back anymore, but it also meant people noticed when I was having a tough day. They took the time to ask why, and they actually listened.

At the Bridge, I learned more than just Maths and English. I learned how to manage my emotions, how to communicate, and how to trust people again. There were days when I slipped up, but the team always encouraged me to keep going rather than give up.

The Bridge helped me rebuild my confidence, and I passed most of my GCSEs – something I never imagined I’d do. I’m now studying Public Services at college and working part-time.

The Bridge was a turning point for me. It gave me space to reset, people who cared, and the chance to start over. I’ll always be grateful for that.

Alumni Testimonial: Year 11 pupil

A female student who left year 11 at the Bridge Academy in July 2025 has now completed the first term of her hospitality and cooking course at West London College and is making very positive progress. While at Ormiston Bridge Academy the student was able to take part in H&F commissioned support sessions delivered by 2-3 Degrees, onsite at The Bridge.

These sessions helped her become more resilient, enjoy learning and her attendance at school improved. Her enthusiasm spread to other subjects too. She took part in a project called Beyond Food whereby she completed an intensive training scheme at a London restaurant and gained certification and praise for her performance over a 10- day period.

Excited at a prospect of working in the food and hospitality industry, she returned to school and made applications to college to study catering and cooking. She was able to join the L2 Cooking course at WLC and has flourished.

She and her family have received support from ASE, a family support group, including sourcing her uniform for the kitchens! She has sustained her post 16 pathway and is loving her course. This was a pupil excluded from mainstream school who had problems with her peers and had some anger and anxiety issues.