Description

The Mulberry Bush School, with its postcode OX29 7RW and situated in Standlake, Oxfordshire, is a unique non-maintained special school dedicated to providing outstanding therapeutic residential care and education to children, ages 5 to 13, who have suffered severe early years trauma. The school, inspiring the charity's work, was established in 1948 to transform the lives of children affected by childhood trauma using a carefully tailored integrated therapeutic approach.

The Mulberry Bush School creates a therapeutic environment allowing children to manage their anxiety, build stability, and overcome traumatic experiences through an integrated, therapeutic approach to all aspects of their lives. The school offers 38-week and 52-week residential care and education, with high adult-to-child ratios and a focus on individualized learning plans. The school's integrated therapeutic, social, and emotional development curriculum emphasizes sensory, play-based, and outdoor learning, promoting the development of self-confidence and positive relationships.

The Mulberry Bush School is the heart of the charity's practice, and it contributes to research in therapeutic residential and foster care. The school provides support for the children's families and communities, professional development, and training, including consultation services and research.

Mulberry Bush is committed to working collaboratively, and the school adheres to three core principles: a good psychodynamic understanding; development of reflective cultures; and collaborative working environments. The school's therapeutic approach is widely recognized and has gained public attention, including featured by the BBC in a documentary film, "Hold Me Tight, Let Me Go," directed by Kim Longinotto.