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The Bridge

‘Life Changing’ Gesher School maintains its Outstanding rating

12th October 2022Website Admin

Gesher School in Pinner is delighted to share it has maintained its Outstanding Ofsted rating after an inspection in late September.

Gesher is an all-through school for young people with mild to moderate learning needs. The school was last inspected in 2018 when it only had 13 pupils aged 4 to 7 based on a smaller site in Kilburn. This inspection was conducted at the school’s new site in Pinner with more than 50 pupils aged 4 to 14.

This is the school’s second Outstanding rating since opening. Ofsted recently changed its inspection framework making it much more challenging for schools to achieve this status.

Based on the latest inspection, Ofsted said:

Pupils receive an exceptional quality of provision. Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum which is taught by the school’s expert staff.

Together, the curriculum and therapies encourage pupils’ independent living skills and emotional well-being very successfully.

Therapists, teachers and teaching assistants work together seamlessly as one team. They truly understand how to meet pupils’ varied special educational needs. While staff are nurturing, they also have high expectations of all pupils. As a result, pupils work hard and learn well.

Ofsted also drew attention to positive comments made by parents through the online survey they were asked to complete: “Parents often commented that their children are thriving at Gesher. They described the school’s work as ‘in a different league’ and ‘life changing’”.

Download: Gesher Ofsted Report 2022

Leadership at Gesher was also described by Ofsted as “exceptionally strong” with “senior leaders are supported and challenged in equal measure by the school’s governing body”.

Gesher’s Co-Heads, Tamaryn Yartu and Nikeisha Webb-Hardy said ‘We are extremely thrilled and proud of the hard work and commitment that our staff has shown resulting in such a phenomenal achievement. Our students have made us very proud, and we are delighted to share in this outstanding achievement with our parents and wider community. We remain resolute in ensuring that we remain a flagship school- leading the path to success for all our students.

“What began as a small project and primary school has grown into a thriving all-through school. Under Tamaryn and Nikeisha’s stewardship the school’s innovative approach to education has taken root with students happy and flourishing. This recognition by Ofsted is important in cementing Gesher as an exceptional school in the community and we are truly thrilled and excited for what the future holds for our students” say Ali Durban and Sarah Sultman, Co-Founders Gesher School.

Under the Sea Project

28th September 2022Website Admin

This half term Zayit and Seorah classes have been focussing on the topic of ʻUnder the Seaʼ and the big question: ʻHow can I create my own story?ʼ

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In our launch week we visited an aquarium, read, listened to and talked about a variety of Under the Sea-themed books and explored the ocean through virtual reality. The classes then made their own story by creating characters, writing and recording the narrative using technology and this was then edited for a book launch to the school. During the project the children used Seesaw as a way to give their peers feedback on their stories. In art, we designed and created characters for our stories. In music, we made percussion instruments and recorded the audio to play as background wave music for the entrance to our exhibition. The book launch was very successful and the pupils then shared their story maps and books with other pupils in different classes.

Teacher’s Reflection

“Overall this was a successful project! All pupils were given student voice throughout, from creating their story to their own characters, and coming up with an ending independently. One of the highlights of this project was the children’s use of technology throughout the project. They all seemed to really enjoy it and it allowed children of all abilities to participate. Next time I would ensure clearer audio or that subtitles were added to ensure all children’s parts were able to be heard. I am most proud of how well the children all worked together to create their stories using story cubes, as this was a really collaborative project and the end project shows this.

The best part about the project was seeing the children’s faces when they saw they got to use iPads in the lessons and how much they loved using the Chatterpix app. Another thing that was the best was watching them watch their own videos back and recognising which of their friends were talking. They kept asking to rewatch it over and over again.

I found it challenging to record all the audio in only a week. I felt that if I were to do it again, I would allow longer for the recording of the narrative to allow pupils more time to practice and rehearse their lines.”

— Leigh Kennedy

Student Reflection

“I thought the project was fun. The highlight was using the iPads and I learnt all about sea animals!”

– Zephania

“This project taught me about teamwork and how to create a story.”

