The Cavendish School

Since 2021, Stephanie Smith. Came to teaching after one of her children was diagnosed with autism aged 7. Studied at the Open University for a maths degree with the intention to teach and specialise in special needs. Spent a year working as a

Every child at the school has autism and an EHCP, so applications are made through consultation with the local authority. Sixty per cent of pupils have secondary needs, frequently ADHD and anxiety.

All must be able to access the curriculum and be

No leavers yet as first cohort of pupils have just reached year 11. Sixth form provision opens in September 2025 and priority will be given to current year 11s.

Cavendish is the world’s first IB special school, and they are rightly very proud of this, offering joined-up teaching across the subjects with emphasis on conceptual understanding but with GCSE and exam options from year 10. All children follow the

The IB curriculum aims to develop the whole person, so teaching embraces broader skills than traditional subjects, eg communication (all are taught Makaton signing), how to read body language and how people might react to certain behaviours etc. Lots

Art and drama taught on-site but no music lessons as yet due to lack of demand. We are sure it will come.

School clubs include coding, football, DofE, cricket and construction amongst others.

PE lessons are about working together and team building. We saw how pupils were encouraged to collaborate to build a course. They have a gym and use of a shared field with IVC and the pool at the sports centre on the same site is used by all pupils.

Therapy and staffing All staff are autism trained, and teachers and TAs all take Attention Autism courses as well.

On our visit, teachers were friendly, calm and kind but didn’t stand any nonsense and pupils responded accordingly. It was obvious

Pupils know that they will never be sent home for bad behaviour, whatever they do. ‘They know we will not give up on them,’ says the head. ‘Eventually this means they stop testing us and trust is built. Virtually every child here has not had a

Most parents are professionals, doctors, lawyers, academics (this is Cambridge) who have fought long and hard for their child. Some are also neurodivergent. School happy to accommodate a parent working from a room on-site if it means the child will

All funded by local authority via EHCP.

The school is led by a passionate head with extensive knowledge of autism and she has built a team around her with the same ethos. Children who are lost in the system, traumatised and avoidant come to Cavendish and are recognised and listened to.