Our Facilities
The facilities across Astrum Multi Academy Trust are of the highest quality and proudly maintained by our dedicated Estates team. Our sites consist of Newbridge Lower School, Newbridge Upper School and Hatchside School providing outstanding specialist facilities that cater for pupils with a range of severe and complex special educational needs. This page provides a snapshot of the facilities we offer across our sites.
Hatchside School
Hatchside is a fully electric state-of-the-art free school opened in 2021 to caters for pupils aged 2-7 years of age with a range of SEND and with a focus on Assessment and Early Intervention. The whole building is climate controlled and has an automated building management system for optimum building efficiency with built in environmentally friendly features like solar panels for electric generation.
Soft playroom
A fun and naturally playful learning environment for practicing and learning many skills including physical skills, play and social communication and cognitive skills such as developing curiosity and exploration. Our Soft Play walls and floors are robustly constructed from foam covered in reinforced hard wearing vinyl. Specifically designed to suit our pupil’s needs. It also has an integrated light tunnel for an enhanced sensory experience.
Rebound Therapy
We have a large indoor trampoline accessible via stairs of hoist. It is in the main hall exclusively for Rebound Therapy. Rebound therapy is carried out by either our onsite mobility coordinator or another member of fully trained staff.
Outdoor spaces
A variety of fully accessible outdoor spaces linked to classrooms, providing a mixture of free flowing and secure environments for pupils to access the outdoors. These spaces fixed structures such as bucket swings, multi-purpose climbing frames and a variety of versatile activity equipment.
Sensory Garden
A peaceful sensory garden access via the main hall. It designed to stimulate one or more of the five senses: sight, smell, sound, taste, and touch. It entices pupils to view plants at close range, to reach out and touch, to inhale a fragrance, to listen, and to actively experience the garden with all their senses.
Immersive room
Installed by sensory Guru, the immersive room with 4 projectors and led mood lighting creates and delivers a vibrant and motivating learning experience for pupils. It provides multisensory experiences that help to make learning more engaging, content more accessible and environments much more responsive.
Newbridge Lower School
Newbridge Lower School was built on the site of the former Chadwell Centre building in 2011. It is a high speciation plan to build school, specifically built around the needs of Newbridge School younger pupils aged between 2 to 11 years of age.
Facilities
Hydrotherapy Pool
The Hydro pool is heated and maintained at a water temperature of 32-33°C. Access to the pool is via an automated hoist or steps with railings. The shallowest depth is 0.7m and the deepest depth is 1.1m. There is one large communal changing area separated by a combination of cubicles and curtain dividers. Changing areas are fully accessible with accessible hygiene room facilities.
Sensory room
A dedicated Sensory room with a music system, sensory lights, bubble machine, projectors and various sensory equipment specifically designed to suit our pupil’s needs.
Soft playroom
A fun and naturally playful learning environment for practicing and learning many skills including physical skills, play and social communication and cognitive skills such as developing curiosity and exploration. Our Soft Play walls and floors are robustly constructed from foam covered in reinforced hard wearing vinyl. Specifically designed to suit our pupil’s needs.
Rebound Therapy
We have a large indoor trampoline accessible via stairs or hoist. It is in the main hall exclusively for Rebound Therapy. Rebound therapy is carried out by either our onsite mobility coordinator or another member of fully trained staff.
Outdoor spaces
A variety of fully accessible outdoor spaces linked to classrooms, providing a mixture of free flowing and secure environments for pupils to access the outdoors. These spaces range from wild natural grass areas with trees to fixed structures such as trampolines, bucket swings, and multi-purpose climbing and activity equipment.
Sensory Garden
A peaceful sensory garden located in the heart of the school designed to stimulate one or more of the five senses: sight, smell, sound, taste, and touch. It entices pupils to view plants at close range, to reach out and touch, to inhale a fragrance, to listen, and to actively experience the garden with all their senses. There is both as sand pit and access to water to further enhance the sensory experience.
Newbridge Upper School
Originally built in the late 1950’s and formally named Ethel Davis School it merged with Hyleford School in 2005 to become part of a two site Newbridge School. Since 1990 the site has undergone significant changes with important additions such as a Hydro pool, classroom extensions and outdoor space re-development.
Facilities
Hydrotherapy Pool
Opened in 1993 and recently refurbished the Hydro pool is heated and maintained at a water temperature of 32-33°C. Access to the pool is via a manually operated hoist or steps with railings. The shallowest depth is 0.5m and the deepest depth is 1.5m. There are two separate communal changing rooms, each with a hoist and accessible hygiene room facilities. All windows are frosted throughout with colour changing pool lighting and music for use as per pupil needs.
Sensory room
Classroom 6 integrated sensory room, with sensory lights, bubble machine, projectors and various sensory equipment for use per the pupils needs
Rebound Therapy
We have a large indoor trampoline accessible via stairs of hoist. It is in the main hall exclusively for Rebound Therapy. Rebound therapy is carried out by either our onsite mobility coordinator or another member of fully trained staff.
Outdoor spaces
Accessible outdoor spaces with clearly designated purposes. Providing a mixture of free flowing but secure environments for pupils to access the outdoors. Ranging from large natural grass areas with trees to accessible trampolines bucket swings and multi-purpose climbing and activity equipment.
