Eli* is going from strength to strength at Arc Oakbridge School. As he prepares for Year 11, the young man – who previously had been educated in a pupil referral unit – has made remarkable progress in the three years he’s been at the school.

All of the children on roll at Ark Oakbridge School are autistic and for Eli he struggled with sensory challenges and was avoidant of certain aspects of life. Described previously as a ‘very angry young man’, his sensory difficulties meant he couldn’t touch paper or a pen or even tolerate the sound of pencil on paper.

Eli was simply convinced he couldn’t ‘do learning’. It simply wasn’t the case, he just needed the right support from the right people in the right environment. The team also worked closely with Eli to build his confidence and his trust through relationships and patience.

The school provides a very sensory-aware environment for children to learn in, and its smaller class sizes and autism-friendly approach have made a huge different to Eli and his learning and confidence to do so.

Eli is now an anti-bullying ambassador, has been mentoring younger students and will be leaving Oakbridge with a range of meaningful qualifications along with a newly-learned resilience to keep going even when faced with difficulties. The team are incredibly proud of his progress as is Eli!

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