Linden Bridge School
Residential Placement Policy and Criteria
It is our aim to offer the pupils at Linden Bridge School a residential experience to support their educational placement, work towards EHCP outcomes, develop personal skills and social interaction, and to improve their life outcomes.
However, the offer of residential education is not a statutory or compulsory offer and may not be appropriate for all pupils. For example, the residential learning programme may not be appropriate:
- Where the young person’s social needs are well met within the family and local community.
- Where the young person or family decide, they do not wish to access this provision.
- Where the young person has met threshold for a social care package of support, which is provided more appropriately elsewhere.
- Where the level of social care support need is so high that they cannot be met from our resources.
In our best endeavours to ensure transparency and equality we will invite applications from all eligible students when a residential vacancy becomes available, and conduct a needs-based assessment in the form of a weighted points system in the 4 key areas:
- Education progress
- Impact of distance and journey time on a pupil’s capacity to access learning.
- Social care support needs
- Age.
We will consider pupil and parental views, any additional exceptional circumstances, whether there is a place in an appropriate peer / age group. All potential boarders will be subject to an individual Pupil Behaviour Support and Safety Plan’. An impact risk assessment will be completed for a pupil who’s support need is so high, they cannot be met from our resources, stating the reasons why?
Priority will be given to pupils who have been placed at the school by Surrey and with an assessed social care need, where the provision of Linden Bridge School Residential is stated in their education and health care plan, making it a statutory requirement. Pupils who are placed at the school from outside Surrey, will need to be funded by their local authority.
Our criteria will be for any student who is in year 7 or above.
Once a place is allocated, we will meet with the parents to set out targets to support achieving pupil learning outcomes and a timeframe to review progress. All placements will be subject to annual review. Place allocation is not permanent, and it may be necessary to rotate some placements to give other pupils fair access and opportunity.
The residential provision at Linden Bridge School is subject to a rigorous annual inspection by OFSTED using the National Minimum Care Standards for Residential Special Schools, and half termly advisory visits by nyas, as an independent visitor. The residential link trustee is Ian Wilson.
Caroline Towersey-Residential Manager
Claire Gungah – Principal
September 2025