Empowered learning

We are a team of education and therapy specialists for complex students whose needs can no longer be met in mainstream schools.

Dovecote school is for students aged 5-18 years with a range of social, emotional and mental health needs that may include Autistic Spectrum Conditions, anxiety, and difficult behaviours.

Dovecote School is a new start for these special students.

Vision

What makes us unique?

Dovecote School embeds education and therapy together to transform our student’s perceptions of their own abilities and provides a flexible timetable, skills for life, and an ambitious curriculum.

Testimonials

Dovecote really is a special place

(Parent yr 3)

I liked it the most than any other school I have seen because,
1. I loved the animals there.
2. I loved the Gym and was happy I would be old enough to go in it.
3. I loved the canteen and the thought of helping.
4. Meeting George Ezras drummer was amazing.
5. I liked how you grow your own veg and use it to make food.
6. I liked the amount of children in a class and the space.
7. The staff were fun and happy.
8. I like the idea of a Forest School being built.
9. I liked the idea I could go kayaking and swimming.
10. I liked the sensory room and think it would be a nice place to read in, in a darkened room.
11. I liked how there was a good mix of male and female staff.

Student yr 6

My husband and I are both over the moon!….It is absolutely brilliant, and we have both said how proud we are of x and how x should be really proud of all x has achieved so far.

Parent Yr 2

I just wanted to write a quick email to say thank you all so so much for everything you are doing for and with x

x is a different child, loves coming to school, is up and ready before everyone else which is massive (we had huge school refusal last term)
x talks about all of the adults and students and happily tells us what he has done and what he is doing!

It’s honestly amazing the change in him and we cannot thank you enough!
Just goes to show if you get the right people at the right setting where your children can be themselves their whole lives can change!
We are beyond grateful you are doing an amazing job

Yr 9 parent

Despite it being an incredibly tiring week, being out of school for 2.5 years and having no real regular routine, x has thoroughly enjoyed his first week and has come home every night (bar one midweek self esteem low) buzzing and freely offering information about his day. This is absolutely unheard of as usually, when I subtly ask about his day, I am greeted with I don’t know what I did or I can’t remember, he is rolling information out, even asking me ‘what else do you want to know’?!!

x thinks all the staff are just amazing, funny and interesting and his classmates are, from what I can gather, perfectly matched, in terms of personality, needs and wanting the same outcomes as one another. I feel firm friendships are growing.

I hear, on occasion he has managed to challenge himself and try a couple of new things – again, a first, as usually his self doubt kicks in and the anxiety emerges.

It seems, listening to many of the other families across the school in our little online group, that there are so many happy faces returning home on an evening and the feelings of ‘our children have found their place’ is I think, overwhelming.

Thank you to all of you who are making this happen. Dovecote is such a special place – long may it continue!

Yr 10 parent

A girl who felt excited about going to school and who came home happy – this is not just a nice day for her – it would be impossible to over-state how important this is to this little girl – life changing (for her and her family) – life saving…

And this will be the same for every one of your students

you have a very nice new school – building equipment facilities – but it is the personality empathy and skill of your staff makes this possible

Yr 7 parent

New visitors arrive at Dovecote school!

Discuss a referral

For details of open mornings, to arrange a visit, or discuss our admission process, please contact:

Jason Goddard, CEO

Neil Gage, Headteacher