A special needs primary school has celebrated its official opening in east Bristol, a month after welcoming its first pupil. Elmtree Grove School, which supports children with a range of special educational needs, opened at 266 Overndale Road in Fishponds, at the site of the former Gracefield Preparatory School.
Elmtree Grove School caters for needs relating to social, emotional and mental health (SEMH), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and ADHD. There are 40 pupils who attend the school across the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Local Authorities.
The school was allowed to start operating in December after Ofsted approved the opening, and over the following three weeks, pupils were able to explore the school and begin to settle in. Having taken a staggered approach, the school was ready to welcome pupils on Monday, January 6, with the official opening taking place on Friday, January 10.
The CEO and founder of the Elmtree Learning Partnership, Sarah Morrison, said: “I’m feeling very proud. It’s been a short but challenging journey, and it’s brilliant to see the building in use, with so many children enjoying themselves and engaging in learning.”
The building was formerly used as the Gracefield Preparatory School, a private primary school with annual day fee costs of £7,281 per pupil. The 74-year-old school closed in July after falling pupil numbers, the cost-of-living crisis and the challenging economic outlook meant it was no longer financially viable for the school to operate.
After the school had closed, Elmtree Grove School took over the building and welcomed its first pupil within six months. Elmtree Grove School has a staff team consisting of qualified teachers, leaders and learning mentors to enable children aged between four and 12 to fulfil their potential.
Head of School Antony Moore explained the school’s purpose: “Elmtree Grove School exists to support children with a range of additional needs, primarily those related to SEMH, as well as ASD and ADHD. Our approach is holistic, focusing on understanding each child’s unique educational journey, which for many has been quite difficult.”
Sarah Morrison added: “There are 400 children in the region currently without a school place. We’ve shown that in just six months, it’s possible to create not only a functional school building but also a nurturing environment that provides children with the education they deserve. Schools like Elmtree Grove are essential to ensuring every child has the opportunity to achieve their dreams.”
The non-mainstream school has annual fees which range from £36,000 to £48,500, which are funded by the local councils who send pupils to the school. The school, which provides full-time education, was praised by Tracey Shepherd, the grandmother of Nico. Nico had previously attended another school within the Elmtree Learning Partnership, which was part-time, before starting at Elmtree Grove.
“Elmtree Grove School has given Nico confidence and a sense of security. He’s gone from attending just half an hour a day to being full-time and the hardest part of his day now is leaving. He’s accomplished more in the past three weeks here than in the last two years of mainstream schooling,” Tracey said.
Claire Young, MP for Thornbury and Yate, praised the initiative: “It’s great! There are some children for whom mainstream school simply doesn’t work, and schools like this can provide the specialised support they need.”