The Safe Spaces Project
Havenswood Safe Spaces
Flexible support for children who are struggling in traditional school settings.
Havenswood Safe Spaces are flexible, supportive learning environments designed for neurodivergent children who are out of school, on reduced timetables, struggling to attend, or are regularly missing lessons and school / community-based social opportunities. We also support children who are homeschooled not by choice and those on EOTAS support packages.
Our Safe Spaces groups are not intended to replace education, but to complement and support it by providing calm, low-pressure environments where children can take time out to regulate, rebuild confidence, develop friendships and continue learning in ways that work for them.
Through creative projects, enrichment activities, life skills, outdoor learning and therapeutic approaches, we help children and young people feel safe, understood and able to thrive at their own pace.
SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENTS
Sessions combine emotional safety, relationship-based support and personalised learning opportunities in open plan, low sensory classrooms, with calm spaces, and small groups where children can rebuild confidence, develop friendships and rediscover a love of learning.
These small, supportive groups are designed to provide enriching experiences, and create meaningful opportunities for friendships, learning together, gentle teamwork and social connection.
Our focus is on rebuilding confidence, reducing isolation, and helping children rediscover a positive relationship with learning. All sessions are supervised by a qualified SEND teacher, trainee teachers and volunteers with experience in supporting children with neurodivergent profiles, ensuring a calm, understanding environment where every child feels safe, valued, and able to thrive.
Home Education and EOTAS ( education other than at school) Learning
We also recognise that, despite everyone's best efforts, some children are simply unable to attend mainstream school due to sensory, social, emotional or environmental challenges. We are here for those children too. Whether a child is home educated through necessity, accessing an EOTAS package Havenswood provides safe, supportive spaces where they can learn, connect with others, build friendships, develop skills and continue moving forward on their educational journey.
Please note that our Safe Space sessions are for children struggling to access mainstream education successfully, those who are excluded from school, are home schooled not by choice, or are part of an EOTAS package. Because of the demand for spaces we need to apply these criteria rigorously. There is no official charge for our groups at present, but we do ask for a donation if you are able to afford to contribute.
A Community-Led Initiative
We are committed to keeping our sessions accessible and inclusive. We wish we could offer free sessions for everyone, however, as an independent charity, we rely on fundraising and community support to make these programmes possible.
Without ongoing financial support, we cannot provide the range of services families need. If you are in a position to contribute - whether through fundraising, a regular monthly donation, or offering practical help - we would be incredibly grateful. Together, we can secure a stable and positive future for children who struggle to learn and socialise in mainstream settings.