New SEND provision welcomes first pupils
A new specialist SEND provision operated by The Bridge School has officially opened, after welcoming its first pupils at the start of the new academic year.
The new provision, delivered in partnership between Telford & Wrekin Council, The Bridge School and John Fletcher of Madeley Primary School, is helping to increase the number of specialist school places available for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in the Borough.
Located on the John Fletcher of Madeley site, the provision forms an extension of The Bridge School and provides specialist places for more than 60 pupils with SEND.
The development supports the Council's commitment to increasing local specialist provision so that more children can access the support they need within the Borough.
The opening follows improvement works at the site, including the creation of additional classrooms and facilities designed to meet the needs of pupils attending the new provision.
Councillor Shirley Reynolds, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Education, Employment and Skills, said:
"We are delighted to see this new specialist SEND provision open and welcome its first pupils.
"As a Council, we recognise the increasing demand for specialist school places where every pupil is seen, supported and empowered, where individual needs are met with understanding and where learners can thrive. We remain committed to ensuring children and young people can access the support they need within their local community.
"This partnership demonstrates how we can work creatively with schools to expand provision and deliver on our commitment to families across the Borough.
“As a Child Friendly Telford and Wrekin, we want every child and young person to have the opportunity to learn, belong and achieve their potential. We will continue to explore further opportunities to increase SEND capacity, ensuring more children and young people can access the right support, thrive and achieve closer to home."
Stacey Cross, Headteacher at John Fletcher of Madeley Primary School, said:
“We are delighted to have supported this important project, creating much-needed specialist provision for children with complex SEND. It has also brought fantastic improvements to our facilities, benefiting children across our whole school community.”
Nicola Davis, Co-Headteacher at The Bridge School, said:
“We are thankful for the commitment from Telford and Wrekin Council to extending The Bridge School. Our colleagues from the local authority and Pave Aways worked exceptionally hard to open our new provision and ensure all the specialist facilities were in place for our children.”
Emily Tracey, Co-Headteacher at The Bridge School, added:
“We are incredibly proud to see our new provision open and to welcome our pupils and families. This is an exciting development for The Bridge School, enabling us to provide high-quality specialist education for more children across the Borough.”
The new provision builds on the Council's wider investment in specialist education and SEND services, helping to create more local school places and supporting children and young people to achieve the best possible outcomes.