Gesher children are unique, individual and learn in their own special way. They may benefit from being educated differently in regards to communication and social interaction; tailoring and adapting the environment to their own learning style. Gesher children are likely to have mild-moderate social difficulties or learning needs, and/or autism. Many children have sensory processing difficulties and need support with their attention skills. Gesher School is not a school for children whose primary need is emotional and behavioural difficulties, or severe/complex learning difficulties. Children that attend Gesher School will come from a family that understands and respects the values and ethos of the school and the Jewish way of life, although children from all religions and cultural backgrounds are welcome to apply.
Currently, Gesher offers primary and secondary provision from Reception through to Year 8, with further classes being added annually until the school reaches full capacity. Pupils can be admitted throughout the academic year, but the majority of places are assigned at the beginning of each term. Pupils will normally have a Statement of Special Educational Needs, an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP), or be undergoing a formal assessment – however, this is not a compulsory requirement for attendance at Gesher. Parents of children with EHCPs can apply to their Local Authority to have Gesher’s school fees paid/partially paid. Fees are set at £35,400 per annum for primary placements, and £41,400 for secondary placements; parents can also self-fund. Gesher is not able to provide transport, and this is something that would need to be discussed with the Local Authority or arranged independently.
The initial stage of the admissions process is the submission of a Gesher Application Form – we ask that these are completed as honestly and in as much detail as possible. Further reports provided by professionals working with your child are also beneficial in supporting your application. These could include reports by Occupational Therapists, Speech and Language Therapists, Psychotherapists, and Educational Psychologists, as well as any relevant school documentation that will provide us with further insight into your child’s level of need and learning style. Where possible, we also ask for an up-to-date EHCP to be submitted as part of the application, although we understand that this will not be the case for every child.
Upon reviewing the documentation, the professionals working on our multi-disciplinary admissions team will make a decision as to whether they feel Gesher could potentially be a suitable educational setting for that child. If so, the child will be invited to an in-school observation that will take place within school hours. During this time, the child alone will accompany two members of the Admissions Team into various areas of the school and will be encouraged to participate in a number of tasks presented in the form of games and activities. Parents are invited to wait in our reception area. In specific circumstances, we may request a further observation period which would involve the child attending the school for up to 1-3 days.
Following the observation assessment, the admissions team will make a decision as to whether they feel Gesher can appropriately meet the needs of the child. A child centred approach will enable the admissions team to ensure Gesher School is the right provision for your child, and the views of parents, professionals and the child will be taken into account. For more information or if you would like to arrange to join a tour of the school, please contact a member of the admissions team via [email protected] [email protected]
