Harry has been working at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Bath since graduating from Foxes in 2017. Since working at the hotel, Harry has been given a promotion to Junior Food and Beverage Supervisor for all his hard work and perseverance. We were so excited to hear of this news, that we jumped at the chance to come and film him in action, and to talk to his manager, Sonia, who gave some wonderful insight into what it's like to employ someone with a learning disability.

We had the best time with Harry and the team and we hope you enjoy the video.

The aim was to create a space that provided a calm and relaxing environment for our students, that helps to regulate mood and emotions and promotes self-regulation.

Aurora Foxes Occupational Therapist and Therapy Lead, Kerry Laing designed the space by sourcing sensory equipment that was both effective and affordable, meaning that if students found particular equipment to be beneficial, they would be able to re-create their own sensory spaces at home. Maintenance Team Leader, Steve Smith and his team then worked together to bring the vision to life!

The Sensory Room is designed to engage all the senses and cater to the unique needs of our students. We're thrilled to see the students already enjoying the space and it's quickly becoming a new favourite spot. A big thank you to Hilton, Kerry, and Steve for making this possible!

The Gatsby Benchmarks are part of the government's careers strategy and serve as a world class framework. At Aurora Foxes, we pledge to maintain our commitment to excellence, ensuring our career guidance strategy is a collaborative college-wide approach, for the benefit of our students' futures.

Misconceptions don't help people with Down syndrome, they limit them. At Aurora Foxes we challenge each of these misconceptions every day, and we never put limits on what our young people can achieve.

Watch the video for some pure unfiltered joy!

Last term students participated in the initial stages of the competition by presenting their menus to their peers, and after a vote, the winning pairs got to enter into the final stage of the competition, where they would be making two courses (a starter and a main, or a main and dessert) that would later be judged by Gary Hind and Michael Taylor (Sodexo) and Cameron Corrick (Commis Chef at The Pig and Foxes graduate).

A huge congratulations to our winners Lexie and JC, and Maija and Alex! The pairs will be competing against Aurora Boveridge College and Aurora Hedgeway School in February at Weston College to determine the overall Future Chef champions!

A huge well done to all students for taking part, and a big thank you to our Sodexo judges.

We hope you enjoy this fantastic insight into what students get up to during their vital work experience at Foxes Hotel.

The theme this year is With Us Not for Us. That’s something that Rebecca, 23, believes passionately.

Rebecca is a third-year student at Aurora Foxes in Minehead – a specialist college and training hotel for young people with learning disabilities. She’s studying for a level 1 NVQ in Hospitality Services.

Principal Emma Cobley MBE said the experience will "give our students the skills, knowledge and confidence to successfully shape their own futures." 

The Flying Fox will welcome customers on the promenade three days a week throughout the summer term, serving a selection of paninis and rice boxes. Students will be running the truck, learning outdoor service skills including food preparation, hygiene and storage.

Students named the Flying Fox truck after the Flying Fox café, which was put in place during lockdowns, with menu ideas created by Foxes students, hotel chefs and Stuart Duff, Corporate Chef for the UK and Ireland, Hilton. The truck is funded by a £30,000 grant from the Hilton Global Foundation. Hilton has been a partner of Aurora Foxes since 2015 and has provided work placements for over 30 Foxes' students. They are set to offer a further number of placements later this year. Currently, seven Aurora Foxes graduates are employed in six of Hilton's hotels.