Pulling up to a grey industrial unit just off a major road through Winson Green, I question if we're in the right place. Located just off Dudley Road, I park in a disused petrol station; the old forecourt itself fashioned into parking spaces with painted white lines. Opposite, but attached to the same building, there's a garage with cars being worked on.
But a quick glance around at the official signage confirms it's the correct school. We check the gates are unlocked for our arrival and are welcomed by smiling staff. I shake the hand of one young male stood in reception as we enter, initially assuming he's a mentor there from his polite demeanour and respectful approach.
But I soon learn he's just one of the few students here at Orion School - where pupils are turning their lives around after permanent exclusion from mainstream education. READ MORE: Birmingham's 'worst' postcodes for stabbings as 154 people knifed in a matter of months The small pupil referral unit, independently run and funded by Birmingham City Council , has the capacity for just 35 teenagers and specialises in supporting young people who were "unable to engage" elsewhere. There are children from Birmingham , Walsall and Warwick and some arrive having been out of school for as long as two years.
Many struggle with trust when they first arrive, and it's then the job of determined staff here to forge relationships, reignite their hopes for the future and guide them towards careers. They're taught a full curr.