A new Middlesbrough-based school focussed on offering alternative provision has been given the green light by the Government to open following a positive report from Ofsted.

The opening of Outwood Alternative Provision Eston, on Burns Road, has been approved by the Department for Education and is now open to students.

As the name suggests, the school is to focus on delivering alternative provision. The new school will provide education for up to 110 children who need a greater level of support with their learning and with their social, emotional and mental health needs. 

The innovative alternative provision centre will be part of the Outwood Grange Academies Trust and will join seven other Outwood Family academies already based in the North East.

Outwood Alternative Provision Eston will be based in a former sixth-form building, which has undergone a six-figure refurbishment and modernised. The building includes fully equipped science labs, a spacious art room, state of the art computer science room, in addition to a range of classrooms.

Outwood has said that the centre will focus on personal development and the health and wellbeing of students, without losing any academic rigour. It will work closely with mainstream schools to ensure that movement between provisions is seamless.

Rachel Conway, who will lead Outwood Alternative Provision Eston, said:

“We are delighted to have been given the all-clear to open and we are looking forward to it. 

“At Outwood, we believe that all children deserve the best education possible. This new provision is part of our vision for inclusion and our drive to meet the needs of every student.  We cannot wait to start working with students, full-time, to help ensure they receive the best possible education.”

Ofsted, who inspected the school in January, recently published its report which found that the school will offer a broad curriculum and that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, will ‘have a bespoke approach to learning to meet their specific needs.’

The Trust’s strong links with Middlesbrough College was also praised by the education watchdog.

Mark Hassack, Outwood’s Northern Region’s Executive Principal that covers the North East academies, said:

“This will be an alternative provision like no other and its opening marks a major milestone in Outwood’s journey, particularly in the North East. 

“We are committed to playing a key role in the communities we are proud to be based in and serve. We will focus on ensuring that all students can achieve well and are able to move to their next stage with confidence, be it education, employment or training.”