Ascent College background

Where did it all start?

Bessie Berman, our Founder and first principal, held a deep interest in special education, particularly autism. The lack of schools led her to present her ideas for setting up such a school specifically for children with autism at the General Meeting of the Society of Friends (Quakers) in February 1969. The Barrow and Geraldine Cadbury Trust provided a very considerable sum to start the school with further donations from the Society for Autistic Children, which became the National Autistic Society (NAS).

In September 1971, the doors of Wargrave House School opened and became the first residential weekly-boarding school specifically for children with Autism in the North West of England.

Throughout the next 20 years, the building continued.

In 1994, after several school extensions were required due to its success, the newly built Lakeside House opened at the rear of the current school, providing Post-16 further education. Finally, in September 2012, we opened our first Adult College for 16-25-year-olds, called Lakeside Early Adulthood Provision (LEAP).

The Preloved Shop & Café, part of our provision, opened at the Lyme & Wood Learning Hub based in Newton-le-Willows in the summer of 2022, enabling our students to gain skills in hospitality and retail. You can find more information about the project here.

However, please do not hesitate to contact us on 01925 224899 if you need further information.