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Barnsley’s Greenacre Rated Outstanding For Third Time

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Staff and students at a Wellspring special school in Barnsley are celebrating after being rated Outstanding by Ofsted for the third consecutive time.

In its latest Ofsted report, released over the summer, Greenacre School on Keresforth Hill Road was praised for maintaining its high standard of education and working well with external professionals to ensure pupils get the right support and are well prepared for adulthood.

Inspectors reported that: “The mission to ‘nurture, empower and prepare’ pupils for life is at the heart of this welcoming and inclusive school. Relationships between pupils and staff are warm and nurturing. Leaders listen to pupils. They ensure pupils have a ‘voice and choice’ in their education.”

They also praised the school’s approach to behaviour, stating: “Pupils’ behaviour is exceptional. Highly proficient staff support pupils to manage their behaviour very well. There is a strong ethos of respect for others. They have excellent attitudes to learning. They feel safe and are very well looked after.”

The school’s approach to developing its curriculum and the calibre of its teachers were also highlighted with inspectors reporting that: “The curriculum meets the needs of the range of pupils very well. The ‘access’ curriculum strongly underpins learning across the whole curriculum. It is thoughtfully designed and planned. Pupils, particularly those with complex needs, can engage with learning and develop personally…Teachers are highly skilled. They know individual pupils very well. They check frequently the progress pupils make. They use this information to plan pupils’ next steps effectively.”

Sarah Wilson, Executive Principal at Greenacre School, said: “Greenacre is a wonderful school where staff go above and beyond every single day to ensure our pupils receive the highest quality education and care. Whilst the verdicts of our pupils and parents will always be our most important judgement, it is a great achievement to be rated Outstanding yet again by Ofsted, and we are very proud.

“As we look ahead, we are determined to build on our successes and continue to develop the services, resources and opportunities that we can offer Greenacre pupils. They deserve the very best and the best is what we are committed to providing.”

Mark Wilson, CEO at Wellspring Academy Trust, added: “We are very proud to have had Greenacre School as part of our school community for the last five years. It continues to go from strength to strength, and delivers the quality of education that all our children and young people should enjoy. Sarah and the Greenacre team set the standard for SEND education and ensure that the Barnsley community has an incredible local resource to support some of their most vulnerable residents.”

Established in 2012, Wellspring Academy Trust is a family of mainstream primary and secondary schools, and SEND and Alternative Provision settings operating across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. Wellspring’s mantra is ‘We Make A Difference’ and it is committed to providing the best possible education and improving life chances for all its students. By sharing best practice, resources, and expertise, the Trust supports schools to deliver exceptional education and serve the communities in which its academies operate.

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Scunthorpe’s Trent View College Welcomes First Students

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A world-first new special school has opened its doors to students for the very first time.

Trent View College, situated at West Common Lane, Scunthorpe, is a new post-16 college for students with special educational needs designed to remove barriers to learning and help young people develop important life and employability skills and prepare them for adulthood.

Part of Wellspring Academy Trust, the new purpose-built £12 million school provides state-of-the-art teaching and learning facilities for the 60 students who will attend. The building is testament to modern design, accessibility and inclusivity in education, and has been carefully designed to meet the learning objectives of those who will attend. A large commercial kitchen space will be used for students to both learn catering skills and prepare the meals for their fellow classmates, whilst a vehicle workshop will allow students to learn about car maintenance and repairs. The building also comprises a cafe which will serve the public and enable students to develop their hospitality skills. Complementing the vocational areas are carefully considered therapeutic spaces to provide support and intervention for young people with more complex needs. These include a hydrotherapy pool, rebound area and fully immersive sensory rooms. The combination of these facilities will support the model of social inclusion allowing all students to work together, providing a space to meet their individual needs and aspirations.

As well as offering the very best in inclusive post-16 learning facilities, the building itself is a world-first when it comes to environmental impact. Designed by HLM Architects and built by Morgan Sindall Construction , the school meets strict Passivhaus standards around energy efficiency and environmental impact. The inclusion of a heat-intensive hydrotherapy pool in the build makes Trent View College the first SEND school with a hydrotherapy pool in the world to achieve Passivhaus standards.

Sarah Parker, Principal at Trent View College, said: “Today is an incredibly exciting moment for the local community and for everyone who has been involved in the efforts to bring this wonderful new school to Scunthorpe. We now have this amazing new building and talented team in place to provide a nurturing space where our students can acquire vital life skills, engage in meaningful work and develop their routes toward independence. It will be life changing for the students attending.

“As well as world-class facilities for our students, this new school will also be a fantastic resource available for use by the wider community. We are very much looking forward to putting Trent View College at the heart of the Scunthorpe community and working closely with businesses and partners across the area.”

Mark Wilson, CEO at Wellspring Academy Trust, added: “This is the culmination of years of hard work, dedication and creative thinking from all partners involved in this project, and today is a truly proud moment for us all. At Wellspring, we prioritise inclusivity, forward-thinking, community involvement and a desire to always do things better. Trent View College epitomises that approach. The innovation and ambition behind this project has set the standard for what SEND schools can, and should, be. I look forward to watching the impact of Trent View College on its students and the Scunthorpe community over the coming months and years.”

Ben Hall, Area Director at Morgan Sindall Construction – Yorkshire, said: “At Morgan Sindall we are committed to equal opportunities and believe that everyone should be given the best possible chance at achieving their goals. It’s therefore a privilege to have contributed to the skills development of young people in the local community with special educational needs through the creation of Trent View College.

“It’s incredibly positive to see more demand for state-of-the-art facilities such as Trent View College. It indicates a change in ideals surrounding our education system and understanding of how we encourage the best out of everyone. Collaboration has been crucial to this project, and the support we’ve had from the Wellspring Academy Trust and HLM has given us the scope to apply our expertise in delivering this fantastic educational environment. Through the deployment of our Intelligent Solutions approach we were able to help this landmark college achieve Passivhaus accreditation.

“We look forward to continuing our relationship with the Wellspring Academy Trust and look forward to seeing the impact of its work – and of Trent View College – in the near future.”

Catherine Ward, Associate & SEN Lead at HLM Architects, added: “HLM are incredibly proud to have been involved in the design and delivery of this unique special school. The new building will not only provide much needed school places and specialist facilities for post 16 students with SEND in North Lincolnshire but, also provide numerous benefits offered by Passivhaus design including; an energy efficient, sustainable, high performing building; lowered running cost; and a comfortable internal environment improving health and wellbeing of students and staff. The success of the design has been achieved through a collaborative process involving the Trust and DfE and provides a contemporary, exemplary sustainable school which meets the very specialist needs of the building users.”

Trent View College is a fully inclusive post-16 college, where individual differences are celebrated and aspirations are supported. Its aim is to develop inquisitive, aspirational and resilient young people who are fully equipped to engage and contribute to their own communities.