Education at Newbridge House

Newbridge House provides a full educational programme to meet the distinct, individual needs of each patient. Our educational programme is provided by the James Brindley School, a specialist in the provision of education for young people with medical or psychological needs. The James Brindley School works with approximately 600 children and young people in many different hospitals and settings.

Teachers are highly experienced in working with young people with distinct needs and maintaining close links with pupils’ home schools. James Brindley School was rated as outstanding in its most recent Ofsted report.

What happens to education after admission to Newbridge House?

Educational needs are an important part of the detailed overall needs assessment which takes place before a young person is admitted to Newbridge House. Our teacher will contact each young person’s school or college to find out what stage they have reached and what their needs are.

Every individual is different. Many young people admitted to Newbridge House are high educational achievers and we are able to support them to maintain their studies and take examinations. Other young people may be quite unwell on admission, so educational needs are considered by the multi-disciplinary team, along with medical and psychological needs. They may need to begin with a lower amount of studying and build up gradually.

Young people very often enjoy their school and college work because it provides a reassuring link back to ‘normality’ and is distinct from the focus upon eating disorders within the therapy programme.

How do young people study while they are at Newbridge House?

Educational sessions take place at Newbridge House on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. This provides the opportunity for a full educational programme to take place, including preparing and taking exams, while also allowing time for the therapeutic programme.

James Brindley School teachers are highly experienced in delivering a wide range of subjects up to GCSE and A Level. This may mean, for some subjects, arranging for extra tuition if the subject is outside of their expertise or identifying and using online resources.

Time is allocated for self-directed study, which is essential for young people preparing for GCSEs and above. Staff from James Brindley School also organise trips out to support the educational programme, for example a poetry event featuring eminent poets. Planning for any outside trip involves support, as appropriate, from the multi-disciplinary team to address any concerns. The overall aim however is to provide as many educational opportunities as possible within the overall care and treatment plan.

Can young people take exams while they are at Newbridge House?

Newbridge House is a registered exam centre. This is important because young people in our care who are due to take exams tend to feel anxious at the prospect of returning to their home school to take an exam.

The James Brindley School is very experienced in negotiating special access arrangements for young people with medical needs who are due to take examinations. These can include being allowed to take breaks when needed during an examination without being penalised. It can also include being given 25 per cent extra time to complete the paper and if, due to medical reasons, they feel the exam does not reflect their ability, they can negotiate for completed assignments to be given greater consideration than the exam mark.

Young people at Newbridge House have completed exams during treatment and several individuals have been awarded A grades and A stars. Our commitment is to providing the support which is appropriate for each individual, taking into account their educational needs, psychological and medical well being.

Links to home school or college

We communicate with each individual’s home school or college throughout their treatment. We share any communication with home school or college with the young person involved to promote their engagement and ensure they feel included. As part of planned transition from Newbridge House towards returning home, we will arrange for the young person to take part in lessons or lectures in their home school or college. Like home visits, the emphasis is upon starting slowly and building up gradually to longer sessions.