As Headteacher for 6 years, I have great pleasure in welcoming you to Meadowbank School, a primary special school supporting children aged 4-11 years who have a range of complex learning needs & learning disabilities. Our school motto is 'Belong, Inspire & Flourish'. Most importantly we want our pupils to feel part of the school community, we want to inspire them to learn and develop at their own pace, and in turn see them flourish as individuals. 

For many years the school specifically supported pupils with Specific Language Impairments (SLI). Following a Local Authority consultation at the start of 2018 we have continued to support pupils with Developmental Language Disorders, but now also admit pupils with a range of other complex learning needs, including pupils with Autism/ social communication needs, Global Developmental Delay, Down Syndrome, physical/ medical needs & learning disabilities. Over the past 4 years the school has grown significantly in size. We now have 76 pupils on roll from September 2023, with continued expansion planned for the coming months. Follow the links to our 'new build' section of the website to see the exciting plans for a our new, additional accomodation which is being built at the back of the school grounds. It will accomodate a further 6 specialist classes of betweeen 8-9 pupils with a range of complex needs and will be open by November 2023. 

Our website aims to tell you a little about the school and the exciting learning experiences that take place here. Our ethos focuses on the child being at the centre of all learning, with creative, wellbeing and life skill experiences being at the heart of our curriculum. We believe that a child needs to feel safe and happy before they can learn effectively. We therefore invest our time in creating a calm and nurturing environment where the provision supports bespoke small group learning. Staff use a total communication approach to support our learners communication needs, this includes the use of Makaton, PECs visual strategies and interactive IT.  

Over the past few years we have worked particularly hard to adapt parts of our school building to meet the needs of our pupils. We have installed a new soft play facility to support gross motor development and a fantastic new interactive sensory room. We also have a children's kitchen to support the development of healthy eating and cooking. We now have a new upgraded kitchen facility to support pupils to access a wider range of foods at lunchtime. Further changes include the development of a bespoke regulation zone to aid pupils with sensory feedback requirements and the addition of more sensory spaces within classes.

Our grounds have also been adapted with a new outdoor playground at the front of the school and exciting adventure trail at the back. We feel it is important for our pupils to take measured risks in a safe and supportive environment as well as developing their gross motor skills. We also have a beautiful fruit orchard, and several raised beds & poly tunnel to grow produce within our edible playground.

If you are considering Meadowbank as a placement for your child then we are happy to give you a tour of the school at your convenience. We are very aware that choosing specialist provision can be a difficult and uncertain time for families, especially if you are dealing with a new diagnosis or if a mainstream placement has not been as successful as you had hoped. You may also be worrying about the implications of your child accessing different transport options such taxis / travel via minibus. We hope to calm any fears your have and that you will be excited by the ethos in the school and the diverse curriculum that we offer.

All placements are made by the Local Authority and a pupil needs to have a Statement of Special Educational Needs to access a place. Alternatively, if you have any questions/queries, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Claire Hardy

Headteacher