The Unity Schools Partnership is delighted to announce that The Bridge School in Ipswich will be joining the trust next year.

The Bridge School will be the second special school to be part of the trust, following in the footsteps of Churchill Special Free School in Haverhill, which was rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted.

Announcing the news, Tim Coulson, chief executive of the Unity Schools Partnership, said: “We are delighted to confirm that The Bridge School will be joining the Unity Schools Partnership in the summer term.

“The Unity Schools Partnership has developed a group of 15 primary schools and six secondary schools and we continually see the benefit of those schools working closely together.

“For some while, we have only had one special school – the Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ Churchill Special Free School in Haverhill.

“The board of the Unity Schools Partnership want to create a specialist network of special schools working together and we have recently been approved to build new special schools in Ipswich and Romford.

“The Bridge School is seen an ideal school to join this network.

We will use all our experience of bringing local schools out of difficulty to create a special school that staff, students and the local community can be proud of.”

A statement by the school’s Interim Executive Board read: “The IEB is delighted by the announcement that Unity Schools Partnership is now fully committed to The Bridge School, joining it during the course of next year.

“We are equally delighted with the Trust’s decision to continue working with the school’s current Interim Headteacher, Angela O’Rourke, and her highly committed leadership team throughout the transition from school to academy.

“Both these decisions will help secure The Bridge School’s bright future and ensure there is no let-up in the significant progress currently being made.”