Whitby School to Host SEN Awareness and Support Event

Whitby School is set to host a significant 'Awareness and Support' event this evening for children and young people aged 0 to 25, focusing on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

The event, described as an opportunity for the local community to seek advice and support, will take place at the school's Airy Hill Site on Monday, July 14, 2025, between 4:00 PM and 5:30 PM.

Alicia Hogarth, Deputy SENCO at Whitby School, highlighted the broad scope of the event.

"We were hoping as Whitby school to kind of organize an evening based for 0 to 25, it's not just students who attend Whitby School, it's for our local community, everybody in the area.

It's an awareness and support event. So it doesn't necessarily need to be for those children who have got diagnoses, it's for those families that are seeking additional support advice from professionals that sometimes they don't necessarily always know are there.

We were hoping in getting all of the professionals together in one room, it gave parents an opportunity to speak to professionals about provisions that are offer in our local area.

We have got the Educational Psychology service coming, which I think will be highly anticipated by a lot of parents, especially those in the process of applying for education, health and care plans, to offer general advice and support for parents."

The event is designed to support individuals from early years through to young adulthood, reflecting the full scope of available assistance, particularly as Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) can extend up to the age of 25. However, Alicia also emphasized that the event is not exclusively for those with EHCPs or a formal diagnosis,

"It isn't just for those with EHCPs, it is for students and families and carers and anybody who supports young children with kind of any difficulties.

They don't need to have a diagnosis to come and access this event. It is just being able to offer a space for people to seek advice, support and raise awareness really within the local area.

We've got over 23 stands. It is just an informal event, for people to come in, it is just an informal evening. There's no presentations. 

We've actually asked the professionals and the services to be there themselves so that they can answer any kind of informal questions or provide further information should it be needed."

Over 22 different organisations are expected to be present, each hosting a stand. Attendees will have the opportunity to speak directly with professionals and gather information. Alicia noted a wide range of participants,

"Coast tuition are coming they are Scarborough based, they're coming 'cause they support a lot of our students predominantly with EHCPs.

We've got Burn Hall coming, so their provision of alternative provision from the orchards, they're attending as well.

So it's not just necessarily, support for people in Whitby. It's what we can offer outside of Whitby as well and supporting our most vulnerable students within the area.

We've got Fylingdales primary school coming who are hosting a stand themselves. We have Mel Randell, who is the play therapist. We've got Carers Plus attending who are really promoting support within the local area, they run over Whitby, Ryedale and Scarborough.

Place to Be are coming, we've got Whitby DAG coming, we've got North Yorkshire Police  coming, which I think will be quite a big one.

We've got Sidewalk coming and we've got Mark Bruce, who is working with Anglo American at the minute, providing some youth mentoring, turning table support and his youth club that is trying to get up and running for the young people of Whitby. So that isn't just about SEN events, to be honest, that is any kind of disadvantaged, vulnerable children or need support?

We've got Cheryl Pepler coming from Speech and language therapy. We've got, Meadowcroft, we've got the Educational Psychologist. They're gonna be a big one I think at the minute.

We've also got the Rotary Club come in. We're hoping that the new Whitby Town Mayor's coming to come and have a visit.

We've got the Flash Company Arts coming and we've got Whitby Lions coming as well.

Although it's services and things for those most vulnerable people, it's also just an opportunity for parents and carers and to seek what the local community of Whitby has got to offer at the minute beyond SEN.

But as I say, our focus point is definitely zero to 25 with the EHCP running up until 25,  it's not just that kind of small bracket that we see, it's above and beyond that as well. "

Admission is free, and there is no need to book in advance; attendees can simply arrive on the day.

The event will be held in the school's hall and canteen area, with ample parking and refreshments available.

As an added incentive, a raffle for a free family ticket on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway will be held for anyone who attends.