Unit bids to shake off ‘bad boys’ image
JON MACPHERSON
APUPIL referral unit is aiming to shed its ‘bad boys’ reputation by increasing awareness of its good work in the community.
The Oswaldtwistle School supports boys and girls who have mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, eating disorders, or students who have been permanently excluded from other schools.
Headteacher Anne Kyle said they help children get back into ‘mainstream’ education by providing them with new skills and that it is a ‘truly worthwhile vocation’.
The unit on Union Road welcomed local dignitaries, including Hyndburn Mayor Mohammad Ayub and MP Graham Jones, to view its work and to show off its new and improved science and food technology labs.
The guests also spoke to members of the student council and Ms Kyle about the unit and their plans for the future.
Ms Kyle said: “At The Oswaldtwistle School we are all too often seen as ‘Ossy Bad Boys’ in the community.
“I’ve been in post for one academic year and I can tell you that we are most definitely not Ossy Bad Boys.
“For a start we have got nearly 50pc girls.
“We are a small, community nurturing school with staff that have a passion for wanting to help the most vulnerable children in East Lancashire.
“In this current climate of youth mental health issues exploding the local area is reliant on provisions like ours to help the future doctors, teachers, mechanics, plumbers, chefs and soldiers of our area.
“We have been lucky enough to be able to invest and modernise our science lab and food technology room.
“We also have a new student entrance built to enable safe arrival and departure for students because they currently use the fire escape at the bottom of school.
“Without this kind of continued change of progress the children of East Lancashire would be sadly much worse off.”
The unit, which caters for children aged 11 to 16, was found to be ‘requiring improvement’ by Ofsted during a 2016 inspection.
A monitoring visit in November 2017 said senior leaders and governors are taking ‘effective action’ to tackle areas identified to become a ‘good’ school.
Coun Ayub said: “I think they are doing a great job in getting kids back into education and we need to show our support. It’s an excellent facility.”