Nigel Bowes Academy is a 49 PAN- pupil school which currently has 48 students. Nigel Bowes Academy joined Ambitions Academy Trust in 2012 and educates Boys and Girls aged between 5 and 12 who present with Social, Emotional and Mental Health difficulties, associated with a range of special educational needs, including autism. 

We welcome pupils who reside in Dorset and Hampshire, with the majority of our pupils living in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole conurbation. Our pupils have Educational, Health Care Plans or are in the process of receiving one. We also support a small number of pupils who will be placed by the Local Authority whilst waiting for a placement in a special school or to transition back to mainstream education. 

Typically, there are 7 pupils per class and we have high staffing levels to support our pupils. Although small, our building is modern, light, with wide corridors, giving a sense of space whilst maintaining the community feel we pride ourselves on. Our school sits next to the expansive community outdoor space Slades Farm, providing the school with a variety of community facilities along with views and the tranquillity of the natural environment. Pupils have access to a range of school spaces including purpose-built classrooms, a sensory room, therapy hub, quiet reflection rooms, food technology kitchen, multi-use creative learning room, sports hall, two outdoor play areas, a large playground, an outdoor learning area and a courtyard garden. We also have modern and up-to-date IT facilities including pupil laptops and interactive display boards in every classroom. Our school is a calm and nurturing place for young people to thrive. Our Resilient, Safe and Respectful mantra can be seen in all aspects of school life and forms the basis of everything we do. We provide full access to the National Curriculum and our school day is modelled on a ‘traditional’ primary school timetable whilst being flexible and responsive to the needs of all our pupils. 

Our Vision and Ethos. 

At Nigel Bowes Academy we want our pupils to experience success and to prepare them with the knowledge and skills needed in their next phase of education and on their journey towards adulthood. 

Along the way, our pupils will face many different challenges and we teach them how to be resilient and overcome these. Our nurturing approach focuses on the complete wellbeing of pupils to help them feel and be safe. Through this vision, we aim for our pupils to respect their own rights and the rights of others to give them the best opportunity to succeed in life. 

In 2017 pupils, staff and key stakeholders at Nigel Bowes Academy collaborated to define the essential traits needed for pupils to be successful at our school and on their journey through life. These areas were defined as; Resilient, Safe and Respectful (RSR). 

RSR can be seen in all aspects of school life, from our celebration assemblies, expectations for attitude to learning and behavior through to our rewards system. The promotion of RSR is the responsibility of the whole school community, pupils, parents, staff and governors.