A school programme that offers a fresh start to students who struggle with conventional forms of learning marked a major milestone this week when a record 24 entrants obtained their high school diploma.

The Adult Education School celebrated the occasion at a ceremony at the Bermuda College on Thursday, when graduates were joined by more than 100 family, friends and supporters.

The school focuses on one-on-one learning, offering an alternative form of teaching to that put forward by conventional school systems.

Of the two dozen graduates of the Class of 25, seven were aged in their twenties and decided to return to the classroom to improve their career prospects.

The remaining 17 were teenagers who have flourished after being given an opportunity to take a path that best suited them, after facing hurdles at other schools.

Thaao Dill, the director of programming at AES, said the school’s success was due to its focus on the individual.

He said: “We offer a safe and reliable environment for individuals to make academic progress in an individualised way.

“The majority of our learners have not had a good of even satisfactory experience in more traditional schools. When they get to us they’re carrying trauma, scars and insecurities. Basically, they have a belief that school is not a place for them.

“They’re told that they shouldn’t worry about finishing high school and they start to believe that.”

“We make it clear that that’s not true and we do that by providing the kind of environment that works for them. And as you can see — it works.

“They’re looking for an educational space that’s really invested in them individually. They’re not in a classroom where they’ll get lost in the crowd.”

Jaden Simons, 17, attended several schools before opting to finish his secondary education with AES.

“It turned out that they weren’t a good fit for me,” he said.

“But I’m feeling relieved and happy now that I’ve got my GED.

“I’m looking forward to the next part of my life — new experiences and new ways of looking at life,” he said.

“I want to attend Bermuda College for two years and then study abroad, although I’m not sure where I want to go yet.

“I want to study everything to do with business. I want to be an entrepreneur.”

Jaden’s mother, Keeka Simons, suffered disadvantages when she was studying to become a lawyer — working two jobs to pay tuition fees while raising Jaden as a single mother. Ms Simons was Called to the Bar in 2019 at the age of 34.

After Thursday’s graduation ceremony Ms Simons said: ”I’m so excited and I’m very proud of him because it has been a long path.

“What I kept telling Jaden was that it’s never easy, it’s never a straight path — sometimes you have to pivot.

“I had to learn the hard way when I I was studying and my expectation was that Jaden would have a better path than I had.

“I had to accept that’s he’s making his own decisions and taking his own path but in the end we both came through.”

Another graduate, Daylen Outerbridge is also determined to continue his education, setting his sights on a master's degree in actuarial science.

Mr Outerbridge was home-schooled before deciding to push for a place at AES.

“The great thing here is that the teaching staff are so supportive. They make sure that you keep on top of things but they are so encouraging.”

Since reopening three years ago with one tutor, one pathway co-ordinator and nine learners, the school's popularity has consistently grown. It now has seven tutors, three pathway coordinators and 65 active learners.

Asked why he thought AES was becoming more popular, Mr Dill said: “Folks are losing faith in traditional institutions because they are not designed to accommodate let alone look after people who fall outside the fat part of the curve.

“This is not unique to Bermuda. In years gone by people would just grit their teeth and suffer, while not having their needs met.

“Families, parents, young people, are no longer willing to go through that. They’re going to seek alternatives. That’s why we had almost twice as many graduates this year as we did last year and there’s no reason to think that trend won’t continue.”