School Update 15th October
Dear Parent
We hope you are well and coping with these ongoing strange times.
As the weeks pass with pace and continued progress is made with Abbot’s Way, we grow increasingly conscious of the pressures being placed on parents by local authorities to name a full time placement that is currently recognised by the Department of Education.
Our current focus is preparation for Ofsted and hopefully subsequent registration.
Please rest assured that as a team we are working as hard as we can on curriculum planning, premises set up and documentation whilst we await our change of use planning application to be approved.
Planning
Feedback from Mendip District Council remains positive, with the only concern being around traffic and impact as vehicles wait to turn into school. We hope for an imminent green light to be able to open whilst our entrance is then widened to enable two way traffic flow on and off the road.
Registration
Communication with the Department of Education is positive and ongoing, with all preliminary checks completed ahead of our pending Ofsted pre inspection. Our premises are set up and ready to go, with finishing touches and the usual expected compliance and systems / processes being put into place daily.
Signage is waiting for installation upon registration, the remaining fencing is in process, interior glazing is complete, our fire system has been audited, safer recruitment checks for our current staff team are complete, and governance is in place.
Learning Centre
Our part time learning centre continues to flourish. Students are making excellent progress both pastorally and academically in terms of curriculum knowledge and our AWS key skill sets. It’s incredible to watch young people’s self belief and self esteem grow as they find themselves in an environment in which they are able to learn and feel safe.
Our team are covering a broad and balanced curriculum in an engaging and multi sensory way, building relationships and instilling confidence.
We are planning parent feedback on an individual basis by the end of the half term, to detail specific progress made and the added value provided by our alternative “learning centre” provision. Hopefully this can also be used in communication with LAs.
ISA (Independent Schools Association)
Remain supportive and are ready to welcome us into their membership once registration is achieved, the standard course of action for schools setting up. We look forward to being part of this professional body in due course. In the meantime, colleagues within the ISA continue to offer valuable expertise and guidance.
We have enjoyed supporting the recent #GoRedforDyslexia and #HelloYellow campaigns which drive international and national awareness of two crucially important initiatives. Students have loved getting involved! There will be lots more collaborative work to come….
Visits have taken place from neighbouring residents and members of the local community. It is always great to welcome people to our site and talk through our vision and mission. We had an exciting networking catch up with In The MIx who came to see us and put some dates in the diary for interactive workshops - watch this space!
We have an Open Day in the diary for this Saturday 17 October. Slots are nearly all fully booked as interest in our unique provision grows and spreads.
As ever you can follow our progress on social media and please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any questions or wish to come and have a look around Abbot’s Way.
Best wishes
Hellen and Gareth