The Lighthouse School has just been given a major boost after being selected to run a new specialist school in Harrogate.
The school will support children with special educational needs (SEN) and enhance the offer available for local autistic children. The number of children with Educational Health Care Plans (EHCPs) in North Yorkshire has risen from 1,700 in 2015 to more than 6,000 in 2025.
The announcement comes after a £2.4 million investment by North Yorkshire Council in the new school, which will boast specialist classrooms, teaching spaces, and facilities that cater for the special educational needs and academic aspirations of children in the area.
Following a recommendation made to the Department for Education, it was confirmed that the Trust will operate the Harrogate facility once it is opened. Lighthouse School in Leeds was founded by a group of parents of autistic children in 2012 and has extensive experience as a specialist secondary school for autistic students with Education Health Care Plans (EHCPs).
The new Harrogate school will provide education for up to 80 pupils aged 11-19 who have been diagnosed with autism or have identified communication and interaction needs. The facility will offer a broad curriculum for children who require a specialised learning environment with a more formal academic pathways and qualifications.
Lighthouse School’s Principal, Emma Sullivan, said:
We’re thrilled to be confirmed as the Academy Trust for the new Harrogate Special School, which will bring vital support to autistic young people and their families. This new facility strengthens our mission to deliver outstanding destination led education for a growing number of autistic students.
Our ambition is to be a national leader in destination-led education for our exceptional students and a Centre of Excellence for Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) education. As a trust dedicated solely to SEND provision, this announcement is another step forward in unlocking the incredible potential of even more children across the region.
The Trust’s Founder and Chair of Trustees, Katie Parlett, added:
We are looking forward to working in partnership with the local authority, families, and stakeholders to create a school that meets needs of autistic young people and inspire the brightest of futures.
North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for education, learning and skills, Cllr Annabel Wilkinson, said:
We want to provide the very best education for all children in North Yorkshire. We have a coordinated strategy across the whole county to meet the special educational needs of children.
This includes strengthening practice in mainstream schools, developing SEN resource bases and investing in fabulous new facilities such as this one where they are needed.
The Trust’s existing work gives us real confidence in its ability to deliver high-quality specialist education and will be a welcome addition to our community of schools in North Yorkshire.
Lighthouse school will now work with the Department for Education to convert to a multi-academy trust while liaising with the council to agree a robust plan that fully satisfies all the technical elements required.
