Who We Are
Larwood is a successful and forward-thinking primary special school based in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. We support up to 105 pupils aged 4–11 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 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.
Our Academy and Trust
Our Academy and Trust
In 2016, Larwood became an academy, giving us greater flexibility to expand and enhance our provision. This has enabled us to develop innovative services and partnerships that benefit even more children and schools:
The Space Hub
A specialist setting for up to 16 pupils whose primary need is autism. The Space Hub provides tailored support in a calm, structured environment designed to meet the specific sensory and communication needs of autistic learners.
Larwood Outreach Service
We support up to 25 primary schools across Stevenage, offering expert advice, pupil support and staff training in SEMH and inclusive practice. Our outreach work helps mainstream schools better meet the needs of vulnerable pupils.
Brandles School Partnership
In 2020, Brandles School – a secondary SEMH school – joined our Trust. We work closely together to ensure smooth transitions for pupils moving from primary to secondary education, maintaining continuity of support and promoting strong outcomes throughout their school journey.
Our Commitment
Larwood School will help our pupils believe, achieve, expect and enjoy! We succeed where other schools cannot, and for that reason our school is a special place to learn and develop.
We are dedicated to continuous improvement and innovation. Our pupils’ progress – whether in behaviour, relationships, academics or personal development – drives everything we do.
At Larwood, every child matters. Every achievement is celebrated. And every member of our community plays a part in helping our pupils shine.
Together, we achieve the extraordinary.
In this Section
- About Us
- Admissions
- Prospectus
- Our Heritage
- Our Vision & Purpose
- Term Dates
- Calendar – Stevenage
- Calendar – Dunstable
- School Uniform
- School Meals – Stevenage
- School Meals – Dunstable
- School Day – Stevenage
- School Day – Dunstable
- Assembly Rota – Stevenage
- Assembly Rota – Dunstable
- Outreach Services
- Outreach Referrals
- Outreach Behavioural Panels
- Outreach Tiers Overview
- In-Reach
- Nurture Room
- Trustees
- Governors
- Hiring School Facilities
- Staff Vacancies