Beech Lodge School

Since 2019, Dan Gillespie BEd. Grew up locally and graduated in sports leadership from Reading University. Teacher training and first job was at Claire’s Court School, before he left to establish his own business in sport and education consulting.

EHCPs only and vastly oversubscribed. Rarely takes into year 9 or above. A successful application will be made in consultation with the local authority. If school feels it would be a good match from the child’s EHCP and reports, a parent visit

Forty per cent leave at year 11, the same number at year 12 and the rest after year 13. Some take up college courses, with Windsor, Henley, Berkshire College of Agriculture and Amersham among popular destinations for art, hair and beauty and

A special school for complex needs, including trauma and attachment difficulties, multiple specific learning difficulties, autism and emotionally based school avoidance. Many are (or have been) looked after children or had experience in foster

Every child’s timetable is tailor-made and interlaced with therapy (OT, speech and language, talking therapies, dyslexia teaching) according to need. ‘Completely child-centric’ support means not merely satisfying the formal requirements of the EHCP

Art can be a therapeutic or an exam subject. Some lessons start with a serious learning activity supervised by the specialist art teacher and end with a more light-hearted doodling game. The dedicated studio was alive with portraits, photographs and

‘Traditional sports are really hard,’ says Mr G, ‘So we try to find alternative things.’ Every child learns to ride a skateboard in the school’s skatepark and they can bike round the grounds. PE lessons might include some carefully managed football

Staff:student ratio is 70:80, (including part-time and non-teaching staff). ‘Our children need this level of staffing, it is not a luxury’, we were told. We heard that teachers were very well recruited to fit in with the concept of the school and

All staff provide the dual role of academic and pastoral support. Teachers, learning assistants and personal tutors repeatedly stress the ‘safe space’ environment, so children have access to a sensory room or garden – or can walk out of class when

A school that celebrates difference (motto: ‘great minds think differently’). Many children have been through fostering or adoption. ‘What links all our children is feeling that their previous school experience is really bruising,’ said the founder.

Children with EHCPs only, funded by LA.

Beech Lodge is a safe haven for looked after or traumatised children who have had difficult school experiences. With a gentle therapeutic approach and expert teaching, the school helps children flourish at their own pace and finds something for each