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Specialist academic and therapeutic provision in a peaceful, rural setting, for young people aged 11-16 with additional social, emotional and mental health needs.

Aurora Beeches School

Welcome to our Special Needs Secondary School in Cranborne, Dorset

The Beeches School; where pupils are helped to make progress to realise their potential and ambitions. Taking STEPS, in the right direction towards making healthy choices and independence.

At Aurora Beeches, we believe in giving young people the tools and opportunities to create the lives they want for themselves. With high-quality teaching, an excellent level of individual support and a range of expert-led, integrated therapy, we support students with a range of additional learning needs to create and meet their own goals.


All our students are fully involved in choices around their own programmes, so that whatever their plans are – whether they want to pursue further education, training or employment – they are empowered and supported to create their own futures. Pupils are helped to make progress to realise their potential and ambitions. 

We look forward to welcoming you to Aurora Beeches.

Adele Henson, Headteacher, Aurora Beeches

A Day in the Life at

Aurora Beeches School

  • Welcome

    Welcome to The Beeches School where pupils are helped to make progress to realise their potential and ambitions. Taking STEPS in the right direction towards making healthy choices and independence.

    STEPS is the schools reward system. It stands for being Supportive of others, Being Tolerant of others views, Always putting effort into the lessons, being punctual, and keeping yourself and others safe.

    Each time you do all of these in a lesson you will get a stamp on a reward card. When you complete the card, because we feel these are such important steps, you get a £5 voucher !

  • Morning

    We start with base time. This is time with your tutor to talk about the day before of chat about the day ahead. Sometimes we have house challenges. This allows you to settle after what for some is a long taxi journey. It also allows you to have time to regulate and think what you need to be “learning ready”.

    Learning ready is different for different pupils, for some it might mean having breakfast, for others it might be quiet reading time, for others it might be a game at tutor time. Staff will get to know you very well and support you with what you need. Your tutor will also go through the day ahead and the timetable and make sure any concerns are addressed.

    On certain days you will look at words of the week which are set to support you to develop your literacy skills. Everyone knows what the words of the week are, and small prizes are awarded for those who can use the words of the week contextually in their lessons!

  • Lunch

    Lunchtime is over in the main house and staff go over with you. You can have lunch in The Beeches also and you can bring a packed lunch. Most days we have activities such as mindful colouring, Lego club, reading clubs, train club...if you have a hobby we can usually run a club around your interests!

  • Our Timetable

    The day consists of five lessons. This can be from short course in animal care to a GCSE in Art, History, Geography etc. if you are in year 10 and year 11. The last lesson of the day is Enrichment.

  • Downtime Breaks

    Our learning is structured with breaks in between. We have a fifteen minute break in the morning and one in the afternoon as well as forty five minutes for lunch. If you need to have breaks in a lesson you are encouraged to do so. It is better to have a quick five minute break and return able to focus than remain in the whole lesson and not take much in! If you have any issues staff are all here to support you. We have lots of beautiful grounds and of course animals. Each day there is a dog on site and we have two rabbits who are happy to attend lessons and more than willing to sit with you while you learn!

Latest News

  • Thank you so much for the journey you are taking us on, the difference it is making to our child’s life takes my breath away.