Oaklands School Welcomes Newbury MP Lee Dillon

Chula Bishop
Sep 24
2 min read

On Thursday 17th July, the pupils and staff at Oaklands School were delighted to welcome Lee Dillon, MP for Newbury, when he visited the school.

Mr Dillon met with several members of the school’s Senior Leadership Team, including Executive Headteacher Georgios Chatzakis, Headteacher Phil Chivers, Assistant Headteacher Ian Simmons, and the school’s Founder, Sir Peter Birkett.

As supporting young people with special educational needs is a key focus for Mr Dillon, he was keen to learn more about our provision and find out how we are dealing with the challenge of increasing demand for SEN school places in the local area.

Mr Dillon was also interested in hearing directly from staff about our partnerships with local organisations, including our rugby training at Hungerford RFC and our River School sessions with Action for the River Kennet (ARK).

During his visit, Mr Dillon met several pupils, including Riley—who was recently presented with a River Hero Award for his enthusiastic participation in ARK’s River School—and Leigha and Isiah, whom he joined for one of the school’s regular Student Voice sessions.

Sir Peter Birkett, Founder of Oaklands School, said: "We were delighted to welcome Mr Dillon to Oaklands and to share with him the passion and purpose that drive our school community. His willingness to engage with both staff and pupils, and to listen to the

challenges facing special education, was greatly appreciated. It's vital that schools like ours feel supported as we continue to respond to the growing and complex needs of children across West Berkshire."

Mr Dillon’s visit was a valuable opportunity for both the school and our local MP, as he continues his efforts to improve SEN provision across West Berkshire.

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