In this latest blog from our series celebrating the finalists of the 2024 NASS Awards, we’re shining a spotlight on Dovecote School, a finalist in the Outstanding Impact category. An independent special school in Somerset, Dovecote opened its doors in September 2022 and, within just seven months, achieved an Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ rating in all areas.
This remarkable achievement reflects more than just academic success. It highlights the significant difference Dovecote is making in the lives of children and families through its distinct, relational approach to specialist education. As Ofsted noted in its inspection report: “Parents and carers describe Dovecote School as ‘life changing’. For most pupils, this is their first successful experience of education.”
In this blog, Leah Roberts, Family, Inclusion and Wellbeing Coordinator at Dovecote, shares how the school places relationships at the heart of everything it does, creating a safe and nurturing environment where children feel they belong and where, as the team proudly says, they can ‘make the unimaginable achievable.’
------------------------------------------------
How it started and how it starts
"Our child absolutely loves it and is like a different child going to and from school every day. They are less anxious and every day they look forward to going to school - something that was unheard of before! The staff have been amazing, so friendly, caring and professional. It’s had a positive impact upon our whole family."
Dovecote opened in September 2022 and was inspected by Ofsted just seven months later (apparently the inspectorate had a few spare days due to the strikes!). We are proud of the Outstanding judgement, not for the accolade itself, but because it reflects the real impact of our practice and the outcomes achieved for children and families.
The environment at Dovecote promotes safety through relationships and regulation through movement. Students have access to a stunning outdoor space, along with a wide range of therapeutic learning opportunities, including horticulture, a small farm, forest school, outdoor education, and targeted therapeutic interventions.
Students are welcomed to Dovecote through a ‘getting ready to learn’ approach, which helps them build on and find safety in relationships with key adults. Individualised transition plans allow students to overcome previous attendance barriers through a low-demand, phased approach.
Our unique relationship with families, as well as students, builds strong links between school and home and enables a team around the child and family from the very beginning. One parent shared:
"The knock-on effect for us as a family has been incredible. Our children are so happy both at school and at home. They feel safe enough to be themselves — their authentic selves.
School and families as partners in education
The school’s relational approach has transformed the community beyond recognition.
'There are no more "please don't leave me here, Mum, I don't feel safe." There is a growing confidence and self-belief. Driving away from the Christmas Fair they said, "I really feel like I belong here, Mum."
Students make rapid progress in social, emotional, and mental health development, and are able to feel ready to learn and follow a pathway to achieving their dreams and aspirations.
Many students come to us having been unable to access school successfully. Challenges linked to neurodivergence, sensory processing, and the need for different teaching approaches often remain unmet in mainstream settings. By using a playful, empathic, attuned, and child-led approach, the team at Dovecote is able to see each student’s true self. Their potential is unlocked, and their confidence and authenticity grow.
"‘Recently, my child said that they were feeling happy at school and did a silly skipping walk-dance. Two of the caretakers saw and joined in. That really tickled them. There is scope for fun, humour and silliness, and I know they also love feeling "in" on the joke."
Impact
Our first nine students moved on in the summer of 2024 with life skills and qualifications that opened the door to college courses and employment of their choosing. The school celebrated an impressive 89.9% pass rate, in a year with national secondary schools seeing an average of 65% (grades 9-4).
We've developed a unique curriculum that places the child at the heart of their learning experience; with needs met in all areas of their Education Health Care Plan. Dovecote’s Universal Offer gives every student access to therapeutic support embedded in the learning space, affirming and celebrating their individual learning needs. This approach allows us to be flexible to meet the individual interests of young people as they need it and to offer a curriculum that is unique to them and gets the best out of them, for them and with them.
‘The progress my child has made this year is amazing. If I think back to just a few years ago, they were totally reclusive and would not even step out into the garden. Wow! Look at them now. I never imagined a time where my child would make it into school every day, engaging 100% of the time. They have even made huge progress in Maths, which used to be a real trigger, and they’ve opened up to staff about their personal insecurities.’
Next steps
Since September 2024, we have been growing our Church Farm provision for students who are ready to learn and engage in a wide range of accreditation and qualification pathways. The recent addition of our enterprise café, The Giggling Goat, is already enhancing opportunities for work experience and skills development. One student has even produced original artwork to help shape the café's identity - just one of the ways Dovecote supports a child whose anxiety makes stepping over the threshold incredibly challenging for them.
Students past and present are being encouraged to set up opportunities to practice their social skills behind the counter, and with the location of the school in a small village, the café is quickly becoming a welcoming hub for locals and visitors alike.
We never thought our child would be able to return to school after three years out and having such a traumatic journey. Your school is like no other, and believe us when we say we have experienced many! For the first time ever, our child is understood, heard and supported, no longer are they made to feel a burden, a naughty child. Dovecote is so much more than a school, it has been a lifeline for our child and we are now excited to see what the future holds.