Bridge Class

Overview

As part of the provision at Ashton, we have a bespoke Year 7 provision that aims to ease the transition of pupils from primary to secondary school. This provision is referred to as the Bridge Class and the unit exists within the learning support building called The Hive. Miss Parker, a Specialist Teacher, leads the Bridge Class.

The pupils receive around 85% of their education within The Hive however the pupils are taught by subject specialists for Physical Education (PE), Design Technology (DT) and Art in the mainstream classrooms and areas. The students assigned to the Bridge class attend Form Time within the mainstream building and are encouraged to fully enter into the life of the school through BOOST clubs and school trips.

The Bridge Class is a bespoke Year 7 provision and therefore the maximum time the pupils remain within the class is for the full academic year. However, the Bridge Class’s main aim is to ease transition from primary to secondary school and some pupils may begin to access their mainstream lessons before the end of Year 7. The process of pupils moving out of the Bridge Class provision will be approached slowly with discussions being held between the pupil, parents/carers and middle leaders before decisive action is taken.

Entry criteria

Mrs Parker (SENco), Mrs Barrow (Head of year) and Miss Parker work in collaboration to identify students that would benefit from the Bridge Class provision the most. The allocation process is based on information we have received from primaries, parent/carer meetings and any other agencies involved. Miss Parker will inform parents/carers if their child has been chosen to access the Bridge Class provision and begin the transition process prior to September.

Curriculum

The Bridge Class follow the KS3 National Curriculum for all subjects and is closely aligned with the curriculum followed in the mainstream setting. The pupils receive a full timetable containing: English, Mathematics, Science, Geography, History, RE, Computing, PE, Art, Music, French, Reading, Design Technology (DT), Physical Education (PE) and Personal Social Health Education (PSHE). Miss Parker regularly liaises with staff who are subject specialists from the main school to combine our expertise and ensure pupils achieve their full potential.

Pupils within the Bridge Class require additional scaffolding to access their learning which can be achieved in a variety of ways. For example, the pace of the lesson may be altered according to the needs of the learner through breaking the task down into manageable chunks. Alongside this, visual and colour coded resources are used to aid learning within the classroom.

Contact

If you wish to know more about the Bridge class, please contact:

Miss Shauna Parker

Specialist Teacher

sparker@ashtoncsc.com

01772 513002

Links for Families

The links below give information and support regarding home to school learning:

Parents