Specialist Unit

Forge- Specialist Unit

Ixworth High School has a Communication and Interaction Unit for 18 students. The name for the Unit is “The Forge”.

The Forge accommodation is in a small separate building attached to the Main School. The Forge has a classroom for 18 students, an outdoor learning space, toilets, disabled toilets, a small quiet space, a main area with a kitchen and a meeting room. Students will also be able to access our two smaller classrooms within the Forge, which is primarily used for interventions.

 The Forge caters for students who require extra support with communication and interaction. This support is a more bespoke timetable, extra interventions, specialist resources and some extra adult support when/if needed in lessons. Students are expected to attend most mainstream lessons, especially the core subjects – English, Maths and Science.

We were pleased that OFSTED noted the successful integration of the Forge students in our latest OFSTED report (April 2025), “Pupils who attend ‘The Forge’, the school’s specialist provision, are fully integrated into the wider life of the school”.

Overview

The Forge is not a separate part of Ixworth School, it is very much part of the whole School in every way, from Sports Days to enrichment, the Forge students are very much amalgamated into Ixworth High School life. We believe in Excellence for All and that includes excellence for the Forge Students. Students who are in the Forge attend Main School lessons, assemblies, and extra curricular activities. As part of the support for a Forge Student, alongside their bespoke timetable, they have specific student support plans, which summarises their EHCPs. Alongside the bespoke timetable, students have access to specialised PHSE lessons, and tailored activities such as travel training.

Staffing and Approach

The Specialist Lead Teacher is a qualified and experienced SENDCo. The Lead Teacher is supported by a SEN Teacher and an Intervention Teacher. All are experienced in teaching children with communication and interaction difficulties. There are three Teaching Assistants in the Forge who support learners both in the Forge and when they go into mainstream lessons.  We have high aspirations at Ixworth High School and the aim of The Forge is to support children to integrate into the main body of the school so that they may access the same high-quality teaching and school experiences as their peers.