– Eli

“The highlight was the aquarium trip and the fish shop as it taught me all about sea animals, fish, octopus and whales!”

– Dylan

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Animals in the Wild Project

28th September 2022Website Admin

Gefen was very excited to do our project on Animals in the Wild. We answered the big question of ʻWhat do we know about wild animals in our community?ʼ

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To do this we looked at what makes an animal a wild animal! We also found out many facts about wild animals that live around us. Gefen used their literacy skills to write non-fiction texts about their animals and then put this information into a short animated video. We were able to take a trip to the zoo to look at wild animals and have animals come to our school! At the end of the project, we held a Go Wild Party which the parents and other classmates we invited. During the party the children played the wild animal games they created as well as showcased their animations, pictures and models they made.

Teacher’s Reflection

“I think the project went well as it was a topic the children were interested in. It was good for them to find out facts about animals that they could see in their area. They were engaged in the trips we went on, particularly the zoo trip and they enjoyed looking at the different animals. The visit from Wild Fangs was also a great experience as the children were able to hold and touch the animals and find out different information about them. Many of the children were initially reluctant to hold the animals but their confidence increased after they spent time with the animals. They enjoyed presenting their findings in a different way, such as through animated videos and by creating their own games which they presented during the Wild Party to their parents and other children.

I would like to continue to use more ICT in future projects. It would have been nice to have seen some wild animals in our area but unfortunately, on our walk, we did not see any!”

— Stephanie Sungtong

Student Reflection

“My favourite part was the trip to London Zoo. I learnt about what animals eat and where they live.”

– Leon

“I liked the project because we got to use Chatterkids (animation app).”

– Ari

“I liked the project as I liked learning about the animals and I liked the ants at London Zoo.”

– Yoni

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Electricity Project

28th September 2022Website Admin

This term we explored electricity and why electricity is important to everyday life. We looked at the science behind electricity and learned how to make our own circuits, how to be safe using electricity and how to encourage others to do the same.

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We wrote ʻA Day in the Lifeʼ explaining all of the technology we used and why it makes our lives easier. We had photographer, Jeremy Coleman, host an Expressive Arts workshop on how to take photos with different light sources. We also built our very own electronic toys and created Dragonʼs Den pitches to try and sell our toys to the Senior Leadership Team. Their Speech and Language sessions focussed around developing their presentation skills, whilst OT helped develop strength in their hands, to be able to use crocodile clips to make circuits!

Teacher’s Reflection

“The pupils were really engaged doing a science-based project as it was different from previous ones. They were able to do fun experiments and learn about a variety of different scientific theories. It was a great one to link in with literacy and OT skills, especially when making the toys.

Another highlight was the way we created companies and the pupils worked really well as a team most of the time. They took the roles seriously and were all invested in creating quality work. Originally, we wanted the pupils to make their own toys, but in hindsight, this worked a lot better. We created posters and manuals to go along with the toys, but next time I would get them to do that independently to allow a variety of different ways of working.

I really enjoyed their pitches for their Dragonʼs Den episodes. All pupils got a role to play and worked together as a ‘company’ using simple business skills. It was great to see how much they enjoyed it.”

— Leah Coombes

Student Reflection

“I thought it was fun — although I wished to have learned more about how to set up appliances.”

– Francesca

“I learnt how lightning is made and that was fun! The highlight of the project was the exhibition.”

– Daisy

“The highlight of the project was the Dragonʼs Den pitch which taught me how to present.”

– Ben

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Life in the Rainforest Project

28th September 2022Website Admin

During this half of the term, Tamar class have been answering the big question ʻwhat would it be like to live in the rainforest?ʼ

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For this, they researched the life of tribes that live in the rainforest and used this information to create their own ʻstop-motionʼ films, which were set in the rainforest. This involved them creating a storyboard and mini-set, as well as filming and editing their films using an app called StickBot.

