Parent Forum
Friday 7th June
This is open to all parents and carers. Call the school office or email to confirm attendance.
September 2024
We are aware that parents and carers of our new pupils starting in September 2024 are keen for transitions to start as soon as possible. This will be a graduated process starting with visits from The Bridge School staff to the pupil’s current settings, which has now started.
Details of transitional visits will be sorted out after the Summer half term, please bare with us as we have a larger than normal cohort.
Please see below some links which may help…
Admissions packs will be sent out after the Summer half term containing all the essential information.
The votes have been counted!
Please welcome our new School Councillors
The Bridge School staff are walking to raise money!
Our school is an all through special school for students aged 4 – 16. All of our students have severe and / or complex learning disabilities and we strive to encourage them to reach their full potential.
So, our amazing staff are undertaking a 10 mile walk on the 15th June around the beautiful Suffolk countryside. We hope to raise funds to put towards a shiny new minibus, with wheelchair access. Our minibuses are vital for our amazing children to access the community as well as trips and activities.
Please help us support our students and donate to this amazing cause.
(Our amazing staff)
Snape Maltings 2024
Some of our pupils took part in the Britten Pears Celebration at Snape Maltings again this year. “It was a wonderful evening and it just shows what a difference we all make to these children’s lives and the community outside”, Tina Sharman. They all did an amazing job and had so much fun!
A Suffolk special school is celebrating after a four-year journey of improvement led to them achieving a ‘Good’ Ofsted rating.
The Bridge School in Ipswich achieved a good rating in all five main Ofsted headings – quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management and early years provision.
Pupils’ strong relationships with staff and each other and a carefully thought-out curriculum – which focuses on the needs of the pupils and has communication at its heart, were highlighted.
Tina Sharman, interim headteacher at The Bridge School, said she, and all staff, took “great pleasure and pride” in the report.
She added: “I believe that this report reflects the journey the school has been on over the past four years and the dedication and hard work each member of staff involved with the school has provided.
“It would be amiss not to mention Hazel Simmons (former headteacher) whose vision and leadership helped shape the school improvements both towards this Ofsted and in raising the profile of the school.
“I look forward to working with all our parents and our wonderful children to increase opportunities and experiences as part of their holistic education at The Bridge School.”
The school in Sprites Lane has pupils with a range of special educational needs and severe learning difficulties.
Inspectors noted that pupils “find a voice” at The Bridge in a relaxed and comfortable school environment.
The report said: “Staff understand that pupils’ SEND mean that they all have different needs.
“Approaches that work well for one pupil may not work for the person sitting next to them. “Staff are adept at adjusting what is taught, and how it is taught, to meet pupils’ individual needs.
“Leaders see communication as the heart of the curriculum. They recognise that helping pupils to communicate is one of the school’s most important roles. Staff focus strongly on finding the right approach for each pupil.”
The report said the school had been transformed and gone “from strength to strength” since it joined Unity Schools Partnership.
The report added: “The curriculum is well focused on helping pupils to prepare for adulthood. Throughout pupils’ time at the school, leaders keep this crucial end point in mind. Most pupils are unlikely to be able to lead fully independent lives as adults.
“The school focuses well on helping pupils to develop as much independence as possible.
“The school is now securely good, with ambitions to be even better.”