GREAT SCHOOLS: West Oaks SILC!

I have visited West Oaks SILC many times over the years...

This brilliant special school provides high quality learning experiences for all its' children and young people and also supports mainstream school partners to promote the education of children with learning difficulties in mainstream settings. In January 2005 the school was re-designated a Specialist Inclusive Learning Centre (SILC) for the North East area of the city. The school has specialist status as a Technology College, Leading Edge and Applied Learning school and was recently inspected under the new OFSTED framework and was judged to be a good school with outstanding features in this new and challenging inspection framework.

The school achieved Beacon Status in 1999 under Hilary McKuen, it's charismatic and extraordinary headteacher, which resulted in the extensive development of special needs provision in Leeds including support for those in mainstream schools, particularly those with behavioural difficulties. The school was awarded Technology Status in 2000, was re-designated in 2005, evaluated by the Specialist Schools Trust and successfully met the criteria for High Performing Special Schools set by ministers. Tragically, Hilary died at school in 2006 preparing for our friends from OFSTED. The school moved on and appointed Andrew Hodgkinson, another hugely impressive headteacher, who has further developed West Oaks with a unique and extraordinary vision for the school and the behavioural continuum here in Leeds which includes their brilliant new interactive zone which has contributed outstandingly to the curriculum. 

The NE SILC now provides educational school based provision on two sites; West Oaks Boston Spa site and Oakwood Lane site and as a Specialist Inclusive Learning Centre providing support for local schools and schools across Leeds. Andrew has also developed the West Oaks Foundation. This little bit of magic is just off the High Street in Boston Spa and is a shop where students from West Oaks will be able to have their work experience and where the products of the West Oaks enterprise projects will be sold. It is a simply brilliant additional element at what must be one of the most innovative and successful special schools in the country.

Chris