After a few challenging years in the building and development of Somerset’s Specialist Free School we are incredibly excited to share news of the appointment of a Multi Academy Trust to run the provision. Over the school summer holiday Local Authority leaders within Inclusion worked closely with the Department for Education to secure the appointment of a strong Trust with specialist knowledge and expertise to manage the new school situated near Ash in South Somerset.
The Oak Partnership Trust who already have Selworthy Special School within their family of schools, were appointed after a rigorous round of applications and interviews. Confidence in the Oak Partnership Trust comes from a strong and long history of positive and open working relationships with Local Authority Services, including sharing their knowledge and expertise to improve other schools as well as recent inspection outcomes seeing every school within the Trust achieving an overall good judgement.
A representative from the Inclusion team said of the process “There was an overwhelming sense through the process that the Oak Partnership Trust stood out as having a relentless focus on children and the value the Trust could bring to children’s lives, not just within the new school but as a crucial partner within the system”.
Elected member for Children, Families & Education, Councillor Tessa Munt, said:
“We are delighted that our important and much needed new school at Ash will be run by The Oak Partnership Trust, whose values are firmly centred on children and whom we have already seen changing lives in our education system in Somerset.
“Children are our greatest asset and their education by caring, inspiring teachers is vital if they are to be prepared for the future. We are pleased that some of Somerset’s most vulnerable young people will share in the Trust’s expertise, and benefit greatly from attending Hill View School.”
The school will open its doors to the first cohort in September 2024 with the build programme ahead of its critical pathway milestones towards achieving this date. Over the coming months engagement events with the local community will commence and we look forward to sharing photos and further progress updates with our readers.
See link below for progress photos of the new school build.
