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Please note due to the merge of Heathside School and Belstead School the merged school of The Bridge School's website is under construction.

Welcome to The Bridge School website. The Bridge School was previously known as Heathside School, now known as the Primary Campus and Belstead School, know known as the Secondary Campus. The two schools became known as The Bridge School in September 2010. This website is currently being updated to reflect the merge but I hope that you still enjoy browsing through the website and that it gives you a flavour of what the school has to offer the children and their families. We are proud of the achievements that our children make and the feedback we receive from parents, carers, visitors, the Local Authority and Ofsted supports our view that both Heathside and Belstead Schools and therefore the merged Bridge School is a good school where children feel safe and can enjoy learning.

The Bridge School is a local authority all aged special school with a nursery for children with severe, profound and complex learning difficulties. The special educational needs of our pupils include a wide range of communication, physical, profound and multiple learning difficulties.

As a school we work closely with colleagues from many other disciplines. Whilst recognising our different roles and responsibilities, we strongly believe that a well co-ordinated multi-professional approach provides the best level of support to meet the special educational needs of our pupils. A team philosophy is a strength of the school. This supportive network includes all the adults working with the pupils on a daily basis. The common purpose for everyone is the same – to provide the highest quality of education for all pupils. Our Charter, “Children First”, expresses our commitment to educate pupils in a challenging yet caring and sensitive way, respecting their rights as children. “Children First” is our starting point in everything we do.

The Primary Campus

The Primary Campus is situated next to Ipswich Hospital but is a totally separate provision from the hospital. We are fortunate to have our own indoor swimming pool, a soft play area, a multi-sensory studio, a hall, two minibuses, and a recently improved playground area. We have bases for physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and a nurse’s room as well as the usual classrooms. We have 75 pupils on roll and classes are organised into two teams: Lower Team for Nursery and Key Stage 1 pupils, and Upper Team for Key Stage 2 pupils.

There are currently three classes in the Lower Team and four classes in the Upper Team. A teacher and Teaching Assistants support each class. The pupils are taught in a number of different ways including class groups, small groups and individually. Like all other primary schools we base our work with the children around the Foundation Stage Curriculum and National Curriculum. Staff are very creative in interpreting the guidelines and presenting a varied curriculum to the children in a manner that is appropriate to their needs. In addition to the academic side of the education we provide there is a big emphasis on developing social and self help skills. We use many resources within our local community and aim to contribute as fully as possible in community life.

We have good links with many of the local primary schools and often join them for activities throughout the year. Many of our children have a dual placement within their local pre-school setting or primary school. The dual placement can vary in length from half a day up to three days depending on the needs of the child.

The Secondary Campus

The Secondary Campus is situated on the other side of town in Sprites Lane. Here we also have an indoor swimming pool, a multi-sensory studio, a hall and two mini buses. The pastoral groups consist of three classes in Key Stage 3 and three classes in Key Stage 4.

Like other Secondary Schools the students are in pastoral groups and then move around the school to be taught across the curriculum in different classes. They are supported as they move around the school by Learning Mentors, Teaching Assistants and in some cases students have their own Specialist Learning Support Assistant to assist with their medical needs.

We also have good links with Suffolk One which is the new 6th form college located near to the Secondary Campus and where many of our students transfer to aged 16. There is an opportunity for the older students to access lessons at Suffolk One twice a week in the year prior to transferring full time to Suffolk One.

The Bridge School

At the Bridge School we feel there is a need we aim to develop specialist provision for particular groups of children. Like many other schools we have seen an increase in the number of children with autism attending the school. To better meet their needs we have introduced the TEACCH approach in one specialist class, the Picture Exchange communication system (PECS) across the school and have worked closely with parents and carers to ensure the success of these approaches. Similarly, we have introduced the M.O.V.E. (Movement Opportunities Via Education) programme for children with physical and mobility difficulties. M.O.V.E. aims to maximise the independent movement that children are capable of through the use of carefully worked out programmes supported by a variety of specialist equipment.

The majority of our pupils from the Primary Campus move to the Secondary Campus, at the age of eleven, though transfer to other schools may take place at any time dependent on the needs of the children. Children join the Nursery from three years of age.

We aim to work closely with parents and carers and involve them in all aspects of their child’s education. We have regular coffee mornings, open evenings, events and activities to which parents and carers are invited. Each child also has a home-school diary which enables contact to be maintained between home and school.

We are proud of the achievements we have made over the years and always welcome visitors to the school.

Odran Doran

Principal

Click here for the Prospectus
Click here for our Children's Charter
Click here for the School Profile