Open Road Norfolk Trust

04/11/2026

Now recruiting for 2076! 🚀

This National Engineering Day, the Royal Academy of Engineering is looking fifty years ahead and imagining the jobs that could help make life beyond Earth possible. That future will need people with practical skills and the chance to develop them. At Open Road, our students get hands-on with mechanics and construction. For some young people, learning in a workshop offers a different way to find out what they enjoy and what they can do.

We want young people across Norfolk to know that there’s more than one way to gain a qualification and take part in building the future!
Who knows where those skills could take them? Maybe all the way to the Moon! 🚀

Explore the engineers of 2076: https://raeng.org.uk/education-and-skills/this-is-engineering/national-engineering-day/

01/11/2026

Yesterday was Halloween, but what’s truly scary is that it’s the last day of half term! 🎃

Don’t worry, we’re sending out some of our board and staff members dressed up in scary costumes to remind the students that school is back in session! 👻

Have a spooky Sunday everyone!

30/10/2026

https://www.jobs.service.gov.uk/jobs/6ae32bafdf032bb20d20f806

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28/10/2026

The students might be on half term, but school is still in session! 👀🔨

This construction workbook gives you a little glimpse of what some of the learning at Open Road looks like. Being able to correctly identify tools and understand what they’re used for might feel like second nature once you’re familiar with them, but everyone has to learn the basics somewhere. And when a young person has already had a difficult relationship with education, being faced with lots of unfamiliar information at once can sometimes make learning feel harder than it needs to.

Because we work with small class sizes and low student-to-instructor ratios, we’re able to slow things down, go back over anything that hasn't yet clicked and make sure everyone has the basics down pat before moving on.

So, half-term homework for the rest of you...Answers in the comments please! What is the name AND use of each of the five tools shown here?

No cheating!

27/10/2026

A big thank you to Dylan!

Dylan recently joined us from the College of West Anglia for work experience, spending one day a week with the team over the last five weeks. It was great to have him with us getting involved in the day-to-day work at Open Road. Robin caught up with Dylan at the end of his placement to say thank you for all his hard work, and we’d like to say the same. It was a pleasure having you with us, Dylan, and we wish you all the best with whatever comes next!

Work experience is a brilliant way for students to spend time in a real working environment and get a better idea of where their skills and interests might take them. If you’re a school or college looking for practical placement opportunities for your students, we’d be very happy to have a chat.

https://openroadtraining.co.uk/

20/10/2026

https://www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk/apprenticeship/VAC2000045840

We’ve introduced a new way to find and apply for an apprenticeship in England.

15/10/2026

Sometimes education takes a village!

When something isn’t connecting at school for a young person, good communication between home and school can be the first step towards figuring out what needs to change. Sometimes that might mean bringing somewhere like Open Road into the mix.

At Open Road Norfolk, we see ourselves as part of that wider system of support rather than the only answer. We received this lovely parent testimonial recently, and it made us think about just how important that joined-up approach can be. If you think a different learning environment a few days a week alongside their existing education could help your young person, come and talk to us about options!
You can reach out through our website or give us a call. And if you’d like to see what we do for yourselves, we’d love to arrange a tour of the centre and an in-person chat with the team.

https://openroadtraining.co.uk/

13/10/2026

We are so proud of our former student Kali! Her drive and determination were clear during her time with us at Open Road, so it was wonderful to catch up with her at our recent Awards Night in Thetford and hear about all the amazing things she is achieving now!
Since leaving Open Road, Kali has continued into further education, and we loved hearing about her career aspirations and how her time with us helped turn her curiosity into a full-blown passion.

Our goal is always for Open Road to be a stepping stone for young people, whether that means finding their way back into education or moving towards a career they love. Getting to catch up with former students and hear where that next step has taken them is something we will never get tired of.

So, former Open Road students, this one is for you! If you’re out there building a career, studying, training or simply figuring out what comes next, we’d love to hear from you. Drop us a message or pop in for a cup of tea and tell us what you’re up to! 💛

09/10/2026

STANDING ROOM ONLY!

Last night, we held the very first Open Road Thetford Awards Night and, quite literally, ran out of room. We had to open the roller doors to fit everyone in, and we are absolutely not complaining!

To see so many parents, educators and members of the Thetford community come together to celebrate our students was something pretty special. Many of the young people receiving awards last night have, at one point or another, had a difficult relationship with education and yesterday, the workshop was full of people applauding them for their resilience and determination to keep learning. When the right educational support is backed up by families, schools and a community that is prepared to show up for its young people, they are unstoppable, as we saw last night!

A huge congratulations once again to every one of our students, and thank you to everyone who came along and helped make our first Thetford Awards Night such a brilliant one.