It is set in a beautiful countryside location
Grace Garden School, on the outskirts of Bristol, has received a glowing report(Image: Google Maps)
A specialist school set in countryside on the edge of Bristol has been commended for offering its pupils a “life-changing” experience. Grace Garden School, just south of Blaise Castle and Henbury golf course, is an independent school for children age 7 to 16 with complex needs including learning difficulties, autistic spectrum conditions and disabilities.
In an Ofsted report published this month following inspection in June, inspectors were full of praise for the school on Canford Lane.
Grace Garden received an overall rating of ‘good’, but was declared ‘outstanding’ in the fields of behaviour and attitudes and personal development. The report summed up the impact a learning environment like Grace Garden could have on its students.
“For many pupils who attend Grace Garden School, it is a life-changing experience,” the report said. “Most pupils have had a negative experience of education.
“The caring, supportive staff and ‘hand, head, heart’ approach used by the school re-engage pupils back into education effectively. Over time, this transforms pupils’ attitudes to learning.”
Taking advantage of its setting in 18 acres of beautiful countryside, the school employs what it describes as a “contemporary outdoor learning approach, with the focus on experiential learning”. This unorthodox approach runs alongside the national curriculum.
The school is part of the Ruskin Mills Trust, which employs similar methods of learning at its schools and colleges across the country. Students at Grace Garden take part in activities such as woodworking and gardening. “Pupils benefit from the rich experience of the ‘land and craft-based learning’ the school provides through its method of Practical Skills Therapeutic Education (PSTE),” the report said.
“They are proud of the final pieces of work they produce such as a piece of pottery or a cake made from the produce of the land. This broadens pupils’ horizons and supports them to engage more deeply with the world around them.”
The school trust said it was “delighted” by the report and said it was a reflection of “the outstanding hard work and dedication of our staff and students”. According to the report, there were 30 pupils on roll at the time of inspection and annual fees are £77,783.
To gain admission to schools such as Grace Garden, a student must have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), outlining their specific needs. In Bristol, parents are currently waiting for over a year on average to have their children assessed for a plan.