Teacher’s Reflection

“I enjoyed this project as it allowed the students to learn a new skill and demonstrate their creativity through a different creative media. The students loved making and editing their films and it was wonderful to see how proud they were of their work when their families came to the exhibition. This was the first project where parents came to see the exhibition and the students loved this. If I did the project again I would ensure that more time was spent at the start of the project exploring how life is different in the rainforest.

What was the best thing about the project?

— Students having ownership over how they produced their work (e.g., poster, presentations, videos).

— Students having the opportunity to learn the skill of filmmaking.

— Hosting the awards ceremony as the exhibition of the project.

What did I find challenging?

— Supporting students in making their own films without taking the ownership and agency away from them.

— Films were not focused enough on the big question.

— Found it challenging to refer to the big question throughout lessons and for students to understand how life would be different. This was most likely due to the fact that we were unable to do the trip due to the lack of time.”

— Sam Dexter

Student Reflection

“I think it went great. It was hard to come up with the idea but even harder to create! I learned that people cut down rainforests to get wood to build houses, tables, paper, chairs, but it endangers animals.”

– Noah

“Best project ever because we made our own films and got to show them off to parents at the Gradu-Oscars.”

– Yitzi

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Paving the Way: How to Survive Year 7 Project

28th September 2022Website Admin

This term, Keren embarked on a reflective journey about their time in year 7.

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This allowed them to explore their favourite memories, trips and lessons, as well as any tips and advice they have learnt. They created an ebook that includes these highlights and interviewed key staff members about working in secondary. This allowed them to focus on their interview skills as well as their ICT skills.

Teacher’s Reflection

“I really enjoyed watching the students think honestly about the advice that they would pass on as it showed what they have learned this year. It was also lovely to hear their personal highlights and know that the trips and projects were fun and exciting.

The most challenging thing was constructing the e-book into a format that looks professional. We wanted the information to be organised into sections as opposed to just being on the page. Trying to teach the students to place pictures in an orderly manner was a challenge.

Next time, I would perhaps prepare an e-book format prior and have the students place the information in. This is so that it achieves the intended look. The launch was a fun success as the students had a survival challenge where they had to survive on a desert island.”

— Bethany Rentall

Student Reflection

“I enjoyed thinking about my year. I liked creating my e-book and doing my vlog. I learnt how to do more things on the computer like how to create a movie!”

– Liam

“I enjoyed finding images to add to my survival guide. I learnt how to plan a day of lessons and interview people professionally.”

– Rafael

“The project taught me that confidence is vital!”

– Shamai

“I learnt how to give good advice.”

– Reuben

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Siddur Lakol – an inclusive prayer book

13th July 2022Ali Durban

By Sarah Sultman, Co-Founder Gesher School.

Chagigat Siddur is very much a right of passage in our Jewish community schools, a junior coming of age experience where children receive their first siddur or prayer book.

I can remember my own in 1984, aged eight, decorating my blue Singer’s siddur with watermelon stickers and pieces of felt. I can remember my daughters’ and the colourful shiny wrapping paper we selected together to cover their new siddur.

This ceremony has always been a part of the school year to mark the point in a child’s life when having learnt tefilot – how to pray – in the classroom, they are given their own siddur. It is a statement from the older generation of teachers and parents to the pupils that says: ‘Your prayers are yours and relevant to you, G-d is there for you for you to have a relationship with, and so now you have reached an age when it is yours to own’.

I still, to this day, have my Singer’s siddur with the watermelon.

A siddur for everyone

For many of our children at Gesher, accessing the text of the siddur is not possible. In school, we use a ‘picture exchange communication system’ with ‘widgets’ – or pictorial symbols – instead of text to help pupils understand what’s being asked of them and for them to express what they’d like to do or say.

And so last month, Gesher staff and pupils were delighted to welcome the Chief Rabbi for a very special Chagigat Siddur where we shared a new Siddur Lakol, meaning ‘Siddur for Everyone’.

The first prayer book of its kind for any faith, the Siddur Lakol is thoughtful, inclusive and designed with careful colours, easy-to-read font sizes and Hebrew transliterated into English so that anyone can follow spoken Hebrew prayer.

