Supported Learning

If your child has an EHCP, is waiting for one, or is on a school roll they cannot attend, this page explains how The Haven can become their education, and who can fund it.

The Haven exists for neurodivergent girls and gender-diverse young people aged 11 to 17 who have been unable to attend mainstream school. Many of our learners arrive after months or years out of education. Some cannot yet turn a camera on or speak out loud. That is not a barrier to starting here; it is exactly who we built this school for.

Because the whole provision is designed around neurodivergent learners, many of the challenges faced in a mainstream setting simply do not apply. Sensory-considerate classrooms, cameras off as a valid choice, chat instead of voice, short lessons, small groups and accommodations as standard are not adjustments we bolt on. They are the baseline.

Our pedagogy meets learners exactly where they are. Most of our educators are neurodivergent themselves, and all have experience of teaching neurodivergent learners, backed by autistic girls network’s training, which is used by schools and services across the UK.

We work with each learner carefully to understand their needs, and we listen when they tell us something isn’t working, because telling us is part of the self-advocacy we want them to build. The Haven is a safe space, and more importantly a brave space, where neurodivergent learners can be themselves freely and assert their needs, with a SENCO and a wellbeing team ready to listen.

EOTAS via an EHCP. Where a young person’s EHCP specifies Education Other Than At School, the local authority pays fees directly to The Haven. Tell your plan coordinator that The Haven is your preferred provider. The local authority then sends the EHCP to us for consultation at ehcp@thehavenonline.school, and our SENCO responds confirming whether we can meet need.

Alternative Provision. Your child’s school can commission The Haven as an Alternative Provision provider, on a temporary or longer-term basis, under local authorities’ statutory duties in Section 19 of the Education Act 1996. The young person stays on the school’s roll; we deliver their education. We simply agree a Service Level Agreement with the school.

Privately funded. Families can arrange and pay for a place directly, often as a bridge while statutory routes resolve. See our Fees pages for details.

Our SENCO will make sure we can meet need before your child starts. If the plan includes requirements needing additional resources, we will talk with the local authority about how they will be supplied. Many recommendations that appear in EHCPs are already part of our standard offer.

All our educators are qualified teachers with experience of teaching neurodivergent learners, and most are neurodivergent themselves. They also have access to the full training programme autistic girls network delivers to schools, health and social care services across the UK.

Lessons are live because relationships are how re-engagement happens, and we encourage learners to come whenever they can. But we know that for our learners, some days it won’t be possible, and nobody at The Haven is chased, shamed or penalised for that. Their mentor will work with them on a gentle way back in.

No. Camera off is always a valid option, and we can agree it as an adjustment from the start. Many of our learners arrive with real anxiety about being seen or heard, and we never ask a young person to switch on a camera or speak before they feel ready. Learners can use the chat instead of speaking, and our teachers teach responsively to chat as well as voice. Over time, many young people choose to turn cameras on and use their voice. That is always their decision, never a requirement.

Haven staff will not physically see your child each day, so families play a part: providing a suitable, comfortable learning environment at home, and supporting their young person to build a sensible rhythm around their studies. Mentors work with families on this; you are not expected to manage it alone.

On autistic girls network’s website you’ll find free template passports, including one designed for young people educated outside school. Completing one and sharing it with our SENCO is a helpful way to tell us how your child communicates, what helps and what doesn’t, before they start. Download it here.

If your family is struggling right now, you don’t have to wait for a school place to find support. autistic girls network’s free community of 36,000 families is here.