Targeted Mainstream Provision (TMP)

At The Skipton Academy (TSA), we are passionate about inclusion and offering all students access to a rich and varied curriculum, whatever their needs are. We are very lucky to have been able to open, in conjunction with North Yorkshire local authority, our new Targeted Mainstream Provision (TMP) for young people with significant Communication and Interaction needs. This is the first provision for secondary students of this kind in the Craven area, and we opened on the 1st December 2022.

The aim of the provision, named ‘The Lookout’ by students, is to increase opportunities for children and young people with SEND so that they can access mainstream education together with more specialised small group interventions and support. We offer full time places for 6 children and young people with an Education, Health and Care Plan and 2 ‘flexible’ places for children needing to access the provision for short term assessment and support.

Led by our highly experienced TMP Lead, staff have access to a range of training opportunities so that they are able to meet the needs of children and young people with communication and interaction needs including autistic spectrum conditions (ASC). Students also have access to a range of therapies as well as academic opportunities so that they are able to have a positive and enriching experience of school life. Each child has a personalised timetable and curriculum in line with their year group and their needs.

The Lookout is situated on the edge of the school grounds and is well integrated into school life. Students can access The Lookout from the main school entrance, away from other students, so that they can have a calm, quiet start to each school day.

The building compromises of a large, informal learning space, with a kitchen to support students in developing life skills, two further more formal classrooms and two well-equipped sensory rooms.

The local authority is responsible for allocating places within our TMP (The Lookout). This usually occurs as part of the young person’s Annual Review if they already have an EHCP or as part of the statutory EHCP (Education Health Care Plan) assessment process.

If you have any questions about The Lookout, please contact our TMP Leader, Mrs Vicky Robayna: v.robayna@theskiptonacademy.co.uk