The Venn Academy Trust has worked with Hull City Council to build on their capacity for more special school places.
Bridgeview Special School, part of the school trust, has greatly expanded their number of places. They have also enhanced their provision and specialist curriculum offer.
In response to local needs, they have created a specialist pathway called the Treetops.
The Treetops curriculum is focused on communication, sensory-based learning and developing engagement through an immersive approach. This curriculum is specifically tailored to meet the unique needs of the pupils, who have a range of complex learning difficulties and disabilities.
After the new Treetops provision was implemented, the school was inspected by Ofsted in January this year. They drew praise from inspectors, who said: “The school offers a broad and flexible curriculum. This helps the staff to adapt and refine the subject content to the bespoke needs of the pupils. This is possible because the staff know the pupils and their learning barriers well.”
Since then, Bridgeview’s Treetops classrooms has successfully and gradually expanded.
The first cohort of pupils with communication and interaction needs started in September 2024 and the numbers will continue to increase in September 2025. The final pupils joining the setting, from October 2025 will make 40 places.
Councillor Linda Tock, the portfolio holder for Children’s Services at Hull City Council, said: “It’s our ambition for all children in Hull to receive the best start in life and a good quality education. This includes all pupils with special educational needs.
“This new expanded bespoke provision will help better meet the needs of our children and young people who require a special school. It will also help improve educational outcomes.”
Terry Johnson, Chair of the Board at the Venn Academy Trust, said: “At Bridgeview, we are deeply proud of the way our outstanding provision supports children with the most complex needs. The development of the Treetops pathway is a clear reflection of our commitment to designing education around the child, not the other way round. Working in close partnership with Hull City Council, we’ve been able to respond directly to the needs of families across Hull. This expansion not only increases access to specialist places, but ensures pupils receive the highly personalised, immersive support they deserve. As a trust, we are privileged to play a central role in building a more inclusive future for the city.”
