State-funded special needs education school opens

Pupils being taught IT (Information Technology) at Castlebridge School, Tavistock

A new state-funded school catering for children with Autism and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) has recently opened in Devon to try to improve access in the county to special needs education.

Castlebridge in Tavistock currently has 12 pupils, but that will rise to 30.

It is the first part of a much bigger school which is due open its main site at Ivybridge in 2027, catering for another 125 pupils.

Devon County Council said it believed this model of providing a state-funded school run by the Special Partnership Trust was a more effective use of its resources.

The head teacher of the new school said she believed it would provide a better environment for some pupils with autism than mainstream schools.

Bridget Williams said: "When we consider young people with autism, their sensory needs and that sensory overwhelm that can come in: too much noise; it's too bright; it's too big a space; even some of that echoing can be really unnerving and unsettling for our young people.

"It's about who's around them. They need to have time to think and process, and sometimes in a mainstream school, when there is a lot going on, that's not always picked up on and always recognised.

"So here we can really see our children, see what they need and put in that support for them."

Head teacher Bridget Williams said the new facility was providing a better environment for pupils with autism than mainstream schools

The class sizes are much smaller, with about eight pupils per class, and the curriculum is tailored to the individual.

It also aimed to take the pressure off mainstream schools, who might find the children's needs disruptive, leaders said.

"We've got to keep money in our schools that will stay in Devon," said Denise Bickey, the Devon County Council cabinet member for Children's Services SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities).

"At the moment, a lot of that is going to independent special schools where they fill a gap. But we can't rely on them forever.

"We need a sufficient strategy where we are running our own schools with our partnerships and making them work for Devon's children so that the money stays where it should be," she added.

Denise Bickley said schools had to be made to work for Devon's children

Castlebridge opened in September and is part of what will be a much bigger school with its main site Ivybridge, being built by the Department for Education.

It is run by the Special Partnership Trust, which runs a number of special schools in Devon and Cornwall.

The admissions will be run by Devon County Council based on the child's EHCP [education, health and care plan] and need.

The council said it was also working with the trust to improve SEND capacity and inclusivity in mainstream schools.