The team at our Wings School Cumbria have gone “above and beyond” again this year for the young people they support.

The challenges of the last two years have not stopped them supporting the children to make outstanding progress both socially and emotionally as well as educationally. They have worked hard to make sure children experienced minimal disruption as a result of COVID – often staying on site for days and sacrificing time with their own families to make sure children had reliable and familiar support.

They have also worked extremely hard – and thought ‘outside the box’ to support children feeling anxiety, help manage any disappointment when plans have had to change as a result of COVID and supported their education – as well as making sure they had lots of fun too of course!

The team were recently also praised by Ofsted for the “outstanding” behaviour, attitudes and personal development of the young people at Wings Cumbria, which

is a specialist school offering both day and residential places for children and young people with social, emotional and mental health difficulties.

Inspectors reviewed both the education and care provided at Wings Cumbria, and particularly praised the “genuine fondness” shown by care staff as well as the “extremely trusting and meaningful relationships” between the school’s team and the children who live in Wings Cumbria’s registered children’s homes while attending the school. This, they found, allowed children to “feel happy, settled and safe”.

One child said: “I feel safe. Staff make it homely and make me feel wanted.”

There was “exceptional” feedback too from social workers and parents who were “unanimous in identifying that the considerable progress that children make is mainly down to the positive, trusting and nurturing relationships staff have with children”.

Thanks to the team’s ambitions for children, inspectors said they made “consistent and excellent progress” and built aspirations for their future.  Education at Wings Cumbria was also highly praised, with inspectors grading the school as “Good with Outstanding features”.