Special education schools in the North West of England are benefiting from state of the art teaching facilities thanks to Building Schools for the Future (BSF), the biggest ever school buildings investment programme.

Holly Grove School in Burnley is just one of the schools in Lancashire that can now provide superior care for those pupils with SEN thanks to the latest range of moving and handling equipment from Arjo.

Holly Grove School is part of the new £31 million, BSF Campus development in Burnley offering specialist education to pupils with a wide range of learning difficulties, including autism, challenging behaviour, moderate and severe learning difficulties and complex needs. The new school opened in September 2008 and has approximately 55 pupils on roll ranging from 3-11 years of age.The Arjo Maxi Sky600 is a complete, customised ceiling lift system which allows pupils with more complex needs to get fully involved in the curriculum and take part in soft play and hydrotherapy activities where mobile hoists could not previously be used. 

Sue Kitto, head teacher of Holly Grove School is extremely pleased with the Maxi Sky600 that has been installed throughout the school, stating “The Maxi Sky ceiling lift system is much more convenient for us, as in our classrooms space can be limited. With the Arjo ceiling tracking we don’t have to worry about extra storage facilities for mobile hoists as it’s just a discreet pod attached to the ceiling”. Commenting on Holly Grove School Ofsted said, “At the heart of the school’s success is an inclusive child centred approach to all its work. Some aspects of its work are outstanding, for example, the care, guidance and support given to its pupils and the extent to which the school promotes equality of opportunity for each individual. The pupils love coming to school and, as a result of good teaching, make good progress in their learning and development”.

For more information about how the ARJO Maxi Sky can benefit you and your school, please click here.