A pioneering education centre in South Cumbria has been officially opened.
Mighty Oak Initiative was officially opened by Westmorland & Lonsdale MP Tim Farron and Jude Godden MBE in Kendal.
Kate Lindsay, founder and CEO of Mighty Oak, said: “The intention with the establishment of Mighty Oak was always to influence or enact legislative and governmental change in terms of educational practice, because the status quo fails far too many young people.
“Capable, skilled, brilliant young people, full of potential who are labelled as ”failing’, unable to attend school due to crisis or find themselves permanently excluded.
“The failings in our current education system are not the students, nor our teachers, but the system itself. As a teacher within it, and as the parent to a neurodiverse but incredibly able child, the issues were glaringly obvious to me, but in order to bring about any degree of change, I had to get out of the system and rebuild something from the ground up.
“That something is Mighty Oak, and in an academic year I have established a team of 18 highly qualified staff and two thriving provisions.
“I would urge the Education Secretary to look at our attendance figures, level of engagement, exam results, listen to student feedback and address staff.”
Mr Farron lauded Mighty Oak as a significant step forward, just as he did in Parliament recently.
Ms Godden, whose advocacy for families trying to access education has been widely recognised, has supported Mighty Oak’s sustainability and families whose children are students there.
Mighty Oak, which also has a centre in Skelton, near Penrith, focuses on holistic development and personalised learning experiences.
Its supportive environment is designed to empower students, enabling them to thrive academically and personally, fostering critical thinking, creativity, and emotional resilience.
The provision aims to serve students who may benefit from a non-conventional educational model, offering them the tools and support necessary to succeed in adulthood.
