As Headteacher for the past 7 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. 

The original school building was opened in 1976, and for many years the school specifically supported pupils with specific language impairments (SLI). Following a Local Authority consultation at the start of 2018 the school widened its admission criteria to support pupils with a much broader range of complex learning needs. Whilst we still have a few pupils requiring support with developmental language disorders, we predominantly provide a multi-sensory curriculum for pupils with autism / social communication needs, as well as some physical/ medical needs and a wide range of learning disabilities. All placements are made by the Local Authority and pupils have to have an Individual Development Plan (IDP) to access a place.

Recently the school has grown significantly in size. We now have 98 pupils on roll as of September 2024. 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 soft play facility to support gross motor development and a fantastic interactive sensory room. We also have a children's kitchen to support the development of healthy eating and cooking. Further changes include the development of a bespoke regulation space to aid pupils with sensory feedback requirements and the addition of more sensory spaces within classes.

At the start of 2024 we opened a new bespoke building at the back of the school site. This space has a further 6 classrooms with identified changing facilities, large concert hall, offices and smaller multi-functional rooms. 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. Our grounds have also been adapted with an Early Years outdoor playground at the front of the school as well as a football pitch, bike track and spider swing together with an exciting adventure trail and Forest School facility at the back of the site. We also have a beautiful fruit orchard, and several raised beds & poly tunnel to grow produce within our edible playground

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 learner’s communication needs, this includes the use of Makaton, PECs visual strategies and interactive IT.  

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 you have and that you will be excited by the ethos in the school and the diverse curriculum that we offer.

Claire Hardy

Headteacher