Hawthorn Learning Pod exists to support students who are currently not able to thrive attending full-time in a mainstream school environment, or who need the flexibility of some home education and some collaborative and professionally facilitated learning. We work closely with parents and carers, schools, childcare and healthcare professionals and our local authority to provide an alternative provision for those students. Our aim is to support children and equip them with the resources to access mainstream education and vocational training later in their educational journey. We also support children who are flexi-schooling to provide much needed respite from a full-time school placement.

Students are admitted to the Pod following consultation with parents and carers, our needs coordinator (Tomlin) and our education lead (Maz) or following a request from the Local Authority where a child has an Education and Health Care Plan in place. All children are offered an individualised plan to transition into the pod in the most positive way for them.