Clervaux Garden School

A unique and exciting new school

Clervaux Garden School is an innovative and exciting new school. Situated on our 100 acre biodynamic farm, our holistic curriculum provides the skills, experience and context necessary for young people aged 10-19 years with complex social, emotional, behavioural, learning differences (including Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC)) and other disabilities to flourish and thrive in modern society. Our school is a place of therapeutic learning and growing which brings together hand, heart, head, and place to support personal development and progression.

Our vision , values and educational method resonate through everything we do at Clervaux Garden School.

Our Vision

We believe that each individual has the potential to shape their own future through experiencing meaningful relationships with universe, earth and people.

Our Values

We value:

• Inclusive learning and living activities that integrate practical activity, thinking, our emotions and mutual respect; we strive to understand all people’s differences and uniqueness.
  
• The capacity for re-imagination present in all people, towards positive change and development.
  
• Openness, goodwill, tolerance and treating individuals with dignity and respect.

Our Method

All pupils are taught and cared for through Ruskin Mill Trust’s research-based method, Practical Skills Therapeutic Education (PSTE).  Practically applied principles, known as the Seven Fields of Practice, underpin PSTE and guide each pupil’s journey.  These are: genius loci (spirit of place), practical skills, biodynamic ecology, therapeutic education, holistic support and care, holistic medicine and transformative leadership and management.  Through PSTE, we aim to help each individual develop their own capacity for self-generated conscious action.  Each pupil is provided with an individualised and tailored curriculum such that the practical skills they will engage with are those specifically chosen to meet their own developmental needs. 

PSTE also extends into the residential 24-hour curriculum through holistic care and support, contributing to and improving general wellbeing and health.  All pupils benefit from our seed-to-table philosophy.

Find out about the Clervaux Garden School curriculum

Pupil Progress

Data will be used at a whole school level to inform school improvement planning as well as in the review of individual pupils. Whilst we find the individual student analysis really powerful in shaping each student’s learning needs and pathway, as a Leadership Team we also find it helpful to use the data to identify emerging trends and to evaluate the effectiveness of specific interventions.

Admissions

For initial enquiries please contact the admissions team on:
03300 552 653 or admissions@rmt.org

Our central admissions team is dedicated to supporting you through the admissions process and answer any questions you might have. Applications are invited all year round. We encourage you to speak to our admissions team to visit any of our provisions and meet some key staff before completing an application form.

How to find us

Clervaux Garden School is located at Clervaux Trust, Clow Beck Centre, Darlington, DL2 2TF.
To get directions, please visit www.rmt.org/clervaux/contact/

Essential information

View Clervaux Garden School’s policies and procedures and essential information

Who we are

The school’s Head Teacher is Mr. Gavin Copland
The school’s proprietor is Aonghus Gordon. Aonghus is the founder and Executive Chair of RMT and he can be contacted at the Trust’s head office: Ruskin Mill, Old Bristol Road, Nailsworth, Gloucester, GL6 0LA, by email at enquiries@rmt.org or by phone on 01453 837500.

Brochure

Download the Clervaux Garden School brochure

Further information

The school’s Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy can be found by following this link. Other key policies are available on this website; please click on the ‘policies and procedures tab’.

If you would like hard copies of these posting to you free of charge or have different access needs, please contact Sue Steer, Clervaux Garden School, Clow Beck Centre, Darlington, DL2 2TF, by email at enquiries@clervaux.org.uk or by phone on 01325 729860

Additional information about the school and the way it operates can be found in the following document:

Practically Minded, an exploration of the value of practical activity for school-aged students