We’ve been so excited to get this year up and running and, just like that, we’re already a month in and having a great time. It’s been wonderful seeing our new students join our returning ones. There’s such a positive vibe across all our SupaJam Colleges this year.
The first weeks of college are always a challenge for young people, especially for those who face additional barriers to education. That’s why we want to start by saying a huge thank you to our existing students for being such warm and welcoming guides to our new SupaJammers.
And to our new students, thank you! Thank you for showing up, being yourselves, and diving into SupaJam life. We know many of you haven’t always had the best experiences in education, and some of you have even been out of school long enough to forget what “coursework” means (lucky you!). But, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered, and we’re so glad you’re here.
This is “In The Mix!” – a newsletter that shows off the fantastic work happening at SupaJam. From staff to students, we want to give you, dear reader, a taste of what SupaJam is all about. Over the year, you’ll see updates from each base, celebrate student achievements, learn more about the SupaJam ethos, and discover all sorts of surprises (because honestly, it’s only September, and we don't even know what incredible things our students will get up to yet!).
Here’s to a brilliant year ahead!
Best wishes, The SupaJam Team
What Can you expect in this edition? What Can you expect in this edition?
Learn more about our recent staff training
Explore why supported transitions into new educational settings matter
Take a look at some of our students’ latest work experience
Catch up on what’s been happening this September across all our bases
Check out the Black Deer Festival line-up! Tickets are still available!
Key Dates to add to your calendar
STAFF TRAINING STAFF TRAINING
SupaJam is made by our staff: a team of dedicated professionals who work tirelessly to provide inclusive education for our students. To give our young people the best possible support, we put just as much importance on supporting our staff. That’s why Continued Professional Development (CPD) is at the heart of what we do.
We kicked off the year with our whole staff community coming together at The Bat and Ball Centre in Sevenoaks for a full day of training and reflection (and the opportunity to catch up before the hard work really begins). While the day covered a range of important topics including statutory safeguarding training and our college development plan for the year, the highlight was an inspiring session on Trauma Training delivered by Whitney Iles.
Whitney has spent over 20 years working with young people and communities affected by trauma, violence, and systemic harm. Now, she specialises in supporting the professionals working with those young people. Through an engaging workshop Whitney helped us as practitioners recognise and navigate institutional harm, secondary trauma, and burnout in young people.
CPD days like this are all about giving our staff the tools, confidence, and support they need for whatever challenges might come their way. By investing in our team, we make sure our students get the care, encouragement, and expertise they deserve every single day.
The importance of a supported transition The importance of a supported transition
Starting somewhere new can be daunting, and research from Mission44 shows it can be especially challenging for young people with additional needs, who often report not feeling safe, welcome, or listened to when moving into a new school or college.
At SupaJam, helping students settle in is a top priority. This term we’ve held Success Plan Meetings, where every student set three short-term goals to stay focused and build confidence. We also ran a lively Induction Week, with breakfasts, lunch clubs, wellbeing tasters, gigs, and open mics all designed to help students connect, relax, and feel at home.
Transitions aren’t easy, but our SupaJammers have embraced the start of the year with positivity and resilience. A huge well done to everyone. We can’t wait to see what you achieve next!
don’t just take our word for it. check out the brilliant podcast created by Swanley students Malakai, Honour, and Martin, sharing their own SupaJam experiences and offering advice for new and future students who might feel anxious about starting college.
don’t just take our word for it. check out the brilliant podcast created by Swanley students Malakai, Martin, sharing their own SupaJam experiences offering advice for new and future students who might feel anxious about starting college.
Marshall Studios Work experience Marshall Studios Work experience
Our students recently had the amazing opportunity to gain real-world experience at the legendary Marshall Studios. A professional recording and mixing space where artists from across the industry come to create, this was a fantastic opportunity for our students to put what they’ve learnt into practice.
Justination working as a session music
Justination working as a session music
This opportunity came about through SupaJam’s very own Sam Coppins, who not only runs Swan Studios but is also part of the band Big Truck. Alongside Sam, Big Truck features Tunbridge Wells alumni Laurie Vincent (from Soft Play) and Asa Thallon. Th i di g sessions at Marshall opened ur students to see first-hand nals work under pressure.
The band celebra while mixing am Coppins on drums am Coppins on drums
The band celebra while mixing
Across three full-on days, Big Truck recorded 13 songs with SupaJam alumni Justin Myles on keys. Swanley student Alfie also joined the sessions, spending a day onsite to experience the pace and teamwork of a professional studio environment. From long hours to fast problem-solving, it was a brilliant chance to see how music is made at the highest level.
Experiences like this are what SupaJam is all about, giving young people access to the industry through real, hands-on collaboration. A huge thank you to the Creative Industries Department for organising this and the SupaJam Foundation for making it possible with their support for transport and accommodation.
And the work experiences don’t stop there. Tommy from Brighton will be supporting the mixing sessions, so stay tuned for more updates!
Justin recording the piano Justin recording the piano
Sam and Laurie - old friends Sam -
Justin and Laurie - chilling -
Asa recording the guitar Asa recording guitar
Level 1 students in control room with college leader Abbie
Level 1 students in control room college leader Abbie
Some of Level 1 and the staff supporting them
Some of Level 1 and the staff supporting them
Level 2 student, Kieran, playing drums in wellbeing
Level 2 student, Kieran, playing drums wellbeing
Level 3 student, Lewis, during wellbeing choir
Level 3 student, Lewis, during wellbeing
The first month at SupaJam Brighton has been all about settling in, making friends, and diving into college life together. Students and staff have already shared cooked breakfasts, open mics, game days, and even a staff gig, creating loads of opportunities to meet new people, have fun, and feel part of the community. There’s been a real mix of creativity, laughter, and energy, with everyone getting stuck into activities that are as much about having fun as they are about learning and supporting each other.
