Bright Futures School

Welcome To Our School

Bright Futures School is a small, nurturing, special independent school for children with autism with a low stimulus environment and a high level of 1-1 teaching by Learning Mentors that is overseen by qualified teaching staff. We follow the national curriculum and personalise the timetable for each of our pupils, matching their interests to staff skills and expertise and offering positive engagement at every opportunity.

We offer a unique approach to autism education for children aged between 5 and 16 who have a diagnosis of autism: our staff are trained to change their communication and interaction style so that it removes demands from the pupils and reduces their anxieties. This improves pupils’ ability to access the curriculum, as well as making them happier and more comfortable.

We have recently piloted a new social communication initiative whereby school staff work with one of our pupils in the home during part of the school week. This enables staff to model for parents how to change their communication and interaction style in order to reduce the severity of their child’s autism. This social communication work is then also reinforced in school and mirrors the development of typical children.

The approach is strongly influenced by the thinking and research behind the autism intervention Relationship Development Intervention (RDI). RDI is one of a handful of autism interventions that meets all the criteria in NICE guidelines CG170 for interventions that seek to work on core autism difficulties.

In February 2020, we  moved into our beautiful, purpose built accommodation, provided by local company Robert Scott and Son. All pupils have their own 1-1 space, enabling our team of dedicated and passionate staff to work intensively with pupils on addressing their individual needs.

We have an excellent record of turning pupils’ previous negative and unsuccessful experience of school, into a positive, rewarding and promising future.