“Please see our new Makaton page under 'Information' for our Sign of the Week.”

Grow Moorlands

Grow Moorlands is a new enterprise founded by the school and its partners which aims to engage, develop young people and young adults with learning disabilities and mental health issues.  It aims to provide a sustainable enterprise and a supported pathway into employment for future generations of students who face barriers to employment.  The enterprise will provide training and development opportunities, accredited qualifications, work experience, independent living support and volunteer opportunities to support, promote and enhance a wide range of opportunities to service users.

Please contact the school asking for Chris Best or David Whewell if you are interested in finding out more information about the enterprise; what we do with the students and how we are constantly looking to offer our services out into the wider community.

Sowing the seeds for independent futures

Students from Meadows Special School in Leek are sowing the seeds for their futures thanks to horticultural partnership with the local council and a new social enterprise.

The school has entered into a partnership with Staffordshire Moorlands District Council and Grow Moorlands which will see students planting and maintaining the beds at the lower end of Derby Street in Leek town centre using plants they have cultivated themselves for the project.

The planting began this week when a group of enthusiastic young people from the school were joined by Councillor Brian Johnson from the Council and Atiqur Rahman from Grow Moorlands to get the scheme underway.
Councillor Johnson, cabinet member for parks and countryside at the Council and a governor at the school, said: “We’re delighted to be able to support students at the Meadows School as they learn horticulture skills and gain accredited qualifications and work experience to help equip them for life after school.

“It’s been a pleasure to see the enthusiasm and professionalism they have brought to the project so far and all of us that live in and visit Leek have the added bonus of being able to enjoy the fruits of their labour each time we’re in the town centre as we admire the beautiful and colourful displays in these planters which add so much to the street scene.”

Mr Rahman added: “This new enterprise, which is a partnership between Meadows Special School, the Kniveden Partnership, North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust and Buxton and Leek College and led by Support Staffordshire, engages, develops and mentors people with learning disabilities and mental health issues and promotes independent living.

“Projects such as this are invaluable in providing young people with real experience of work and I’d like to thank our partners at the Meadows School and the Council for their involvement and support as well as the young people themselves for the effort and commitment they’ve shown.”