Headteacher’s Welcome
Headteacher
Neill Oldham
Chair of Governors
Christine Russell
Designated Safeguarding Lead
Nicola Cassidy
SENCO
Nicola Cassidy
Exams Officer
Shelby Mercer
Careers Lead
Mark Birtles
"Highfurlong School is a school where all individuals are valued and supported to achieve their personal best. Our school is a maintained special school in Blackpool, providing education for pupils aged 2-19 with a wide range of special educational needs.
These include complex medical conditions; physical disabilities; profound and multiple learning difficulties (including multi-sensory impairment and visual/hearing impairment); speech, language and communication difficulties; moderate learning difficulties and autistic spectrum disorders. We have a state of the art building on the outskirts of Blackpool, and we provide education for pupils from all over the Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde Coast area. Our school was purpose built in 2015, and includes a hydrotherapy pool, sensory rooms, bespoke outdoor education and play areas and is fully accessible for all pupils.
I am extremely proud to lead a team that is committed to children’s wellbeing, celebrating every success, no matter how small and providing the best opportunities in a warm and caring environment. Staff , supported by governors and parents, work hard to deliver a bespoke curriculum to every single pupil, providing essential life skills to prepare them for adulthood. We were very proud to be awarded the UK’s Happiest School in 2019 which demonstrates our commitment to pupil and staff wellbeing.
Our school has been judged by Ofsted as being ‘outstanding’ in 2006, 2009, 2014 and in 2018. The latest inspection report stated that Highfurlong is an:
“extremely warm, caring and welcoming school community which holds its pupils at the heart of all it does”
This is the basis of everything that we do at Highfurlong. Our child first ethos underpins everything that we do. Through all areas of our curriculum we strive to Inspire our pupils, Challenge them to be the best that they can be and Believe in them.
We are an EdTech Demonstrator school and the only SEND school nationally awarded this status. We are able to support both mainstream and specialist provisions in all areas of Assistive Technology and adaptive teaching practices.
We are especially proud that in 2021 we were awarded as the ‘National School of the Year’ and also Blackpool Primary School of the Year 2021 and the winners of the Blackpool Inspirational Teacher of the Year award 2021.
I am extremely proud to be the Head Teacher at Highfurlong School”
Neill Oldham – Head Teacher