Head Teacher

The Governors, Staff and Students at Highfield School share the vision to develop an outstanding school to cater for those vulnerable young people with special educational needs who require an environment which nurtures and develops their skills and talents, celebrates their individuality and supports them to become as independent as they can be and prepared for the next stage of their lives.

Our school motto, Maximising Potential for Confident and Independent Futures, really reflects the aspirations of our young people and the staff work tirelessly to ensure that every student has as broad a range of opportunities as possible and is challenged to be the best they can be whilst they are here at Highfield. We accept no barriers to learning, hold the highest aspirations and expectations for all our students and receive great support from our parents who are positive about the school and the progress their young people make over time over time.

Highfield is a school which caters for students with severe and complex learning difficulties and autistic spectrum conditions. In KS3 and KS4 we currently have 129 students. In KS5 (Post16) we have 59 students.

Additionally, a significant number of our learners have associated complex needs relating to visual, hearing and speech impairment, social and emotional difficulties, communication difficulties, a range of chromosomal difficulties and in some cases, physical difficulties. All our learners have an Education Health and Care Plan and are drawn from the whole of the Wakefield district and beyond. The vast majority of the students are provided with transport to and from school.

The development of our fantastic green field site in the past 3 years has seen the inclusion of a purpose built Post 16 facility, a sensory room, a library, a fitness suite and the refurbishment of the main entrance, administration office spaces and our Emotional Health and Well- being area. We also have a wide range of outdoor facilities including a wildlife area which supports our Forest School status, a poly tunnel for horticulture, Animal Unit and well maintained sports facilities that contribute to the positive learning experiences of our students. Visitors to our school comment very positively on the warm welcome they receive and the quality of the provision, as well as the outstanding attitudes and behaviour of our fantastic students, of whom we are very proud.

The goal of our City Future programme is preparation for their next stage, this could be college, work or apprenticeships. The course is designed to help our young people make a successful transition to productive adult life and pupils will be accessing accreditation and work experience.

We have a large, well-qualified and committed staff group who work very effectively in teams. All staff members are well supported through supportive appraisal processes to improve their practice and are encouraged to develop professionally. There are clear progression pathways identifiable within the school.

The school has grown significantly during the past five years and has made substantial changes to its model of leadership and curriculum in order to better meet the needs of our pupils. Our most recent Ofsted, in June 2018, found that the school was Good overall with outstanding personal development, behaviour and welfare.