Calcot Services for Children (CSfC) welcomed David Johnston MP to its new special educational needs (SEN) primary school in Wantage.
Huckleberry Therapeutic School offers places for children aged five to 11 who have social, emotional, and mental health difficulties, including associated challenging behaviours.
Many of the children will also have additional special needs including autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit and hyperactive disorders, which may affect their speech and language development.
Calcot Services for Children is a highly experienced provider of residential care and education for children with trauma and SEN with all its services rated good or outstanding by the regulator Ofsted.
Huckleberry will focus on a highly therapeutic offering, using a multi-disciplinary approach to meet the social, emotional, spiritual, physical and special educational needs of the children to enable them to progress into mainstream or SEN secondary education.
David Johnston OBE MP said: “It was great to visit the new Huckleberry Therapeutic School in Wantage and see what the headteacher, Ms Parmentier, and her team have created. It’s got brand new equipment and a lovely, large garden and I look forward to going back once the first set of children have settled in.”
Ms Parmentier, headteacher at Huckleberry School, said: I was delighted to welcome Mr Johnston to our fantastic school.
“Everyone has worked so hard to create a very special environment at Huckleberry School and we are very proud to have the opportunity to show off the facilities.
“It is really important to us to be part of the wider community, work with local businesses and organisations and provide the vulnerable children in our care with the best possible start to their education journey.”
Rachel Redgwell, managing director of Calcot Services for Children, said: “Ms Parmentier and the whole team at Huckleberry School have done an amazing job and it is incredibly rewarding to see the project come to fruition.
“Offering accessibility to education for all children is something we are passionate about, whether it is our own looked-after children or those who have struggled to find schools that meet their needs. This is so important to improve and enhance their life chances and I am very proud that Huckleberry will allow us to work with even more vulnerable youngsters.”
Photo caption – left to right – Rachel Redgwell, managing director of Calcot Services for Children, David Johnston OBE MP, Ludivine Parmentier headteacher at Huckleberry School