Graham Stuart, Member of Parliament for Beverley and Holderness, was impressed to see the high-quality support and facilities available to pupils at Withernsea High School.
Led by the Headteacher Mark Crofts, Graham saw the steps the school is taking to build on the ‘Good’ OFSTED rating it received in 2021. A key priority for the school following this inspection was improving its SEND provision, which Graham saw first hand during his tour of the school’s Inclusion Hub. He was joined on the visit by South East Holderness Councillor Sean McMaster and Cllr Nigel Wilkinson, Portfolio Holder for Finance and Governance at ERYC.
The Hub gives pupils who struggle in the classroom additional support delivered in small groups so they can focus on learning key skills in a safe environment. Graham was pleased to hear that pupils are kept on site as much as possible so they spend time with adults they know care for them. He enjoyed joining one group in carving scary faces on pumpkins ready for Halloween.
During his tour, Graham met pupils in Year 10 and 11 to find out their ambitions for the future and see whether they knew what they needed to achieve them. He spoke to one student during their woodwork lesson about their goal of being an engineer for Red Bull F1 team and why it is important to work hard at maths to achieve this. A pupil also told Graham about how he had been proactive in extending the work experience the school had organised for him with Centrica so he could improve his application for the apprenticeships he is applying for. Graham was very impressed with this.
South East Holderness Councillor Sean McMaster, who accompanied Graham on the visit, said: “It was fantastic to visit my old school again after so many years. So much has changed since I attended. The careers support they give their students is second to none, helping young people develop the skills they need for life beyond the classroom.”
Headteacher of Withernsea High School, Mark Crofts, commented: “We are very grateful to Graham for spending so much time with our students. Equipping every student with the skills they need to thrive is our number one priority, and we will continue to work with Graham to seek opportunities to ensure they broaden their horizons, achieve their goals and become assets to our community."
Beverley and Holderness MP Graham Stuart said: “Our children deserve every chance in life and Withernsea High School provides them with the tools they need to thrive. That’s why I am always working closely with apprenticeship providers to ensure our children can get great jobs locally, be it in energy, engineering or construction.”
