MEET the man who has taken on a top job at a unique York school.

Dan Furniss started earlier this month as the deputy head teacher for curriculum and achievement at the Danesgate Community in Fulford Cross. He has been working in the city for more than a quarter of a century and was latterly a deputy head at Archbishop Holgate's CE School in Badger Hill.

"I'm really excited to be here and I think it's a really special place.

"I'll be doing anything I can do to change the perception of what Danesgate is and show people that it makes a massive difference to York," said Dan.

"The work the staff do every day is exceptional."

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Dan Furniss started earlier this month as the deputy head teacher for curriculum and achievement at the Danesgate Community in Fulford CrossDan Furniss started earlier this month as the deputy head teacher for curriculum and achievement at the Danesgate Community in Fulford Cross (Image: Supplied)

The Danesgate Community, a large special school of around 190 pupils aged five to 16, many with complex social, emotional and education needs. They work with York's 63 state schools.

The Danesgate Community was formed in April 2010 and many of the pupils have additional learning or neurodevelopmental needs including Autism and ADHD. 

The school's aim is to nurture and support every pupil to achieve their full potential. This includes their academic achievement, their life skills, social skills, and emotional resilience.

The school supports young people from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 4 and it’s facilities include a walled garden, a woodland conservation area and a sports field and admission has to be through the council rather than the normal admissions route.

They also have provisions based in mainstream schools across York. These are their Kestrel and Eagle short stay provisions which are designed to provide individual support to encourage success in mainstream school. There is also an outreach team that work closely with primary and secondary schools across the city.

Head Chris Nichols: "We have a good relationship and collaboration with all York's secondary schools. Dan knows what he's letting himself in for. It's a hard and challenging workplace to be in, but Dan has walked into this with his eyes open.

"Grasping who we are and what we do is really essential and Dan's captured that in our new mission statement - strive, thrive and achieve."

Chris Nichols, Danegate Community head teacherChris Nichols, Danegate Community head teacher (Image: Supplied)

Dan said: "I have always thought of myself as privileged to have worked at Archbishop Holgate's for so long.

"What made me move is that Danesgate is really unique. The word community is really important, because it represents what Danegate really is.

"When I walked in I thought, 'what a really nice environment it is here'.

"We are really privileged in York to have this facility."