Stone Soup began as a small community project in Nottingham, offering alternative education through music. Recognising a growing need, it expanded into vocational training before becoming a Free School in 2012.

In April 2013, Stone Soup Academy opened in Nottingham’s historic Lace Market, creating an inspiring learning environment in the heart of the city. In 2014, the Academy was rated Outstanding by Ofsted.

Since then, Stone Soup has continued to grow, offering personalised education, specialist support and flexible learning opportunities. With a strong focus on practical skills, work experience and personal development, the Academy helps young people build confidence, independence and brighter futures.

A large part of our commitment to our students is to improve long-term outcomes by equipping them for the future. We have set up a range of enterprise opportunities which enable students to develop practical work skills and start creating marketable items. Our enterprise activities are based around making a positive impact on local schools, businesses, and communities.

One of the earliest projects we developed involves the external restoration of buildings around Nottingham. Students worked on site, removing windows and bringing them back to the school to be refurbished. These have then been returned to the original sites and replaced.

The success of this scheme has led to the initiation of additional enterprise projects. Students have been able to create items for sale to both the local community and on the internet, combining practical abilities with the development of employable skills. We have also encouraged them to begin compiling work as budding designers, and several have submitted work for national competitions. Soon, we will be looking to receive public commissions for student work.

"When I arrived at Stone Soup Academy, I felt the education system had given up on me. After being excluded from multiple schools and labelled as ‘difficult to work with’, I had lost my confidence, ambition and belief in my own abilities. Stone Soup gave me a second chance. Through personalised support, one-to-one mentoring and a patient, understanding environment, I was encouraged to rediscover my interests and talents. Instead of focusing on my challenges, the staff helped me recognise my potential, reflect on my behaviour and celebrate my progress. One of my proudest moments was being named Student of the Term, my first ever positive academic achievement. For the first time, I felt truly recognised and valued as a student. Today, I am in my second year at the University of Derby, studying Creative Expressive Therapies. My ambition is to help young people who, like me, have struggled within traditional education. I will always be grateful to Stone Soup Academy and the people who believed in me when I had stopped believing in myself. Without their support, none of this would have been possible."