The Birches is a relatively large specialist support primary school based in South Manchester catering for a vibrant population of truly outstanding children. From the very first time I walked through the doors of the school, it struck me how strongly the children are at the very heart of everything that the school does. The children are valued by a dedicated multi-disciplinary team of staff who will always go the extra mile. Through this highly experienced team, and excellent school resources, we can provide a challenging and rewarding learning environment for all of our pupils. One in which we can nurture them, to ensure that they grow, learn and develop in a safe, secure, and caring environment.
We are a 143 place school that supports pupils with a diagnosis of ASC, SLD, and PMLD. The Birches is a fun, forward-thinking school that has communication at the heart of everything we do. Maintained by Manchester Local Authority, facilities include a hydrotherapy pool, a range of outdoor play areas, a sensory garden, two multisensory rooms, and two soft play areas. We offer a vibrant and exciting curriculum with independence, life skills, communication, and physical development as common threads of all that we do.
We have a large staff team with a vast amount of experience of working with children and young people with learning difficulties. As well as teaching staff the school offers an onsite School Nurse, Physio team, Speech and Language Team, Sleep counseling team, Outreach program, and Occupational Therapy, and sensory integration. All pupils have an individual Pupil Personal Plan to support their learning which is supported by the curriculum. We invest in PE and Music based activities as key curriculum drivers. We have been accredited by the National Autistic Society as the first maintained school in Manchester to gain Autism Accreditation.
We believe in forging a strong and positive partnership with parents, carers, and families. Organized events included weekly coffee mornings, Family Fun days, Christmas and Summer Fayres – We have an active supporting charity, Buddies of The Birches (BOBS) who organize various out of school events throughout the year, including a weekend away for families- We gained the Leading Parent Partnership award in 2011 and regained it in May 2015. We were recognized as Outstanding in all areas by Ofsted in 2016/17.
We provide pupils with the enrichment of educational visits and community links. We take our pupil’s views and opinions very seriously, especially during School Council Election week. We have a healthy program for volunteers and students and are regularly supported by pupils from Manchester Grammar and Withington Girls Schools.
As well as enrichment in the community the school is committed to developing its pupils creatively in areas such as PE and Music – the cheerleading team has represented the school nationally – Go the Birches Bears!! Pupils also take part in rebound therapy sessions, multisensory sessions, hydrotherapy, sensory and yoga sessions, wake-up shake-up sessions, sign to sing.
The Birches School is located close to the Withington Community Hospital in West Didsbury, Manchester. The area benefits from the excellent road & public transport links to the city center and the airport. A short walk from either Burton Road or Wilmslow Road/Palatine Road which are served by busy bus routes, with services at least every 5 minutes and a regular night bus. Other attractions within easy reach that the pupils can benefit from including Chorlton Water Park, Fletcher Moss Botanical Gardens, Fog Lane Park. The neighboring suburbs of Withington and Disbury also offer a superb mix of shops for developing life skills and independence.
Promoting British Values at The Birches Specialist Support School. The Department for Education states that there is a need “to create and enforce a clear and rigorous expectation on all schools to promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.”The government set out its definition of British values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy and these values were reiterated by the Prime Minister in 2014. At The Birches Specialist Support Primary School these values are reinforced regularly and in the following ways.
The Birches School Curriculum is currently under review and in an exciting phase of development. We have set ourselves the challenge of designing a more appropriate curriculum for our pupils one which is personalized and ensures that every child has the opportunity to achieve their full potential.
We are creating a curriculum that recognizes and develops the whole individual and focuses on developing the key skills of Communication, Cognition, Physical Development, and Personal & Social Development (including self-help & life skills). These are all key skills that equip children and young people for life beyond school. Our curriculum will reflect and be responsive to the different learning styles of the pupils and build on individual strengths and interests. We hope to create meaningful opportunities both inside the school and out in the wider community which will enable our learners to make sense of the world they live in and transition into the wider community successfully with purpose.
