Thank you for taking the time to learn more about our school and the supportive, aspirational community we are proud to nurture.
At Darwin school, we believe every pupil deserves the opportunity to thrive, to be celebrated for who they are and to be supported to achieve their fullest potential. Our pupils bring unique strengths, personalities and aspirations, and it is our privilege to provide an environment where they feel safe, valued and inspired to learn.
We are committed to providing a nurturing setting that combines high expectations with high levels of support, care and kindness. Our dedicated staff team works closely with families and other professionals to ensure that every pupil receives personalised support tailored to their individual needs. Together, we build bespoke pathways that promote independence, communication, confidence and wellbeing.
Our curriculum is designed to be engaging, meaningful and accessible, with a strong focus on preparing our young people for life beyond school. Whether through academic learning, personal development, therapeutic approaches or enrichment opportunities, we ensure that each pupil experiences success, joy in learning and a sense of belonging.
We are incredibly proud of our inclusive, compassionate community. Darwin is a place where relationships matter, where diversity is embraced and where every achievement, big or small, is recognised and celebrated.
I invite you to read on and explore how our ethos, therapeutic approach and commitment to personalised support come together to create a school where every young person can thrive, achieve and feel a deep sense of belonging. We look forward to working with you as partners in your child’s education and celebrating their journey with us.
Carrie Fraser
Headteacher
Darwin School is a newly registered, nurturing and inclusive learning community situated in the rural village of Baldersby-St-James. As a small, safe and welcoming school, we pride ourselves on creating an environment where every pupil is valued, understood and supported to achieve their potential. Our therapeutic, trauma-informed approach underpins all aspects of daily school life, ensuring pupils feel secure, connected and ready to learn.
We offer a personalised and flexible curriculum aligned to the English education pathway and registered with the Department for Education and Ofsted. With class sizes kept deliberately small, pupils benefit from highly tailored teaching and consistent relational support from our specialist teachers and teaching assistants. This enables us to meet a diverse range of needs and ensures that each young person receives an education designed around their strengths, aspirations and next steps.
Darwin School has recently undergone significant renovation, creating high-quality learning environments that encourage engagement, exploration and creativity. Our facilities include a life-skills kitchen, science lab, modern interactive classrooms, a games hall and a dedicated nurture hub supporting regulation, wellbeing and social development. Our extensive outdoor grounds further enrich learning, offering a wicker shelter/outdoor classroom, horticulture and growing beds and ample green space for outdoor education, craft-based activities and environmental learning.
We make full use of our rural location to provide meaningful experiential learning. Pupils take part in horticulture projects, outdoor skills, creativity workshops and equine therapy, helping them build confidence, responsibility and connection to the natural world. These experiences complement our core academic curriculum and support the development of independence, resilience and positive wellbeing.
Darwin School supports a maximum of 24 pupils aged 11-16, allowing us to maintain a caring, relational community where all progress, academic, social or personal, is recognised and celebrated. We hold high aspirations for every pupil and are committed to helping each young person experience success, discover their strengths and move confidently toward positive and purposeful futures.
At Darwin School, our curriculum is designed to be highly personalised, flexible and aspirational. Every young person follows an individual learning pathway shaped around their needs, interests, strengths and long-term ambitions. Learning takes place across a wide range of environments- in school, in the community, outdoors, online and through therapeutic and vocational experiences, allowing each learner to progress at a pace and in a way that feels safe, meaningful and motivating.
Our provision is centred around a Therapeutic Parenting model, where every interaction is rooted in understanding, safety and connection. Staff are extensively trained to recognise the impact of trauma and attachment on a young person’s development, and to respond with consistency, empathy and attuned communication.
We view behaviour as a form of communication. Rather than focusing on managing or containing behaviours, our staff work to understand the underlying needs being expressed. This approach supports effective safeguarding, reduces crisis responses and creates an environment where young people feel safe to regulate, reflect and build positive relationships.
Therapeutic approaches are embedded across learning and care: from day-to-day interactions to curriculum planning and targeted interventions. Depending on individual needs, this may include counselling, CBT-based strategies, creative and sensory therapies, outdoor learning, or relational mentoring. Our in-house Psychology team can provide additional support, guidance and clinical oversight to ensure approaches are appropriate and trauma-informed.
Therapeutic practice is not an add-on at Pebbles, it is the foundation of our entire model. By prioritising relationships and emotional safety, our therapeutic model enables young people to rebuild trust, develop confidence, engage more positively in learning and make meaningful progress academically, socially and emotionally.
All relevant school policies, procedures, and educational documentation are available here. These include safeguarding, admissions, curriculum, complaints and quality assurance information.
