HOW WE STARTED
Introduction
Dan and Katie Vincent’s experiences in mainstream education was that they were coming across the same issues time and again, where the system wasn’t working for young pupils with SEMH needs.
Through no fault of their own the schools were trying to fit round pegs into square holes, and for some young people they need a very different education experience.
Katie
The school started in 2019, with a focus on nurture and nature that supports young people. We embrace the wider benefits that learning outdoors brings and are working towards a trauma informed schools’ status, so everything we do is embedded in physcho education.
Although the Stable School is independent, we are led by a strong moral compass, in that our school fees are aligned to those of local authority special needs schools. We are on average half the cost of other independent schools in the local area that provide for SEMH pupils.
Dan
We put great emphasis on the positive impact relationships play in young peoples’ lives, especially those that experience childhood trauma or who have a high number of ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences).
There are two profiles that are common:
- The young person who has been misunderstood and is excluded from mainstream schooling.
- Young people who for various reasons have high social anxiety so are unable to attend mainstream schools and are known as school refusers.
As a school we know that for children and young people to be successful in education their needs must be met. The whole schools stop for breakfast collectively each morning, we also provide a free hot lunch for every pupil. The school has an optional uniform.