A NEW independent school near Stroud has recently opened its doors. 

Valley Bridge School - located on the site of the old Wynstones School - officially opened on Monday, September 16. 

It has welcomed approximately 33 students aged between six to 19. 

According to officials, the school in Whaddon has been designed in line with an aesthetic intentionality that creates a sense of ‘calm’, ‘inclusion’, and ‘warmth’.

The school includes six classrooms, an art space, a theatre and a sports hall, as well as plenty of outdoor spaces within its 11 acre grounds.

The site was previously the home of the Wynstones School from 1937 until its closure in 2020.

The independent Steiner Waldorf school - which had many pupils from Stroud - shut after education watchdog Ofsted found it had ‘serious and widespread failures’.

An attempt was made to relaunch Wynstones in September 2021, but after an insufficient number of pupils enrolled the plans were scrapped.

The curriculum at Valley Bridge School will provide broad, rich, and deep learning across a wide range of subjects, officials say. 

Students will learn within small base groups, allowing them to develop their sense of trust, belonging, and self-image within a small group of peers and staff members.

Before its opening, Valley Bridge was inspected by Ofsted in July during a pre-registration inspection. 

Interim headteacher Chris Lore said: "I'm proud to have the honour of opening our latest school and to have the opportunity to work with staff, families, and students to create a school that celebrates difference and enables all students to meet their full potential.” 

It is the seventh site opened by school group Spaghetti Bridge, who support young people with social, emotional and mental health challenges, and autism.

Spaghetti Bridge CEO Dan Alipaz, said: “We are excited to add our seventh school and our eleventh campus across the group to deliver what we feel is a ground-breaking educational model which not only caters to the needs of those children who have additional needs, but also demonstrates how education in general should change across the country.” 

Wynstones School closed down in 2020 (Image: Google Maps) A look inside new school Valley Bridge (Image: Valley Bridge School) One of the classrooms at Valley Bridge School which are called 'baserooms' (Image: Valley Bridge School) (Image: Valley Bridge School)