Specialist alternative provision across South East England
Wild Minds provides specialist, therapeutic education for children and young people aged 11–25 with SEND, SEMH needs, anxiety, trauma, neurodivergence and barriers to attending school or college, across three specialist sites, commissioned through schools, colleges and local authorities.
The Farm Campus
Animal care · Vocational skills · Outdoor learning
Acorn House
Therapeutic support · Functional skills · Small-group learning
Cookham Lodge
Preparation for adulthood · Employability · Vocational pathways
The practice sequence
This is not a slogan bolted onto the provision. It is the sequence practitioners plan against, record against and are supervised against. This is the spine of The WILD Framework™.
Read the FrameworkNothing begins until a young person is regulated and feels physically and emotionally safe in the environment and with the adults in it.
Trusted, consistent relationships come next. Behaviour is communication; connection is what makes it legible and workable.
Learning, accreditation and preparation for adulthood follow once safety and connection hold. Progress is the outcome, not the entry requirement.
Contents
Rolling starts across three specialist sites. Tiered placements, EHCP-aligned outcomes and framework-evidenced progress.
Make a referralWhat the day involves, who we support, how young people settle, and how to talk to us without a formal referral.
For familiesEmbed a defined practice methodology, shared language and digital infrastructure inside your own provision.
For providersA four-stage practitioner pathway from Foundation to Lead, plus assessor, supervisor and trainer designations.
For practitionersPlacement pathways
Five distinct pathways sit inside the same framework, so a young person can move stage to stage without changing practice language, planning or evidence.
Programmes and structureRe-engagement, emotional regulation, confidence, relationships and the foundations for learning.
Personal development, functional learning, vocational exploration and preparation for the next stage.
Personal development, functional skills, vocational learning, independence and preparation for adulthood.
Vocational skills, workplace confidence, independence and progression towards employment, volunteering or further training.
Individual placements for learners requiring intensive, highly personalised and low-demand support, available across all age ranges.
Learners may move between sites as readiness develops
Animal care · Vocational skills · Outdoor learning
A practical, outdoor setting focused on animal care, land-based skills, construction and vocational learning. A highly regulating environment where learners build responsibility, confidence and engagement through hands-on activity.
Therapeutic support · Functional skills · Small-group learning
A calm, indoor therapeutic hub supporting personal development, functional skills, small group work and structured learning in a low-arousal environment.
Preparation for adulthood · Employability · Vocational pathways
A classroom-based setting supporting re-engagement with education, functional skills and preparation for next steps, including college and employment pathways.
Five interconnected strands
Emotional wellbeing, self-regulation, therapeutic education and personal development.
Physical development, outdoor education, health and adventure learning.
Animal care, construction, horticulture, hospitality, enterprise and employability.
Independent living, cooking, money management, travel training and home skills.
Preparation for adulthood, careers, supported internships and employability skills.
Get in touch
If you are a parent, school or professional, we are happy to talk through whether a Wild Minds placement is the right fit before anything formal begins.
