Giggs, a 45-year-old London-based musician, has partnered with the OMG Foundation to establish St James House, a secondary institution designed to serve pupils with special educational needs and disabilities in Gravesend, Kent. The project emerged from the artist’s personal experiences navigating what he describes as a failing educational system for neurodivergent children.
Giggs has four children, three of whom are autistic. His eldest son, rapper ML, received an autism diagnosis in his early teens. After learning of ML’s diagnosis, Giggs pursued his own assessment but found the process inadequate and initially dismissed the results. He later discovered, approximately a decade afterward, that he had been diagnosed as autistic. His youngest child, Israel, faced significant barriers in obtaining a diagnosis and educational support plan despite clear need.
The school initiative directly addresses gaps in the special educational needs system. St James House will include both a secondary school and an assessment centre staffed with educational psychologists, occupational therapists, and speech-and-language specialists. Executive head Frances Akinde, a specialist in neurodivergent education, will oversee operations. The assessment centre opened earlier this month, with the school itself scheduled to commence operations in January.
Giggs and co-founder Jamal Miah, CEO of the OMG Foundation, have known each other for approximately two decades. The organization previously operated a school in east London. When establishing the Kent location, Giggs emphasized the necessity of an integrated assessment centre, recognizing that many parents lack knowledge of how to obtain the crucial educational health and care plans required to access services.
Funding efforts have progressed substantially, with the foundation targeting £930,000 to begin operations. A recent charity auction featuring contributions from figures including artist Damien Hirst, magician Dynamo, Stephen Fry, Ed Sheeran, and Robbie Williams has bolstered fundraising momentum.
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