Importantly, and uniquely, the whole siddur has been fully translated into widgets so children can fully understand their dialogue with G-d through prayer.

Making prayers accessible to all

The Siddur Lakol comes from an unprecedented collaboration of community organisations including Gesher that want to make tefillah – prayers – accessible to all.

What is beautiful about Siddur Lakol is that it is not just aimed at those with learning difficulties but all mainstream children can use it. In conversations with the United Synagogue who commissioned this new version for their shuls – synagogues – and schools, we talked about how wonderful it would be if all young children started with this siddur. That way, as the majority grow up and no longer need it, they will have received their first education in an inclusive way that supports them to be more thoughtful children and adults.

For those with learning needs, it is the first time they will have a dedicated prayer book that they can access and engage with. And, as a friend said to me, “What about all the people who come to shul sporadically, cannot read Hebrew and have no clue what is being said?” – perhaps they too could dip into Siddur Lakol and find that a service begins to hold more meaning for them too.

Prayer provides routine and structure. It is personal, it can be meditative and reflective, it can be joyful and uplifting and it can be comforting. It would be wonderful if Siddur Lakol might inspire other faith-based communities to think about their own prayer books and resources to be more inclusive to all.

My hope is that the pupils at Gesher treasure their siddur the same way I did mine and that all of their prayers be listened to and answered.

The SEND system needs urgent investment, now more than ever

By Ali Durban13th July 2022

By Ali Durban, Co-Founder Gesher School.

The system is failing on every measure. We desperately need an education reset now more than ever.

These were the findings of the Times Education Commission from 15 June, which brought together business leaders and educators to discuss the reforms needed to create a system fit for the 21st century. The report’s conclusions reached across the education sector and, for me, resonated with my experience of the current SEND system.

One of my children is differently-able and as a family, me, my husband and all my children have experienced huge amounts of pain navigating the SEND system, which isn’t designed to support you, even though it pretends it is. It was a very difficult and all-consuming time. You are constantly fighting, and the emotion of navigating the education system is horrific. I call them my dark years.

Our journey is multiplied across thousands of schools and families.

Poorly resourced and inefficient there is a huge scarcity of high-quality provision in the UK. This means that children with SEND typically exist in – and fall through – the cracks of an education system which should be nurturing, fostering and developing them. Instead it is doing deep and sometimes irreparable damage to them.

These experiences were the catalyst for the creation of Gesher – my contribution to fixing a system which is complicated and complex and, simply put, is in crisis.

Over the last couple of years I have received countless calls from desperate parents of children with SEND, who have somehow managed to get my phone number. Each call is a different story full of immense pain. A child aged six on antidepressants and self-harming, a mother counting the days since the last day her child tried to take their life – 111 days today. A child who can’t leave their bedroom because of crippling anxiety and OCD. Another child being home-schooled because of a deep rooted school trauma. The calls never stop coming.

‘Deeply concerning’ proposals

When the Government finally released a long-awaited Green Paper on SEND with the promise of ‘access to an equal and excellent education, for each and every child and young person with SEND’, there was a sense of hope for system transformation and the possibility of something better for thousands of invisible children and young people.
However the wording in the Green Paper is ambiguous and highly misleading. Language such as national standards, mediation and accountability conjure up images of a robust system with a framework designed to place the child and their needs at the centre of the system.

There are a number of deeply concerning proposals in the paper which, if legislated, would overhaul the 2014 Children and Families Act. It will affect the rights and entitlements of children and young people to access special educational provision and make it even more difficult for parents and carers to have their children’s needs identified and access to specialist provision being specified and quantified. This is to reduce cost and spend rather than meeting the needs and removing barriers to learning for some of the most vulnerable children in our society. The outcomes in life of children with SEND are significantly poorer than those of their peers. And when picked up later in life the loss of earnings and cost of care to the system is £32billion annually. More than cancer, strokes and heart disease combined. And this is just for Autism alone.

The SEND system needs urgent investment now more than ever.

