A Place to Belong and Become
Every learner has unique brilliance waiting to be discovered. We create personalised education that adapts to your child’s individual learning differences and strengths. Where all children thrive and build brighter futures.
We work with children who have found traditional education challenging, often because of trauma, sensory differences, or social and emotional needs. Rather than expecting them to fit into rigid systems, we design learning around each child’s unique potential.
Include | St Matthews is more than a school. It’s a therapeutic community where every child is seen, heard, and valued. We believe every young person deserves to feel they belong, and that starts with celebrating them as individuals.
Our curriculum builds trust, nurtures independence, and creates safe emotional spaces for learning. Through compassionate expertise, learners gain confidence to take ownership of their education in an environment where they feel secure and respected.
Relationships are at the heart of everything we do. By reconnecting with education in meaningful ways, our learners grow in self-belief, form lasting connections, and rediscover who they are. Not just as learners, but as young people with boundless potential and purpose.
Ready to see how your child could thrive? Book a visit to experience our inclusive community firsthand.
Discover how your child thrives in our inclusive community where every learner's unique strengths are celebrated and nurtured.
Find out what daily life is like at Include | St Matthews, where you can be authentically yourself while reaching your full potential.
Learn how our evidence-based approach delivers outstanding outcomes for learners with diverse needs in your community.
Every learner deserves to feel safe, seen, and supported. At Include | St Matthews, we create a therapeutic community where children can rebuild trust, discover their strengths, and flourish.
Our trauma-informed approach recognises that emotional wellbeing and academic progress go hand in hand. We create calm, predictable spaces beside the River Derwent where learners feel safe to be themselves. Therapeutic support is woven into every moment of the school day, not added on afterwards.
Each child receives personalised emotional support from our therapists, pastoral team, and teaching staff. Whether they need quiet spaces to regulate, movement breaks, or explicit social and emotional teaching, we adapt to what each learner needs.
Many learners arrive after repeated setbacks in traditional settings. We help them rebuild confidence through strength-based approaches, celebration of small wins, and close work with families, so they leave ready for their next steps.
Every child deserves education that recognises their unique brilliance whilst building essential life skills. Our Include Learning Principles create a comprehensive framework where personalised learning meets real-world readiness.
These seven interconnected principles guide everything we do. From daily classroom practice to long-term planning, each principle ensures your child develops the confidence, creativity, and capabilities they need to thrive.
Building confident voices through personalised communication approaches. Whether through speech, sign, technology, or creative expression, every learner discovers how to share their thoughts, connect with others, and advocate for themselves.
Developing self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and life skills that matter. Learners explore identity, relationships, mental health, and practical independence through age-appropriate, meaningful experiences.
Creating lifelong wellness habits through movement, nutrition, and self-care. Physical and mental wellbeing aren’t add-ons to learning. They’re the foundation that makes everything else possible.
Unlocking the power of language through stories, creativity, and critical thinking. Reading, writing, and literature become tools for understanding the world and expressing individual perspectives with confidence.
Making numbers meaningful through practical problem-solving and real-world applications. Mathematical thinking becomes a tool for logical reasoning, financial literacy, and understanding patterns in everyday life.
Exploring history, geography, cultures, and communities to understand how we all connect. Learners develop global awareness, cultural appreciation, and their role as active citizens in an interconnected world.
Innovation through hands-on discovery and creative problem-solving. Combining scientific inquiry with artistic expression, learners develop the curiosity and skills needed for future careers and lifelong learning.