Education support service launched on Isle of Man

30 July 2007

St Christopher's is proud to announce the launch of a new specialist education support service for residential care projects on the island, including the Isle of Man Children’s Secure Care Home.

The St Christopher’s team is responsible for providing a full-time broad and balanced National Curriculum equivalent education curriculum at the secure care home, as well as assisting residential colleagues in their efforts to maintain their children and young people in schools and colleges. The new service is based on the well-established model that has been extensively trialled and proved successful in other St Christopher’s services.

Tony Wright, St Christopher’s senior education support officer on the Isle of Man, was previously the head of the special education support centre at a local high school and brings a wealth of educational expertise and experience to the new role. He has now been joined by two full-time education support workers. Both have experience as residential care workers and also have backgrounds in further and adult education.

A fourth member will be added to the team, to provide additional term-time support from September 2007 onwards.

This is an exciting development and the positive effect of improved education support and advocacy has already been noted.