The £70million promise from the government that sits alongside the green paper is highly misleading. It is to implement the proposed system changes and not for frontline services. To put it into perspective it is one-eighth of the funding provided to implement the 2014 SEND reforms. Enquiry after enquiry has found that these reforms failed because they were poorly implemented due to a lack of funding.

Shaping the SEND provision we want and need

We have long-awaited the chance to shape the SEND provision we want and need, and rather than rewriting legislation, we need to focus on the unmet needs of thousands of children and young people:

Some of my key recommendations would be:

No additional mediation process as part of the EHCP process.
An independent panel that holds Local Authorities to account.
A formal review of EHCP time-scales.
No national list of schools, but instead a continued and expanded local offer that is not based on cost or an agreement to Section 41. But quality and successful outcomes for Children and Young People.
An amendment of legislation to the Children and Families Act so that SEND support is mandatory.
An accountability framework that sits alongside, and supports, the 2014 Children and Families Act.
A national standard for statutory assessments.
Greater allocation of funding for frontline services.

We should not be mediating on the rights of children and young people.

According to Children and Families Minister MP Will Quince there have only been several hundred responses to the Green Paper to date.

The consultation is open until 22 July.

If you need to check your thinking to respond Special Needs Jungle have prepared some resources and answers.

Please be bold and amplify your voice on behalf of the unmet needs of those who often remain invisible and marginalised by the system.

Gaming and Wellbeing Project

10th July 2022Website Admin

This term, the enthusiasm for learning through projects continued. Students Focused on lines and angles and explored how these are used in everyday life. Our big question was: How can we use lines and angles to support recreation and wellbeing?

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In this term’s project, students used lines and angles to create their own game. The latest research by Oxford University conducted in 2020 shows that playing games can help to improve our mental health and wellbeing. Students, therefore, had an ‘Inter-school Wellbeing” Game-a-Thon. We invited another school within our community to join us for a wellbeing morning where students played the games that they had created. This provided a fantastic opportunity for Keren to socialise with peers outside of their immediate school community and continue to develop their skills of self-advocacy and confidence in oracy. Our therapy team was also integral to this term’s project as students worked on their social skills and learnt how to use various equipment such as rulers, compasses and protractors correctly.

Teacher’s Reflection

“The best thing about this project was seeing the progress and development of students’ fine motor skills as they learnt how to use a protractor and ruler. The students grew immensely in confidence and became more willing to take risks in their projects.

The most challenging aspect of this project was perhaps the most rewarding as students initially struggled with using the correct equipment. Some students felt frustrated throughout the process but were resilient enough to keep going. I spent lots of time teaching students how to hold a ruler and compass correctly. The result, despite the challenge, was amazing to see!” – Nikeisha Webb-Hardy

Student Reflection

“This project taught me to expand my imagination.”

– Stephen

“I enjoyed playing games and getting to meet new people. The highlight was when the students from the other school came in.”

– Rafael

“The highlight of the project was designing the game, even though it was hard.”

– Poppy

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SEND Green Paper Round Table

9th July 2022Ali Durban

The SEND Green Paper was commissioned in November 2019 and stemmed from the SEND review, which examined why the legislation in the Children and Families Act in the 2014 hasn’t worked as it was intended it to.

There was not enough funding in the system to deliver what was set out and as a result too many children and young people are not receiving the support they should.

Problems with the SEND Green paper

Rather than prioritising the unmet needs of thousands of children and young people, the Green Paper is trying to reduce cost and the number of tribunals by making it even harder to for families and carers to access support.

The priorities in the Green Paper are completely wrong and there seems to be a real disconnect between the proposal in the paper versus the realities of a hugely challenging and complex system that families and carers face trying to access support and provision for their child.

Why we recorded a round table

We need as many people as possible to be aware of the proposed changes and respond. We held a round table to discuss the issues, and we hope you will find it useful when formulating your own responses.

We’ve divided the recording up by topic: introduction to the green paper, national standards, the ‘list of schools’, mandatory mediation, accountability and how to respond.

Taking part were