(UK) NE Lincs: New special school to use robots to support students
- The end of childhood
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Dec 18, 2025, Grimsby Telegraph: Exciting and innovative new facility for children with special needs is first of its kind for area
An innovative provision for vulnerable children with special needs will be created in a first for North East Lincolnshire. The Gatehouse will have six places initially for secondary-age children with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) and will be part of Waltham Toll Bar Academy, funded by North East Lincolnshire Council.
The initiative will see children with SEND and who are not currently in mainstream education attend, spending 50% or more of their time at The Gatehouse receiving bespoke support, and the remainder in mainstream, with the ambition that they return to it full time.
Ground-breaking practice, including robots and a therapeutic approach, will be used to support their passage. The project is being led at Waltham Toll Bar Academy by Vice Principal Nicola Law.
She is working in partnership with the Council and it is part of a commitment by Lincolnshire Gateway Academies Trust, responsible for the New Waltham school, to inclusive provision. “This is about creating a nurturing environment that will support and encourage vulnerable children into accessing mainstream education,” she said. . . .
The facility will use AV1 Robots to support the children, which take a child’s place at a desk in a mainstream classroom and are their eyes and ears allowing the child to access their lesson. Nicola, who has taught children with SEND since 2011, said: “As a Trust we trialled the use of an AV1 Robot during the summer, enabling a child to access GCSE revision learning and take their exams as a result. It was, then, a tremendous success.
“The robots give the student a sense of belonging at school. They sit at a desk instead of the child, with them based in The Gatehouse or at home, if needed.
“The teacher, using the robot’s camera and microphone, can interact with the student. If the child has a question, the robot lights up to alert the teacher.
“It will give the child an understanding of the classroom environment and, hopefully, builds their confidence about joining their class, which would otherwise be a daunting task. The robots are just one strategy we will deploy to break down the barriers children have to joining mainstream education. All children deserve a full entitlement.”
Executive Principal Philip Dickinson said the unit is the first of its kind in North East Lincolnshire. Children will be on roll at Waltham Toll Bar Academy and will very much be a part of the school.
“The Gatehouse will have the strapline ‘Opening doors to brighter futures.’ That says it all about us as an academy and a Trust,” Mr Dickinson said.
“In partnership with the Council, it’s terrific we’ve been able to utilise this building and create a wonderful, safe environment, giving further opportunities to young people. All children deserve an opportunity to thrive and maximise their potential. I know families across the area with children with SEND will welcome the provision at The Gatehouse.”
Lincolnshire Gateway Academies Trust’s Chief Executive Officer Martin Brown welcomed the partnership with the Council. “We are proud this pioneering project reinforces our commitment to providing an inclusive educational environment for children across North East Lincolnshire,” he said.
“Our Resource Specialist Provisions at our new Scartho Gateway and Waltham Gateway Academies provide further evidence of our commitment to children with SEND and their families. They only opened in September but we have already seen successes with children in our RSPs joining mainstream classes.”
North East Lincolnshire Council’s Portfolio Holder for Children Services Cllr Margaret Cracknell was delighted with the LGAT partnership. She said: “Evidence elsewhere in our area demonstrates the value of having specialist provision running alongside mainstream education, to support children back into school full time.
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