I have today received this news from the Maiden Erlegh Trust:
20 July 2020
Dear Mr Redwood
At the start of this academic year, Maiden Erlegh Trust applied to open a new special free school for 150 children with complex special educational needs from Year 1 to Year 13. We are delighted to announce that the Department for Education (DfE) has approved our application to open Oak Tree School from 2022.
This is an exciting project, developed alongside Brighter Futures for Children, Reading Borough Council and Wokingham Borough Council, which will add much needed local places for SEND children the local area. We must also thank colleagues from the Trust and Cranbury College who have been instrumental in developing the vision and the bid itself.
The approval of our application is a huge validation of the quality of what we do and the values that underpin our work. It is also a strong endorsement of each any every one’s contribution to the high standards of care, education, professional development and governance that Maiden Erlegh Trust provides. We do not underestimate the responsibility involved in developing a new school and have always been clear that we would not take on any project which may undermine work elsewhere. We are confident that we have the capacity and expertise, and partners, to ensure Oak Tree School is a success.
We look forward to working with you over the coming months to ensure the success of Oak Tree School, and would like to take this opportunity to extend an invitation to you to visit one, or all, of our schools to see first-hand the work we do. We would also be pleased for the opportunity to talk you through our plans for Oak Tree School in more detail.
If you have any questions about the project or would like to be involved further, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Yours sincerely
Nick Jones Mary Davies
Chair of Maiden Erlegh Trust Chief Executive Officer
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