At Pebbles, we believe that every young person deserves an education that is built around them, one that recognises their experiences, nurtures their strengths and supports them to move forward with confidence.
As Head of Education for Pebbles, I am proud to lead a group of schools that place relationships, wellbeing and high-quality learning at the heart of everything we do. Many of our learners are care-experienced or have experienced trauma, disrupted schooling or barriers to engagement. We understand that for education to be successful, young people must first feel understood, respected and secure.
Across our schools, we deliver bespoke and flexible learning pathways that combine academic study, vocational learning, personal development and therapeutic support. Our curriculum is designed not only to support qualifications, but to develop independence, resilience and the skills young people need for positive futures. We work with each learner at their pace, celebrating progress in all its forms and keeping aspirations high.
Our dedicated staff teams work closely with care teams, families and partner agencies to provide consistency and continuity for young people. Strong relationships sit at the heart of our approach, underpinned by high expectations, trauma-informed practice and a belief in what every learner can achieve.
While all Pebbles schools are guided by a shared vision and values, each school has its own identity and specialism, shaped by the needs of its learners and local communities. I encourage you to explore our individual school pages, where you will find a welcome from each Headteacher and further detail about their setting.
Thank you for taking the time to learn more about Pebbles Education. We are proud of the work we do and the difference it makes to the lives of young people.
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Glenn Gibson
Head of Education
Pebbles Education is more than just a school. It is a relationship-centred, therapeutic approach to learning, designed to meet the complex and diverse needs of the young people we support across all of our settings.
Our schools are underpinned by a shared educational model that recognises that young people learn best when they feel safe, understood, and valued. Grounded in the Six Principles of Nurture, our approach offers flexible learning pathways that allow education to take place in the way that best supports each individual. These pathways are carefully blended to create personalised learning journeys that adapt over time as young people develop confidence, emotional regulation and readiness to learn.
Classroom Learning
Remote Learning
Therapeutic Approach
Vocational Development
Outdoor Education
Across Pebbles Education, we work with young people who have often experienced disrupted education or barriers to engagement. Our adaptive and trauma-informed approach enables learners to re-engage with education at a pace that feels safe, manageable and meaningful, while maintaining high aspirations for progress and achievement.
Through our model, young people develop a wide range of skills including personal and social development, emotional regulation, resilience, independence and vocational competencies. Our staff teams are highly trained in therapeutic parenting and relational practice, ensuring learning is always rooted in strong, attuned relationships and a deep understanding of each young person’s experiences.
Alongside this, Pebbles schools provide access to a range of accredited qualifications and wider achievement opportunities, including academic awards, vocational learning and recognised programmes that support progression into positive destinations such as further education, training, apprenticeships and employment.
More than just a school, Pebbles Education offers a nurturing, therapeutic and aspirational environment where young people can rebuild trust in education, recognise their strengths and take confident steps towards their future.
Welcome every pupil to the Pebbles community and nurture them to ensure they settle to learning. We are specialist practitioners of trauma informed practice and design our experiences to deliver Therapeutic Education.
Every individual is a valued and listened to member of our learning community, and every member of the community has a voice.Â
Our tenacious approach means we never give up and every young person receives their entitlement, even if they have had multiple education and care placements previously.
Barriers to engagement are identified in partnership with our psychology team and approaches planned, implemented, and reviewed for pupils to ensure they are fully engaged in their own Adapt Learning pathway.
Our core values are the fundamental beliefs of our organisation. These guiding principles dictate our organisation’s behaviour and can help people understand the difference between right and wrong. Pebbles Education’s core values also help us and others to determine whether us/they are on the right path and fulfilling goals.
We take responsibility for our words, actions, and results, creating a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment for everyone at Pebbles.
We carefully review each referral to ensure we can meet the young person’s educational, therapeutic and wider support needs. This process includes gathering information from referring stakeholders, previous education providers, parents/carers and multi-agency professionals wherever possible.
We work collaboratively with local authorities, care providers and families to plan for a smooth admission. Where appropriate, we can accelerate the admissions process to ensure a young person can begin their learning journey without unnecessary delay.
We are also an approved provider on the Scotland Excel Framework for Children’s Residential Services.
