Mr Stuart is no stranger to the school, having previously visited in-person on a number of occasions whilst also supporting its progress through online meetings and communications in between.   

During his last visit in July 2016, the Member of Parliament for Beverley and Holderness took a keen interest in a careers event for Year 8 students that featured guest speakers, many of whom were ex-students, alongside interactive workshops aiming to inspire and inform young people about the opportunities that exist in the world of work and the courses and qualifications they need to realise their ambitions.

Picking up where he left off in 2016, Mr Stuart, who is also Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero), wasted no time in speaking to current Year 10 and 11 students about their ambitions for the future. Visiting the school’s Design Technology department, Mr Stuart spoke to one student about their ambition of becoming an engineer for the Red Bull F1 team.

Mr Stuart was also ‘very impressed’ to hear from another student who had been proactive in extending a work experience placement at Centrica, initially organised for him by the school, as a means of improving his application for an apprenticeship.  

Impressed to see the high-quality support and facilities available to students at Withernsea High School, Mr Stuart said: “Our children deserve every chance in life and Withernsea High School provides them with the tools they need to thrive.

That’s why I am always working closely with apprenticeship providers to ensure our children can get great jobs locally, be it in energy, engineering or construction.”

Led on a tour of the school by Headteacher Mark Crofts, Mr Stuart was also pleased to see the steps being taken to build on the ‘Good’ Ofsted rating it received in 2021 – in particular, enhancements to its SEND provision. This was highlighted by a tour of the ERP (Enhanced Resource Provision) inclusion hub.

Opened in September 2022, the ERP caters for learners with Social and Emotional Mental Health (SEMH) needs – a type of Special Educational Need where a child can often have difficulties in managing their emotions or behaviour, causing them to feel scared, anxious or misunderstood.

Students are supported through individual EHCP (Education Health and Care) Plans which describe their needs, the support they require, and the outcomes they would like to achieve. Crucially, the support of this process within the ERP unit means that students are able to continue their education in a mainstream school, with a view of eventual reintegration back into regular classroom settings. 

John Blades, Head of Additional Provision, said: “We offer a bespoke curriculum, differentiated to the needs of each individual learner, with the aim of helping them regain access to main school lessons to learn alongside their peers. To help prepare them for this, a number of students currently enjoy a package of hybrid learning which sees them split their time between the ERP unit and mainstream lessons.

Joining Mr Stuart on his visit to the school were South East Holderness Councillor Sean McMaster and Councillor Nigel Wilkinson, Portfolio Holder for Finance and Governance at ERYC.

Councillor McMaster, a former student of the school, said: “It was fantastic to visit my old school again after so many years. So much has changed since I attended.

The careers support they give their students is second to none, helping young people develop the skills they need for life beyond the classroom.”

Headteacher, Mark Crofts, added: “We are very grateful to Graham and Councillors McMaster and Wilkinson for spending so much time with our students.

Equipping every student with the skills they need to thrive is our number one priority, and we will continue to work with Graham to seek opportunities to ensure they broaden their horizons, achieve their goals and become assets to our community."

Previous visits to the school by Mr Stuart include a 2010 tour with the then Minister of State for Schools, Nick Gibb, regarding the allocation of funding. This was followed in 2014 with a visit which saw Mr Stuart take a general tour of the school and its facilities, before visiting again in 2015 to help celebrate the school’s 60^th anniversary.

In 2018, Mr Stuart lent his support in a virtual meeting regarding the legacy of the joint rebuild and refurbishment project. In 2021, he met virtually with Headteacher Mark Crofts to discuss a number of topics including plans for a Health and Social Care academy and the school’s priority in offering mental health support to its students and the wider school community.

In 2022, in an effort to learn more about how he could support the work of the Hull and East Yorkshire Careers Hub, Mr Stuart held an online meeting with a number of Careers Leaders, including Withernsea High School’s Viki Foster, to discuss the impact of the hub and the work it does to support schools.

EXTERNAL LINK:

Graham Stuart MP: Withernsea High School Gives Pupils Tools They Need To Thrive 
Article posted on www.grahamstuart.com 

ABOVE: Mr Stuart visited the school's Design Technology department where he was pleased to speak to Year 10 and 11 students about their future plans. [Photo Credit: Vincent Masterson]

ABOVE: Mr Stuart visited the school's Careers Base where he spoke to Year 11 student Ben Richardson about his ambitions for the future. Pictured with them is Rebecca Pindar, Deputy Headteacher. [Photo Credit: Vincent Masterson]

ABOVE AND BELOW: During the tour of the school, the group visited the school's ERP hub where they met Head of Additional Provision, John Blades. [Photo Credit: Vincent Masterson] 

 

ABOVE: Mr Stuart wasted no time in getting hands-on to help students carve pumpkins ready for Halloween. [Photo Credit: Vincent Masterson] 

ABOVE: Student Ben is keen for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to visit the school next!