Headteacher's Communication

Dear parents, carers, and prospective schools,FreshstepsStaff 17 2

First and foremost, I would like to thank you for your interest in FreshSteps Independent School.

Founded in 2009, we are proud to celebrate our twelfth anniversary this year as a school and provider for children with Social, Emotional, and Mental Health (SEMH) needs. I am particularly proud of our dedicated team of staff who work tirelessly to ensure that your children receive the best possible outcomes from their education and school life here at FreshSteps.

We are pleased to share that FreshSteps retained its Outstanding status in our latest Ofsted inspection in February 2024. This is a great achieve of receiving 3 consecutive Outstanding grades in a row. school continues to thrive as a dynamic independent institution that caters specifically to pupils with varying and additional needs. We offer an adapted curriculum that meets the needs of our pupils while still providing many of the same rich and broad subjects found in mainstream schools, along with unique subjects not typically available in mainstream education. FreshSteps serves young people aged 5 to 19 who have been, or are at risk of, permanent exclusion, are school refusers, or struggle to cope in mainstream classrooms due to additional or underlying learning needs.

We work closely with the special education needs services in Enfield and have recently expanded our catchment area to work with neighboring boroughs, including Haringey, Barnet, Essex, and Hertfordshire. While many of our pupils join us on a long-term basis, we understand that some students require only short-term support before reintegrating into mainstream education. Where possible, we aim to facilitate this for those who make significant progress.

Our state-of-the-art provision offers a hands-on and therapeutic environment. We have made considerable investments in new classrooms, a brand new IT and technology suite, a sports arena, gym, and indoor therapeutic soft-play facilities. In addition, we now offer an inclusion center for pupils on short or fixed-term exclusions, ensuring that students do not have to remain at home following exclusion from their schools.

At FreshSteps, pupils are welcomed into a supportive and friendly environment. We maintain high standards of discipline and behavior, which foster a safe working atmosphere where each individual is encouraged to strive for excellence. Our personalized learning environments accommodate up to six pupils in the primary phase and eight pupils in secondary, helping to remove the barriers to learning and create a space where students feel safe, confident, and happy to attend school daily. We promote a culture of tolerance and respect and aim to create a learning environment that is free from unacceptable risks.

While our pupils study a wide range of subjects, we place a particular emphasis on core Literacy and Numeracy skills across the school. This year, our curriculum has expanded to include Geography, History, and Cookery lessons.

We  opened our Sixth Form site in February 2022, where we offer BTEC Level 1 and 2 courses in subjects such as Beauty, Hairdressing, Nail Technology, Barbering, skin, Engineering, Mechanics, Food Technology, Media, Video Editing, Music, Graphic Design, and potentially Construction.

Our outstanding staff bring vision, enthusiasm, and high standards to the school. They are experts in their fields and are passionate about improving the lives of young people.

We look forward to welcoming you to FreshSteps.

Diane Anderson
Head Teacher