Welcome to Hartmore School
Hartmore School is a specialist, independent day-provision for children aged 8 to 18 years. In early 2018 Hartmore School changed its name from Marlowe School, it now being owned and operated by Hartmore Education Ltd. The majority of our pupil population is made up from children who have a Special Educational Need and Disability (SEND) in the categories of Social, Emotional & Mental Health (SEMH). We are located in a lovely, Grade-two listed school building in the village of Hartpury, near to Gloucester.
Many of our pupils have been significantly educationally disadvantaged. We believe we can and do make a difference to them and their futures. Our experienced staff team have a proven record of re-engaging even the most educationally alienated children; helping them achieve measurable progress, enjoy learning and begin to make up for lost opportunities.
Working successfully with our pupils requires a well-trained and highly cohesive team. We offer very high adult-pupil ratios in the classroom, with typically very small class sizes. Not only do our teaching team need to be able inspire a fresh love of learning, but on occasion also need to be able to positively and calmly manage sometimes extremely distressed and challenging children. Some of our pupils have experienced significant attachment difficulties and trauma during their early childhood; others find coping with unpredictability and high levels of social pressure difficult and destabilising; almost all have not yet developed the necessary emotional maturity and skills necessary for consistently regulating their emotions. As such, we endeavour to provide a learning environment which is both calm and structured. For us, positive behaviour management is about devolving the right atmosphere in which incidents are averted, or at worse quickly diffused. This approach is underpinned by the principles of PACE (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, Empathy) and the work of clinical psychologist Dan Brown. Our approach includes helping our children learn to reflect upon, grow and learn from even very difficult experiences. This means being prepared to give pupils another chance for a fresh start. We have very low-levels for pupil exclusion, only ever using it as a short-term option for all concern to devise effective strategies for the future.
Hartmore School is divided into two distinct departments. We have a discreet, independently functioning Primary block with its own teaching team, building, playground and facilities for up to 10 KS2 children. The main school building provides a range of general classroom and other specialist facilities (science lab, food technology area, library, private study rooms) for up to 24 pupils at KS3 and KS4. In total, the School can cater for a combined maximum of 30 pupils.
We offer a full curriculum of academic subjects, with an emphasis on literacy, numeracy, science and IT. Formal external examinations are offered for all suitable pupils, up to and including GCSEs. In addition there is an active creative curriculum, with a belief in instilling love of the arts and generating the necessary confidence to stretch imaginations. There is an extensive physical curriculum with pupils given the opportunities to improve their fitness, focus their competitiveness, develop cooperative skills, and a sense personal achievement and fair play. We offer the chance to participate in traditional team sports and well as outdoor, adventuresome activities. We have also developed a network to support our older pupils to successfully manage the transition between school and the world of work, further education and training.
Pupils are exclusively referred to us by Local Education Authorities. However, parents and other key stakeholders may contact us directly for informal discussions, and even to arrange visits. Our fees are only payable by an LEA or other similar body (like a social services department). Unfortunately, we do not accept fees directly from parents or other private individuals. We are a day-school with no residential provision. However, we have a very close and cooperative working relationship with children’s residential and adolescent mental health care provider Genesis cte, who have homes nearby.
Whilst we do our utmost to ensure that every pupil is given as many opportunities to succeed and reach their potential as we can success for our pupils should not be limited to academic achievement. There are often significant changes that help our children to enable them to go on to lead happy successful lives. Our ‘Character Curriculum’ shapes our approach to everything we do. We believe the development of educational skills must go alongside the development of social, interpersonal and relationship skills; as well as character and values. Its effectiveness is evidenced by the fact that, despite significant historical difficulties with education in their past, that we have in the last six years been able to support a large proportion of pupils to return to mainstream school or move on to post-16 provision.
We would welcome inquiries or requests for further information. Please contact the Headteacher, Mr. Harry Howells.
