Richard Herring unveils Scope school expansion

Ingfield Manor School in Sussex for disabled children, renowned for its specialist education, is formally unveiling a new block which means it can expand to include pupils from 16 to 19.

• 11 November launch also marks Ingfield Manor School’s 50th birthday
• Minute’s silence for Armistice Day
• Opportunities to film / photo / interview pupils, teachers and VIP guest

The opening of the new secondary building at Scope’s Ingfield Manor School, near Billingshurst, takes place on Friday 11 November at 11.30am – and follows a minute’s silence for Remembrance Day.

The new block comprises new classrooms, toilets, social area and staff workspace.

The school, which is also celebrating its 50th birthday, is one of the UK’s leading centres in Conductive Education, a technique that focuses on simultaneous development of personality, movement and knowledge.

Richard Herring, TV and radio comedian, and Samantha Paget, representing Star Energy, will open the block with students Harley Austin and Matthew Bryant, both age 15.

Star Energy has been a long-term supporter of Scope and the school, and was the major donor towards the new building. Richard Herring is a celebrity supporter of Scope and has visited the school on many occasions.

Guests will then be given a tour of the building by the school’s secondary students.

Richard and Samantha will later help cut the cake at a special school assembly to mark its 50th birthday.

Comedian Richard Herring said:

“I have been massively inspired by the kids at Ingfield Manor School and they have really motivated me to support Scope. I am looking forward to helping the school celebrate its 50th birthday and delighted to see it expanding for the future.”

Catherine Allison, Ingfield’s new principal, added:

“This is such an exciting time to start my new role here. We are very grateful for the amazing help of Star Energy, and all our supporters, who we can thank today.”

ENDS

Ingfield Manor School

Ingfield Manor School is acknowledged as one of the leading centres for Conductive Education in the UK. It has national reputation for the development of communication work with disabled children.

The school is a day and weekly boarding school for pupils aged 3 – 16+ with cerebral palsy. Pupils have a range of abilities and associated learning difficulties arising from cerebral palsy. Ofsted has concluded that “the work in Conductive Education by pupils and staff is outstanding. This is a centre of excellence for an alternative approach to the education of children with cerebral palsy”.

The expansion

• Ingfield has pupils from age 3 to 16. The expansion will mean that it can provide for pupils up to age 19. This will be a gradual increase over the next three years, mainly as existing Secondary students transfer to the new service as they reach age 16. The new service will mean that students can continue to benefit from the unique approach of Conductive Education, which will underpin their educational choices. These will involve working in partnership with local colleges.
• The student openers are the first cohort of 16+ students. Further students will join over the coming years. At the moment the new building will be used by the upper Secondary group, which includes the 16+ students.
• The new building comprises new classrooms, toilets, social area and staff workspace. The total building cost was around £650,000 including VAT. The contractor was Frank Sandell and Sons Ltd, Worthing, the architects were Hazle McCormack Young Ltd, Canterbury.

Star Energy Group

Samantha Paget is Group HR Manager for Star Energy, who have generously supported Scope since 2002. Their previous Ingfield support has included donations towards the school’s residential development and the expansion of its Pre-School and Assessment Service.

Richard Herring

Richard Herring is one of the UK's most prolific comedians. He has taken the Edinburgh Festival by storm for many years with his critically acclaimed shows. His nationwide tours sell out every year, and his Chortle Award-winning and Sony-nominated audio podcast and sketch shows As It Occurs To Me are incredibly popular. His latest book How Not to Grow Up was published in May last year. He is currently writing and performing his second Radio 4 series Richard Herring's Objective. Richard's recent TV appearances include Have I Got News for You and Never Mind the Buzzcocks and his podcasts with Andrew Collins get up to 50,000 downloads per episode. As one half of the prolific comedy duo Lee & Herring, Richard enjoyed phenomenal cult success as a writer and performer with shows such as Lionel Nimrod's Inexplicable World, Fist of Fun (BBC Radio 1/BBC Two) and This Morning with Richard Not Judy (BBC Two). And with Al Murray, Richard devised and wrote 37 episodes of the sitcom Time Gentlemen Please (Sky One/Paramount) for Al's alter ego The Pub Landlord.

Scope

Scope is a charity that is working towards a world where disabled people have the same opportunities to fulfil their life ambitions as non-disabled people. We work with society to bring about changes that make it possible for all disabled children and adults to make their own contribution and to realise their full civil liberties and human rights.

We go about this through a combination of service development and delivery, campaigning, research and information provision:

• Working alongside disabled adults and children, and their families, to offer information, education, support and care that leads to greater freedom of choice and personal control
• Working with disabled people and their organisations on the issues that are most important to them to raise awareness, change attitudes and influence government policy
• Working with decision-makers, influencers and across society to challenge assumptions, create understanding and build sustainable change