The Diocese of Bath and Wells is to partner with Somerset County Council to help vulnerable children and young people improve their educational and life outcomes with special provision at the former Misterton School site. Early in 2022 the Diocese of Bath and Wells reached out to Somerset County Council to find an innovative education use for the former Misterton school, following the announcement of its planned closure in July 2022.
Last Friday the project was given the green light by Somerset Council when the lead member for Children’s Services approved a budget to adapt the former first school into a specialist therapeutic education centre, which will cater for up to 15 children.
The provision will be a Church of England School in a church-owned school building. Bath and Wells Education team will work with Somerset County Council to support the development of the centre, where vulnerable children will be able to re-engage with education.
Bishop Ruth, says, “We are delighted to be working with Somerset County Council and to be able to continue our commitment to education on the Misterton School site with our first Church of England specialist education facility in Somerset. Every child deserves the opportunity to live life in all its fullness and we hope and pray that the care and education the children receive at the centre will help them, and their loved ones, enjoy a much brighter future.”
The project is part of a much wider Homes and Horizons partnership between Somerset County Council, Homes2inspire, part of the national charity Shaw Trust, and the NHS in Somerset. It will provide up to ten small Children’s Homes across Somerset for young people with complex needs who have experienced significant disruption and trauma. As well as small children’s homes, it will provide wrap around foster care support as well as educational and therapy services.
Cllr Tessa Munt, Executive Lead for Children’s Services at Somerset County Council said: “Homes and Horizons will help our most vulnerable young people have a place to feel safe, live and learn, where they are listened to, cared for and understood so they can grow and thrive. It will lead to them achieving better education results, better mental health and wellbeing and improved life chances. It’s great the decision has been made to use the former Misterton school site for a new chapter in improving young people’s lives and is a significant step in providing much needed specialist care.”
The therapeutic education centre will be open 50 weeks of the year and most young people will attend 2-3 days with the rest of week spent at mainstream schools. Drama and arts therapy will take place alongside Maths and English and other core curriculum subjects supporting the young people to grow and thrive. Therapy and counselling sessions will also take place in specially purposed meeting rooms and space will be allocated for teachers and social worker offices.
Through the autumn the diocese and Somerset County Council are looking forward to engaging with Somerset children and the local community as the proposal develops.