The Emberfield Approach: Regulation. Relationship. Results.
When a young person feels genuinely safe and deeply known, their natural curiosity returns. I do not teach classes. I mentor individuals. Every decision at Emberfield — from the size of the group to the shape of the day — is made with one question in mind: what does this young person's nervous system actually need in order to learn?
How it works in practice
Regulation before expectation. Learning cannot happen in a dysregulated body. Every morning begins with arrival, warmth, and settling — before anything academic is asked.
Relationship before curriculum. I work with a maximum of four external learners. This is not about exclusivity. It is about knowing every young person well enough to notice what is off before they have the words for it.
A human pace. The day runs from 9:00 to 2:45, structured but unhurried. There is no homework. Home is for rest.
Phone-free. I protect attention, presence, and real-world connection as non-negotiables.
Curiosity and agency. Young people here are supported to think deeply, develop their own direction, and engage with learning on their own terms.
Creativity and difference. Neurodivergent minds are understood and valued — not fixed.
Real-world capability. Academic learning sits alongside cooking, gardening, personal finance, and practical independence
Whole-person development
Emberfield is not a therapeutic setting. I do not medicalise or pathologise learners. My approach is relational and humane, grounded in everyday practices that support regulation and confidence. Whole-person development is woven through the daily rhythm — not delivered as a separate programme.
EHCPs and EOTAS
I respect and read EHCPs carefully. Emberfield Growth is currently in the process of registering as an Alternative Provision on the Buckinghamshire Family Information Service Directory. Once registered, I will be able to accept long-term EOTAS commissioning for learners whose EHCP specifies education otherwise than at school. In the interim, all placements are privately funded. If your child holds an EHCP and you are exploring EOTAS options, I would love to have that conversation.
I do not offer short-term, emergency, or interim placements. All placements are long-term, with a minimum commitment of one academic year, to protect the cohort and every young person within it.
Legal framework - Private Families
Parents in the UK have the legal right to educate their children outside school under Section 7 of the Education Act 1996. I operate within this home-education framework as a private mentor and tutor. Parents retain full legal responsibility for their child's education.
To support families navigating Local Authority requirements, I provide a Robust Evidence Portfolio for every learner, mapped to IGCSE standards with termly progress reports. The Emberfield Parent Compass sets out how our provision meets and exceeds the legal benchmarks for a suitable and efficient education.
Download the Emberfield Parent Compass: Our Approach and Compliance Charter here:
Growing with Integrity
Emberfield is the founding chapter of something larger. By opening as a small, home-based provision, I am proving a model of humane, nature-led education — demonstrating that regulation-first, relationship-led learning produces real outcomes for young people who have been failed elsewhere.
Emberfield Growth is now registered on the Buckinghamshire Family Information Service Directory and is actively working toward formal EOTAS provider status. The Founding Four are not just the first cohort. They are the proof of concept for everything that comes next.
Explore the fit for your young person
Practical information at a glance
Ages: 9–16. Investment: £15,000 per year (Inclusive of all mentoring, materials, and ASDAN fees). Location: Buckinghamshire, UK. Legal Status:Emberfield Growth Ltd is a registered company (No. 16846099) operating as a specialist alternative provision and private mentoring practice. Parents retain full legal responsibility for their child's education. Placements: All placements are governed by a formal Family Placement Agreement, provided at induction. Safeguarding: Emberfield Growth holds a full Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy, available on request.
Emberfield Growth is registered on the Buckinghamshire Family Information Service Directory.