Who We Are
Larwood is a successful and forward-thinking primary special school based in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. We support up to 163 pupils aged 5–11 with a range of social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs. Many of our pupils also have diagnoses including ADHD, autism and other special educational needs.
Our Sites
Larwood School operates across two sites:
Stevenage, Hertfordshire – Our established school sits within spacious, purpose-built grounds offering excellent facilities for learning, sport, play and recreation.
Dunstable, Bedfordshire – Our newest provision, opened in December 2025, caters for up to 40 pupils and extends our specialist support to families in Bedfordshire.
Pathways Satellite Provision
Based at our Stevenage site, Pathways is a dedicated satellite provision supporting 18 pupils from Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. This innovative full-time provision combines 50% in-person learning with 50% online learning, offering flexibility and personalised support tailored to individual needs.
Every member of our highly skilled team across all our provisions plays a vital role in helping pupils succeed – both academically and personally.
Our Vision
At Larwood, we believe every child deserves an outstanding education in an environment where they feel safe, valued and supported. We are committed to helping each pupil reach their full potential across all areas of development – academic, social, emotional and behavioural.
We aim to empower our children with the skills, confidence and resilience they need to thrive in an ever-changing world.
Our Philosophy
Our vision and approach to the leadership and management of our pupils is underpinned by a philosophy that is guided by our pupils, parents and staff. It is challenged and supported by our governing body. We also ensure that we are compliant with the various groups that we work with (for example, Hertfordshire County Council and Ofsted).
Our Pupils Will:
- Be encouraged in a variety of ways to engage in all activities to promote their progress, improve their behaviour and make the necessary changes to engage in their own education. They will achieve!
- Experience consistent boundaries and expectations with staff trained in Hertfordshire Steps. We expect them to make changes!
- Value themselves and others and be able to set realistic goals and targets. We believe that our pupils can improve and we aim to help them believe this as well!
- Develop a sense of pride in themselves, their work and being part of ‘Team Larwood.’ They know that we enjoy working with them and hope they enjoy working with us!
- Go on to become life-long learners!
- Become more resilient as young people, moving forward to secondary schools and further/higher education.
- Have their work and achievements praised and rewarded in a variety of ways to help develop their own self-esteem, alongside their social and emotional development.
- Experience success! They will achieve, believe, expect and enjoy!
Our Staff:
- Are encouraging, empathetic, well-trained and love working with our pupils.
- Will go the ‘extra mile’ to help pupils make the changes they need to make.
- Appreciate that they are preparing pupils for jobs that don’t even exist right now!
- Promote the values of respect, responsibility, honesty, hard work, equality and appreciation of differences.
- Provide pupils with the opportunity to express themselves in a safe, productive and reassuring manner.
- Promote educational development in the widest sense including intellect, creativity and physical development.
- Promote the role of the family — whatever shape or form that may take.
- Provide a well-resourced, safe and welcoming environment for everybody.
- Use Relational Approach – previously known as Therapeutic Thinking/Hertfordshire Steps as a behaviour management process to enable our pupils to become able to self-regulate more often and with independence.
- Enable and encourage a love of learning for fun!
- Model the behaviour that we expect from pupils so that they can undertake the future roles that they would like and make a meaningful contribution to their communities and society.
- Liaise with parents and other professionals to promote the very best outcomes for all of our pupils.
Our Values:
Our school ethos encourages a range of values, to support our vision and purpose. This
includes:
- Honesty
- Equality
- Resilience
- Empathy
- Determination
- Democratic Processes
- Being responsible
- Respect for others
- Tolerance
- Respect for the law
Such values are seen in our day-to-day interactions, such as assemblies, class discussions, playtimes, lunchtimes and via our curriculum provision.
Larwood – where we belong!