SAIL (Salisbury Academy for Inspirational Learning) is a newly commissioned day specialist provider of education in Salisbury, Wiltshire. This new Academy will be a school that offers full time special education, care and therapeutic support to vulnerable children and young people with Education and Healthcare Plans. SAIL will be welcoming and working with a neuro diverse population of up to 150 children aged between 4-19 with a primary diagnosis of autism or a SEMH (social, emotional, mental health) profile.

The school is planned to open September 2023, in temporary accommodation split across two sites. One site is currently in operation and houses 50 pupils with a diagnosis of autism, a further site for 25 pupils will open in September 2023. Once the permanent site has been completed, children from the temporary sites will each commence their transition period [in accordance with their personal requirements] to move to the permanent SAIL school site on Wilton Road, potentially from January 2024.

Our substantive premises is currently being converted to specifically meet the needs of its neuro diverse population. Meanwhile, the design of the building and SAIL’s curriculum will ensure that, where appropriate, pupils who are different ages or have different diagnosis are able to be educated and cared for separately. There will be different specialist environments within the buildings e.g., appropriate to the needs of 4-6 years olds (primary classrooms and play equipment) and post 16 pupils (‘life skills’ –independent areas) that ensure the curriculum meets the needs of different identified cohorts. The school will be effectively ‘zoned’ so that whilst all can have access to all areas, there is no unnecessary mixing of ages or populations and that all transitions are carefully managed to meet pupil need.

SAIL’s aim is to build safe independent lives for the autistic and SEMH population through a process of understanding, support, and enablement. To achieve this goal the school will look at the unique impact autism and social, emotional, and mental health experiences has on the individual child. From this we aim as a school to personalise the child’s curriculum, care, and therapeutic package to ensure every child achieves and experiences success and independence.

This key intent is underpinned by a number of principles. We will ensure that all children make progress, we build and foster positive relationships with parents and carers, put pupil voice at the heart of everything and support all children so they trust, feel safe and secure. This is achievable due to the dedication and support from a range of employed professionals who are passionate, reliable and understanding including dedicated education, care and therapeutic teams.

 Reach South is a forward-thinking academy trust that puts the child, and their diagnosis first. The Springfields Academy, Calne was the first Reach South special school (Ofsted good March 2022. NAS advanced status June 2022). The Peak Academy, Dursley then formally joined Reach South in August 2022, following a period of supportive handover work. SAIL will therefore be the Trust’s third specialist provision. The three schools, whilst retaining identity, will work very closely through the next phase of the Trust development and to meet, lead and shape regional agendas.

This strong SEN framework leaves Reach South well placed to address the local and national drive to establish new local SEND partnerships and create local inclusion plans to support the growing demand and level of need. The green paper states that pupils with SEND frequently require access to additional support from a broad specialist workforce to enable them to effectively access their mainstream provision.