Letter for Parents and Carers - July 2025

Dear Parents and Carers,

As the school year comes to a close, we wanted to take the opportunity to thank you all for your continued partnership and support throughout the year. It is really appreciated and an essential part of ensuring the progress of all your young people. This academic year seems to have flown past. It has been wonderful to hear of the many successes and celebrations through Annual Reviews, Structured Conversations and the many events that have taken place. The continued development and shaping of the curriculum has been delivered by our immensely skilled staff team, to whom we are very grateful for all their hard work.

There have been many highlights to the year, including the opening of our Satellite site for our youngest learners in three classes at Pembroke Park. We welcomed 24 new students back in September along with a number of new staff. It’s been fantastic to see how well the classes settled in, which is because of the hard work of the staff in setting up the site and ensuring the right routines, structures and curriculum were in place. In September 2025, a fourth class will be opening to support the increased need for specialist places.

There were also changes for our oldest students in school with the implementation of a bespoke curriculum, designed to offer more choice in areas of interest and supported by the Duke of Edinburgh Award. We have seen a record number of expeditions successfully completed and another group achieving their Bronze Awards. The expeditions have been a particular highlight, with students surpassing themselves in how far they have walked and camping out in the school grounds overnight. Well done to all the students who have participated and thank you to the staff who have given up their own time to support our students in such a valuable venture.

We have continued to work with La Folia and The Cathedral School, collaborating on a joint performance which took place in Salisbury Cathedral; if you were able to attend, we’re sure you’ll agree it was a very special event.

We have worked with Clever Chefs our school dinner provider so that our meals are now cooked on site and are more bespoke to our students’ needs. There has been a real improvement in the quality of our school dinners which have been enjoyed by many students. The plan is to provide more bespoke meals next year by offering blended meals to our students who are enterally fed. Further information will be provided next term.

We would like to apologise for the limited communication there has been about the new site in Tidworth/Ludgershall. As our communication said a week or so ago there was an embargo because of the local elections which prevented us from letting you know what was happening. This embargo went on longer than expected and we were not told that communications had gone out in the press when they did go out. With the embargo being lifted so near the end of term it was not possible to organise a parent event to update you on the new site. We will hold this early in the new term. Briefly, the plans for the building

have been finalised and the conversion has now started. Brunel and the LA are working together to ensure that the new satellite site meets the needs of our learners. The plan will be to open with 70 students in specific year groups, which is set to increase the following year up to 120 students. Again, we want to reassure you that since your children were at the school when we initially consulted with you about it, they will not have to transfer to the new site. However, we will be consulting with you in September about whether you would like your child to transfer in September 2026 since we are very aware for some of you the site is much nearer to where you live and is your preference.

To support us with the work in relation to this growth, we have increased our Senior Leadership Team and have appointed a new Deputy Head, Anna Dowsett and a new Assistant Head & SENCO, Tom Humphreys to start in September. We will introduce them to you more fully at the beginning of the new term.

As we move into the summer holidays, we hope that you are able to enjoy time together with your children. We fully recognise that the break from school can be challenging and encourage you to look at the information sent out by George, our family support worker, about activities you can access in the holidays.

For our families who are moving, on we wish you nothing but success in the next chapter of your journeys. We will miss you!

The five training days at the beginning of term will help to ensure that we have completed all the mandatory medical, behaviour, safeguarding and health and safety training, along with teaching and learning, including the setting up of new classrooms.

Thank you again for all your support this year, we look forward to welcoming back those who are continuing at the school on Monday 8th September.

With regards,
Tina and Yas