Students at the new Meadows Community Special School in Leek welcomed Karen Bradley MP on Friday 24 September for a fact-finding visit to the £6 million new school.
The Meadows School is co-located with Leek High Specialist Technology School in Springfield Road. Karen toured the school with headteacher Chris Williams and learned that it has been so successful that it has already almost reached its capacity with 87 students on roll. Nine teenagers left in the summer and September saw 14 new admissions as news of The Meadows' reputation spreads beyond Staffordshire Moorlands' borders.
Karen said:
"I thoroughly enjoyed my tour and am now officially a fan of everybody at the school. The children are an absolute delight and the work that all the staff put in to help them have an appropriate and fulfilling education is just amazing.
"I will make sure that I tell everybody in Westminster about this fantastic facility that we have in the Moorlands. It's a truly inspirational place."
The Meadows takes in secondary age students from Leek, Cheadle, Biddulph and the surrounding areas while Springfield Community Special School, also in Springfield Road, educates them up to age 11. The Meadows opened in March 2009 following a Staffordshire County Council review of special education provision. Instead of all age special schools, which cater for 3 to 19 year olds, 16 schools across Staffordshire have been designated generic primary or generic secondary special schools.
Chris Williams told Karen: "We are a unique project and we are increasingly establishing ourselves in the local community. We get a lot of support both from Leek High school and Churnet View Middle School as well as Springfield Special School and Leek First School. Our new school is great for the Staffordshire Moorlands because it means that children with more complex special needs no longer have to go out of the area for their education.
"We have felt at home here in Leek right from the start and it is great to be working in brand new buildings that are so light and spacious. Best of all has been the warmth of the welcome we have received from Leek High and the collaborative working that is going on here."
Head of Leek High John Spencer said: "The social interaction here in school has been superb and all fears of bullying have proved unfounded.
"We think that the move has been of huge benefit to both schools and some of our students have even spotted future career opportunities in special education after they have enjoyed helping out as volunteers at The Meadows.
"Students here at Leek High have become very accepting of those with physical and mental disabilities and we have such superb facilities including our sports centre, astro turf and new dining hall that it is good to see them being so well used."