March 22, 2023 12:51pm
The Bridge, our specialist centre for children and young people with complex cognition and learning needs, officially launched this week with parents, city leaders, and students praising the support it provides.
The Bridge, based at The Portsmouth Academy, welcomed guests through its doors for an official opening celebration on 21st March.
Guests in attendance included the Lord Mayor of Portsmouth, city councillors, staff from the Thinking Schools Academy Trust, parents, and governors.
Penny Sherborne, the Head of Inclusive Provision at The Portsmouth Academy, says it was brilliant to receive strong support from the community at their launch event.
She said: "Everyone here has played a part in supporting us at the start of our exciting journey, where we develop a personalised needs-led curriculum which prepares students for adulthood.
“Our mission is to transform the life chances of the young people we work with so that they can confidently move to post-16 destinations which are right for them. And as we continue to grow and develop, we look forward to building stronger links within the community to enhance our provision even more.”
The Bridge currently engages with Year 7 students and will increase its provision to Year 8 pupils from September 2023.
Its focus is to provide a safe haven and positive learning experiences for pupils who require additional support, while also presenting them with opportunities to integrate into mainstream education.
Assheton Woodall, Principal at The Portsmouth Academy, said it was exciting to see The Bridge provision growing and fully integrated into the school community.
He said: "It’s exciting that this facility will grow to more than 30 students who will be able to access their learning with key adults to support them.
"I once referred to The Bridge as a school within a school, and as time has gone by, I realised that was the wrong analogy to use. The Bridge is not a school within a school; it’s just another example of how we [The Portsmouth Academy], meet the increasingly diverse needs of the children within our city on a daily basis.
"We have more than 40 classrooms across the school, which include The Bridge, where students are supported in their learning across the academy. We are an inclusive school; this is what we do."
The students currently benefiting from the provision available at The Bridge have an Education and Health Care Plan or are currently undergoing assessment and are awarded placement by the Inclusion Support Panel (ISP), run by Portsmouth City Council’s Special Education Needs department.
The Lord Mayor of Portsmouth, Councillor Hugh Mason, praised the team at The Bridge at their launch event.
He said: "The one thing I think we all recognise is that learning is different for different people. Some people just swan through it and they learn quite naturally, and they learn quite happily, and then other people have different needs, and a needs-based education, which is what I can see here, is something that is suitable for a lot of young people, and it’s great to see here that this is education for part of a whole community."
Vincent, a student at The Bridge, said: "The Bridge is great because you learn new things all the time. My favourite lesson is math because I learn things that will help me when I’m older, like money."
For more information about The Bridge and the support it provides to young people who need extra support, go to theportsmouthacademy.org.uk
