Announcements

Summer Fayre 2026

Harrogate School 

Lighthouse Education Trust has been approved by North Yorkshire Council to open a new special free school in Harrogate, known as Lighthouse School, Harrogate.

Lighthouse School, Harrogate will be a provision serving up to 80 autistic children and young people aged 11-19 who are able to access a KS3, KS4 or KS5 curriculum at or around the corresponding age range for that curriculum. The school will deliver community-driven, student-centred, and destination-focused nurture and support to children and young people in Harrogate. It will build on Lighthouse Education Trust’s successful curriculum, staffing structure, and operational model, ensuring pupils can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally while preparing them for adulthood.

The school will adopt a curriculum built on four cornerstones:

• Curriculum: built on ambition, versatility, and innovation, delivering learning ambitious in breadth and depth. It will offer all subjects one would expect at a mainstream school, as well as those delivered to support the needs of students. Modules will be tailored to suit different abilities and interests, for the promotion of individual ambition.
• Wellbeing: We will provide holistic, student-centred interventions to enable engagement in learning and support students to understand their diagnosis. Students will learn to manage their emotions, advocate for themselves, and promote positive mental health. All staff will be trained in wellbeing strategies to ensure integration with the provision.
• Speech and Language Therapy and Communication: As experienced providers, we recognise that fundamental skills in communication and expression are vital for accessing education, both academic and vocational training, as well as developing important social and emotional skills and habits.
• Skills and Experience: Our students will receive tailored support in developing the skills, knowledge, and experience needed to go on to access vocational training, employment, and active participation in daily life.

Admissions to Lighthouse School, Harrogate will be managed through North Yorkshire Council, who will allocate places via EHCPs.

The school will be located on the site of the former Woodfield Primary School in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, postcode HG1 4HZ, which is being fitted out for our new cohort.

The formal public consultation has now closed.

For summary information on the Section 10 consultation, please visit:

Lighthouse School - Harrogate School

Kind regards,

Emma Sullivan

Interim Executive Principal

Lighthouse Education Trust

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Wednesday 1st October 2025

Exciting new chapter for Lighthouse School following appointment to run Harrogate SEN Facility

We are delighted to announce that Lighthouse School has been selected to run a new specialist school in Harrogate.

The Department for Education confirmed this week that our Trust will oversee the new Harrogate facility once it opens, providing greater support for more children with special educational needs (SEN) and expanding opportunities for autistic children in the local community.

Lighthouse School opened in September 2012 with a vision to support autistic young people in having brighter futures. The demand for places at Lighthouse from across Yorkshire is significant, so this development will help many more young people and their families.

The announcement comes after a £2.4 million investment by North Yorkshire Council in the new school, which will offer specialist classrooms, teaching spaces, and facilities that cater for the special educational needs and academic aspirations of children in the area.

The new Harrogate school will provide education for up to 80 pupils aged 11-19 who have been diagnosed with autism or have identified communication and interaction needs. The facility will offer a broad curriculum for children who require a specialised learning environment with a more formal academic pathways and qualifications.

Lighthouse School Principal, Emma Sullivan, said:

“We’re thrilled to be confirmed as the Academy Trust for the new Harrogate Special School, which will bring vital support to autistic young people and their families. This new facility strengthens our mission to deliver outstanding destination led education for a growing number of autistic students.

“Our ambition is to be a national leader in destination-led education for our exceptional students and a Centre of Excellence for Autism education. As a trust dedicated solely to SEND provision, this announcement is another step forward in unlocking the incredible potential of even more children across the region.”

Lighthouse School Founder and Chair of Trustees, Katie Parlett, added:

“We are looking forward to working in partnership with the local authority, families, and stakeholders to create a school that meets needs of autistic young people and inspire the brightest of futures.”

North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for education, learning and skills, Cllr Annabel Wilkinson, said:

“We want to provide the very best education for all children in North Yorkshire. We have a coordinated strategy across the whole county to meet the special educational needs of children. This includes strengthening practice in mainstream schools, developing SEN resource bases and investing in fabulous new facilities such as this one where they are needed.

“The Trust’s existing work gives us real confidence in its ability to deliver high-quality specialist education and will be a welcome addition to our community of schools in North Yorkshire.”

Lighthouse School will now work with the Department for Education to convert to a multi-academy trust while liaising with the council to agree a robust plan that fully satisfies all the technical elements required. 

Further details about the school opening date will be announced in the coming months once the project plan has been agreed and finalised.

The public consultation ended on 3rd February 2026.

Images captions:

1. Photo 1: The site of the new Harrogate specialist school. (Image: North Yorkshire Council)
   
   
2. Photo 2: (L-R) North Yorkshire Council’s Assistant Director for inclusion Amanda Fielding, Lighthouse School Principal Emma Sullivan, Department for Education Jordan Ingram, North Yorkshire Council Head of SEND strategic planning resources Chris Reynolds, Department for Education Joanne Finney, Cllr Annabel Wilkinson, Katherine Atkinson and Katie Parlett from Lighthouse School. (Image: North Yorkshire Council)