Luke Myer MP recently visited Old Farm School in East Cleveland, meeting staff and students and seeing first-hand the specialist support helping young people with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs to thrive.
Old Farm School provides a bespoke curriculum for up to pupils aged 11–19, adapting teaching and pastoral support to meet individual needs. The school’s focus on independence, wellbeing and preparation for adulthood is central to its approach. Luke first visited the school while serving as Cabinet Member at Redcar & Cleveland, where he supported the expansion of its Rigwood Cottage provision to enable more young people to remain closer to home for the right support. Returning this month, he saw the continued impact of that work, including new facilities at Rigwood House and the school’s sustained commitment to helping local families.
The visit came as the Labour Government announces major reforms to the SEND system. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has pledged a “radical expansion in rights” for SEND children, including a new legal requirement for schools to create Individual Support Plans (ISPs) for all children with SEND, alongside strengthened and retained Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) for those with more complex needs.
The reforms aim to end what ministers describe as a fragmented system that too often forces families into lengthy battles for support. Plans include significant investment in inclusion funding, expanded access to specialist expertise such as speech and language therapy and educational psychologists, improved workforce training, and new protections to ensure no child loses existing support during the transition.
For schools like Old Farm, which already adopt a whole-school approach to mental health and personalised learning , the ambition behind the reforms reflects the kind of practice already delivering results locally. The challenge nationally will be ensuring that inclusive support becomes consistent across every community.
Luke Myer MP said:
“It was a real pleasure to return to Old Farm School and see the difference their work continues to make for young people and families locally. Their focus on independence, wellbeing and personalised support shows what inclusive education looks like at its best.”