A teacher of two decades has left mainstream education to set up a school that caters to children with special educational needs.

Kirsty Burridge set up Blue Sky Learning, which aims to help those with special educational needs and disabilities in Wiltshire that are in danger of falling off the radar.

It acts as an alternative provision service, providing a bespoke programme for individual needs.

And after first operating out of her house, she's now celebrating success by moving to a new, larger premesis in Calne.

“I always felt there was something more I could do, so with the help of my husband I set up Blue Sky at my house and was contacted by Wiltshire Council to see if I could do more, and that was September 2019”, she said.

She worked with the children from her house for three years but found the number was escalating so much, and was struggling to find somewhere else that was suitable.

Eventually she found a small industrial site in Calne, on Anchor Road which she now works in with sixteen of the pupils- but even this is not big enough.

Kirsty added: “We get about five requests a week for space, so sometimes we do have to turn people away.

“I feel like in the future I would like to do more to support parents as well.

“It’s grown out of the ashes over the years from nothing and the children are absolutely loving it.

“There are loads of children that are being missed, and schools don’t have time for these kind of children.

“They’re excluded and then excluded again so there’s pressure on the children as well as the parents.

“There’s a real need for more alternative provision hubs like this across Wiltshire.”

Lauren White also takes her daughter Ruby-May Bailey, who has ADHD, to the school and says she is like a “different child” since starting at Blue Sky.

The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald: Lauren and her daughter, Ruby.Lauren and her daughter, Ruby. (Image: Newsquest)

Ruby used to attend a mainstream primary school in Trowbridge but couldn’t cope with the demands required.

She then started going to Blue Sky more and more, and things started to change.

Her mum, Lauren said: “I used to not be able to get her through the doors, and she never wanted go but now she's finally happy.

“I think there needs to be more places like Blue Sky to be honest- I was getting phone calls from every normal primary school she was going to because she couldn’t cope with being in a classroom."

The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald: Pupil Ruby, from Blue Sky Learning has increased in confidence since attending the hub.Pupil Ruby, from Blue Sky Learning has increased in confidence since attending the hub. (Image: Newsquest)