One of the biggest highlights was the team-building challenge: decorating eggs as favourite musicians before constructing protective structures to launch them over the stairwell. The aim?
To see which eggs could survive the drop! It was brilliant to see everyone getting inventive with their designs, working together, and cheering each other on with some eggs surviving heroically and others ending in spectacular crashes. The activity brought out loads of laughs, teamwork, and friendly competition, perfectly capturing the spirit of the start of term at SupaJam. It’s already been an exciting, imaginative, and welcoming start to the year.
Level 2 student, Josh, in wellbeing band wellbeing
Level 3 students posing in photography workshop
Level 3 students posing in
Level 2 student, Haru, singing in wellbeing band
Level 2 student, Haru, singing in wellbeing band
SupaJam canterbury SupaJam canterbury
September has flown by at SupaJam Canterbury and it’s been a brilliant start to the year. We kicked things off with induction, giving students the chance to learn about how things run at SupaJam while also enjoying plenty of time in the afternoons for games and jam sessions. As the weeks have gone on everyone has begun to settle into the normal timetable, with RSL, Additional Curriculum, SMSC, Maths and English all now in full swing. We’ve already seen some fantastic work from students, a really positive sign of what’s to come this year.
It’s also been a busy month outside of lessons. SupaJam Canterbury’s parent and carer information evening gave families the chance to meet staff, hear about what the year ahead will look like and ask any questions. On top of that, our Level 3 students were offered an amazing opportunity to volunteer at Ramsgate Festival of Sound.
Students doing team building activity to build a structure
Students team
First builds of lego wellbeing First builds of lego wellbeing
Students learning about the supajam ethos
Students learning about the supajam ethos
Supajam Canterbury’s first photo together
Supajam Canterbury’s first photo together
Tyler and Kitty stepped up to the challenge, supporting stage management and artist liaison. Staff at the festival praised them for the brilliant job they did. It’s been a September full of learning, creativity and new experiences: the perfect way to set up for the year ahead. We’re excited to see what opportunities and achievements the next few months will bring, and we’re so proud of how our students are already representing SupaJam out in the wider world.
SupaJam swanley SupaJam swanley
Swanley have had a fantastic start to the year, kicking things off with induction activities, games, and plenty of music-making across the classes. The first week ended with a celebration in the garden, where everyone came together for a jam session and some snacks. The perfect, relaxed way to round off the week and start the year on a high.
Student perfroming at end of week jam session
Student perfroming at end week jam
Level 3 student, Peter, performing
Level student, Peter, performing
Level 2 student, Kaitlin, excited to be back
Level 2 student, Kaitlin, excited be back
Fabulous end of week spread
Fabulous end of week spread
Level 3 teacher, Guillermo
Level 3 teacher, Guillermo
Friendships quickly forming!
Friendships quickly forming!
It’s also been a doubly exciting month as work has finally begun on the brand-new Swanley building! The Project Manager has confirmed we’re still on track for completion by 7th December, which is brilliant news. For the Swanley team and students (and all of us involved), that day really can’t come soon enough. Huge thanks go to the Swanley staff for continuing to inspire students under challenging circumstances, and to the students themselves for being so brilliant throughout.
Updated site photos show great progress and Nick Stillwell is in regular contact with the Project Manager about acoustic treatment for The Vault - our new jam room. We’ll even get the chance to help choose wall colours as the finish date approaches and you can be sure we’ll find some striking wallpaper in true SupaJam fashion. More updates to come, but for now it’s just fantastic to see things finally underway!
SupaJam Wandsworth SupaJam Wandsworth
At SupaJam Wandsworth they’re not only celebrating the start of the academic year but also the launch of our newest college! So far this term, students have been making the most of the jam room, not just to collaborate but also to show off their skills and figure out who they want to work with.
The room’s been buzzing with energy, creativity and new connections, and there’s already been loads of brilliant music coming out of it. Over in the podcast room, students have been having some great chats about their future plans and the things that matter to them day to day, sparking some really interesting conversations.
The café and kitchen have quickly become the heart of daily life, always busy with students grabbing a tea or coffee and having a catch-up with staff in between sessions. It’s turned into a relaxed spot to pause, recharge and share a laugh before diving back into the day, and it’s helping the start of term feel fun, friendly and full of community spirit.
Student playing piano in the jam room
Student playing piano in the jam room
Don’t miss out — grab your tickets for this year’s Black Deer Festival and come check out the SupaJam Stage, packed with incredible student performances and live music all weekend.
Upcoming Dates Upcoming Dates
parent information night and student performance - 14 October 2025 4pm-6pm th Swanley Parent information Night and student showcase - 9 October 2025 5pm-8pm th
Swanley Parent information Night and student showcase - 9 October 2025 5pm-8pm th
Wandsworth Parent information Night - 9 October 2025 4pm-6pm th
Wandsworth Parent information Night - 9 October 2025 4pm-6pm
Sign up now for our Open
Sign up now for our Open
Evenings and discover what life at SupaJam is all about! Meet the team, explore our spaces, and see how we can support your journey in music and education.
Evenings and discover what life at SupaJam is all about! Meet the team, explore our spaces, and see how we can support your journey in music and education. Check out our social media here Check out our social media here
