SELBY MP BREAKS GROUND ON TRANSFORMATIONAL LOCAL SEND SCHOOL

Selby MP Keir Mather has broken ground on the new Selby SEND School located in Osgodby, North Yorkshire. South View Academy will offer specialist teaching for 100 children, aged 3-19 with special education needs (SEND). The school will be run by the Wellspring Academy Trust, which currently runs 33 schools across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

Funding for the school was initially promised in 2019 but, under the previous Conservative Government, faced years of delays. Since being elected as Selby’s MP in 2023, Keir Mather has campaigned relentlessly to make the school a reality.

In his first ever speech in the House of Commons in October 2023, he highlighted the outrageous situation that Selby children travelled as far as Harrogate or Scarborough each day for education. Parents were being left to choose between home schooling with little support or placing their children in mainstream schools that did not suit their needs.

Throughout his time as Selby’s MP, Keir met frequently with officials and Ministers from the Department for Education, emphasising the need to get the school open as soon as possible.

Following the ground-breaking of the SEND School, Keir said:

“I have spoken to countless families for who this school will be a lifeline. Every step of the way I promised to fight their corner to make sure that this school gets built, and that families aren’t let down again. From pushing for the school with Ministers, working with the Trust and Local Authority, and tackling the shocking objections of local Reform councillors, I’ve fought relentlessly to see this project delivered for SEND children in Selby.”

“It’s truly an honour to be asked to break the ground on the South View Academy, I cannot wait to see the transformational difference that this will make for the children who attend.”

“I fully understand that this school alone won’t solve every challenge with local provision, and I’m committed to working with the Government as it redesigns SEND education nationally to ensure it provides improved outcomes for young people across Selby and the rest of the country.”

“This is my proudest moment as Selby’s MP, but it is SEND parents who deserve the credit for fighting so hard.”

North Yorkshire Council’s assistant director for education and inclusion, Amanda Fielding, said: “We want schools to give every pupil the chance to grow, achieve and pursue their ambitions close to home, in a place that supports and celebrates them. Therefore, it’s incredibly exciting to see work begin on such an important space for our children and young people with specialist needs.

“Geographically we’re the largest rural county in the country and as a council we are dedicated to working with parents, school leaders and all partners to meet the special education needs of children and young people as close to their homes as possible.

“Breaking ground of this development is an important milestone and we’re really pleased to see the school build progressing.”

Josh Greaves, Deputy CEO of the Wellspring Academy Trust, said: “We are delighted to be breaking ground following years of determined effort by so many partners. South View will provide the vital specialist setting the Selby community deserves. We look forward to completing this build phase and beginning the real work of supporting children and young people to thrive”.