About Us

Educate U is a specialist school providing high quality education for children and young people aged 5 -16 with a wide range of complex needs including social, emotional and mental health needs. Educate U has the mission statement “Empowering Students. Creating Possibilities” and this is because our school fills a need for inclusive education for children with complex trauma and special educational needs. These needs include children diagnosed with ASC, ADHD or who have high anxiety and attachment and trauma barriers to learning. All our students have an EHCP. Many of our children have been out of education for a substantial period – some for up to two years before joining us.

Educate U first opened its doors to students in 2019 and had just 1 student and 3 staff. Over four years the school has grown in size to accommodate a bespoke educational package to a capacity of 40 students. From this quite rapid expansion the school has developed trauma informed values based on the needs of many of our students. These values are Safety, Trust, Choice, Collaboration, Empowerment. These 5 Trauma informed values underpin our school’s mission statement (Empowering Students. Creating Possibilities) and act both as a supportive, progressive framework for our children and guiding principles for our staff. These also tell the story of how we work with our children at Educate U to our children, families and to other professionals.

Emotional well-being and high-calibre learning are our two main priorities and are central to our vision, our purpose and our actions. At Educate U we love our children. Nurture and connection are the building blocks to ensuring our children feel safe, have reduced school-based anxiety and are in a safe space to learn and to build resilience. Many of our children and young people need their affect lowered and many of our children need co-regulation (to support their development of self-regulation) and this is often a barrier to accessing their learning.

We are a relational school. Relationships lie at the core of our approach, serving as the foundation for building positive and healthy attachments that enable our children to thrive. This deep-seated belief is rooted in an understanding of the profound impact relationships have on emotional and psychological health, a perspective supported by the compelling evidence from neuroscience and attachment theory. Recognising the significance of these connections, we are dedicated to fostering a nurturing environment that values and prioritises the quality of relationships among students, staff, parents/carers and the broader school community. Through this intentional focus on positive interactions and meaningful connections, we aim to provide a supportive framework for the holistic development and well-being of each child in our care.

Educate U is a non-punishment school and believe in connection before correction. All staff are trained in a therapeutic way of being and attuning to the emotional needs of our children and young people using PACE (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy) language. At our school, the dedicated team surrounding each child embraces a perspective that interprets behaviour as a form of communication. This approach empowers our staff to consistently engage mindfully, always prioritising the best interests of the young individuals under our care. Recognising that a child's sense of psychological and physical safety is paramount, our staff are committed to cultivating a mindset and attitude that fosters an environment of secure hands, thoughtful minds, and regulated bodies. Our commitment lies in creating a supportive environment where we can navigate these challenges together, fostering growth and resilience in each individual.

Whilst the school is based on Chapel Road, the school has another site with ‘in house’ therapeutic provision called Therapy House. Therapy House is where the school’s therapists are based and is just a short walk away. Our children and young people have access to a variety of therapies here including contracted Arts Psychotherapeutic Counselling, Attachment Play/support with stabilisation and transition, reflexology and yoga. Therapy House is the base for our Educational Psychologist, Integrative Arts Psychotherapist, Art Psychotherapy, Adult/child Counsellor and Parent/child therapist. We also have a reflexology and yoga teacher. All of our children and young people have access to this team on a need’s basis which is reviewed regularly.