At Forest Park School, we aim to provide inspirational and challenging education alongside purposeful therapeutic support. I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to set up and lead our school as the Headteacher. Forest Park School is a 40 place Secondary School for children with a range of complex needs. We offer a small school environment with a nurturing approach to re-engage those students who find that Mainstream is unable to meet their needs. We are definitely not a one size fits all school and work hard, along with our team of dedicated and inspirational staff, to ensure that our students are happy, learning and achieving the very best outcomes and are ready for their next steps into further education, training or employment.
I have been a teacher for 24 years, qualifying as a Secondary English Teacher in 2000, I initially worked locally in Darlington and in Durham, moving further afield to Middlesbrough to take up a consultancy post delivering the National Strategy Framework. Leadership roles in both Secondary and Secondary Special Schools then followed and I completing my NASENCO award in 2017 and level 7 in Psychometric testing shortly after. As well as teaching I am a Thrive Licenced Practitioner, qualified to deliver interrupted development interventions to adolescents. After setting up and leading a successful provision in my last school for children with additional needs, I could see that mainstream education was not meeting the needs of a select cohort of students – this is by no means the fault of any mainstream school, it is simply the climate that our education system education now finds itself in.
A unique opportunity came my way when I came together with a colleague and an investor to open an Independent Special School, a school where we could offer small class sizes and a supportive environment, a relevant, bespoke curriculum, along with high expectations and challenges.
The project itself has taken almost two years from planning and renovating the site, an Ofsted inspection and our registration with the DfE, to now taking on our first students. The journey has not been without its challenges, and there have been many difficulties along the way – and many more to come, I’m certain – but, as they say, if it was easy, everyone would be doing it!
Our school core values of Trust, Resilience, Engagement, Enjoyment and Success underpin everything that we do. Many of our students, and their parents, may have endured many challenging experiences throughout their time in education; I want our students to learn, thrive and lead happy, fulfilled and successful lives. Our focus on these values ensures that we can grow together.
I am, and always have been, passionate about making a life changing difference to the children in my care, no matter what their barriers or challenges. My commitment to our students, their families and our wider school community, to make that difference, is what drives me. As a parent, I understand the importance of building these close working relationships with the families of our students, we understand the difficulties and challenges they face and want to be there to offer that support and guidance.
We are pleased to be able to offer holiday activities through Durham ‘Fun and Food’ project, specifically aimed at children with SEND and, as we grow, we look to strengthen our links within the local community. This offer will be available throughout the Easter holidays and at selected times throughout the Summer.
On a personal note, I would also like to thank my colleagues, family and friends, and the many local businesses, who have been a constant support to me over the past two years, I really could not have got to this point without you all; I am really looking forward to the next part of our journey here at Forest Park School, ensuring that we remain on our continued path to success and making Forest Park School a unique and thriving school community.