Message from our Acting Headteacher

Hello and a very warm welcome to Elms Bank!

It’s a real privilege to be Acting Headteacher of such a special school. Elms Bank is a vibrant, caring community where every pupil is known, valued, and supported to do their best.

This is a school full of energy, ambition, and a real sense of belonging. Our vision, “Excellence for All,” guides everything we do. We work hard to make sure every pupil, whatever their needs or starting point has the right support, opportunities, and challenge to grow, achieve, and feel proud of who they are.

We offer different specialist pathways to meet the wide range of needs across our school. From the moment a pupil joins us, we focus on building their strengths and helping them grow in confidence, independence, and resilience. Our curriculum is broad, meaningful, and linked to real life experiences — it’s about raising aspirations and helping pupils see what’s possible for their future.

We’re proud to offer a rich, inclusive school experience. Whether it’s working towards qualifications, performing in the school choir, taking part in school productions, or gaining real-life experience through internships we create opportunities that inspire, challenge, and help every pupil shine.

It’s a privilege to lead an exceptional team who care deeply about our pupils. They bring skill, passion, and a shared belief that every child can succeed with the right support. We set high expectations and make sure pupils and staff feel supported every step of the way. Strong partnerships with families and outside professionals are central to how we work and together, we make a real difference.

Elms Bank is part of the Oak Learning Partnership, a Trust that shares our values of inclusion and ambition for all learners. Being part of the Trust strengthens our work and helps us grow and improve together.

Whether you're a parent, a professional, or a potential colleague, I hope this website gives you a real sense of the warmth, pride, and purpose that defines our school. And if you'd like to find out more, we’d be delighted to welcome you in person.

Catherine Dent

Acting Headteacher

Oak Learning Partnership

Oak Learning Partnership Trust is the overseeing charitable organisation of a family of schools in the Bury area of Greater Manchester. By working together each school gets significant support to be the best they can be for their learners and communities. Our Trust is committed to improving the life chances of children and young people through the delivery of an excellent, well-rounded education. At Oak we are passionate about inclusion; this is at the heart of our ethos and is a consistent focus in all our schools. We understand that high-quality teaching and support can transform lives and communities. The business and operational support provided by the central team of Oak Learning Partnership allows leaders in schools to focus their attention on ensuring teaching is consistently excellent.

Our schools work closely with one another: they collaborate, support each other and share collective systems across both educational and business provisions. But it’s also important to us that each school has individuality. The CEO and Trustees set highly-ambitious targets, not putting a ceiling on what our staff and young people can achieve. We understand that leaders need autonomy to be accountable for performance and to create schools which serve their communities’ specific needs.

As a Trust we are keen not to over-complicate our approach and we recognize that more often than not, doing the simple things extremely well, consistently, makes the biggest difference to our young people and ensures there is a clarity in what we do.

We are committed to developing partnerships which will contribute to strengthening our current schools. Oak LP and all its partners will always be underpinned by our driving priority: our strong moral purpose which enables us to provide a truly inclusive education.

If you would like to know more about our Trust please visit our website at oaklp.co.uk.