New digital school set for city’s ‘Silicon Canal’ Academy to produce next generation of Mark Zuckerbergs
ANEW specialist school, designed to produce Birmingham’s answer to the late Steve Jobs of Apple or Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, has been given the green light by the Department for Education.
The BOA Digital Academy will open in September 2018 at Eastside, the heart of Birmingham’s growing digital businesses – known as the ‘Silicon Canal’.
Up to 900 pupils aged 11-18 will attend hoping to become the next generation’s digital pioneers.
It will be the second school in the Birmingham Ormiston Academy chain – the first, also at Eastside, is a specialist performing arts school for 14 to 19-year-olds.
Principal at Birmingham Ormiston Academy, Gaynor Cheshire, will become executive principal with strategic leadership of both schools.
She said: “We are thrilled that our plans to open a specialist digital academy, for which there is a groundswell of support amongst local and key digital industry leaders, have received the seal of approval. We are so excited to launch BOA Digital, a milestone in our mission of working with the country’s top young talent to teach and train the digital leaders of tomorrow.
“It is our aim to develop students academically and vocationally, so that they leave the academy as independent, creative young people ambitious to work in the digital technologies.
“BOA Digital will provide a unique range of learning experiences which will prepare its students for both higher education and employment.”
The academy will be sponsored by the Ormiston Trust and its neighbour at Eastside, Birmingham City University.
The digital creative sector one of the fastest growing in the UK economy and Silicon and is Canal is Birmingham’s answer to Silicon Valley in California and the Silicon Roundabout in London. It is based around Eastside and Digbeth, which is fast becoming a hub for web designers, app developers, online retailers, games designers and TV production firms. Birmingham is also the base for the BBC’s digital channel BBC Three and is currently bid- ding to Channel designed the skills industries.
Gurdip Bhangoo, of the BBC Academy and board member of BOA Digital, said: “The go-ahead for BOA Digital comes at such an important and exciting time, following the BBC Academy’s launch in Birmingham and the plans for a new base for BBC Three, also to be located in Birmingham. The city is thriving, and I look forward to seeing BOA Digital contribute to the creative buzz around the digital industries.” become a new home for 4. BOA Digital school is to equip youngsters with necessary to feed those