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WHAT WE DO And HOW WE DO IT

In 2022, we celebrated our tenth year as 'outstanding' specialists in education and therapy for pupils who have suffered adverse childhood experiences. These are known as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are traumatic events that can have negative, lasting effects on physical and emotional health and well-being.ACEs, and include trauma and Children experience toxic stress as a result of strong, frequent, and/or repeated suffering without adequate support from an adult.toxic stress. Our all-qualified team of teachers and therapists 'work as one' with pupils aged 5 to 16 who benefit from a therapeutic curriculum focused on meeting their social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs.

  • Pupils' safety always comes first. Our systems go 'above and beyond' the requirements for schools. Teaching pupils about safety and healthy relationships is at the core of our curriculum.  
  • Our unique, all-qualified professional workforce 'work as one' to provide an innovative therapeutic curriculum.  
  • Our 'always positive' and 'structured but flexible' approaches improve pupils' behaviour and attitudes over time.
  • We are committed to equality for all.
  • Our exceptional leaders are held to account by our expert independent governors. 

OUR PUPILS' SAFETY COMES FIRST

 Jo Evans is our senior vice principal responsible for safeguarding 

Pupils' safety always comes first, and is everybody's responsibility. Jo Evans leads on keeping everybody safe. She is responsible for all aspects of child protection, safeguarding and health & safety. 

 

We pay regard to statutory guidance, including the latest version of 'Keeping Children Safe in Education'.

 

Our key safeguarding documents are available here: 

 

OUR MOST RECENT INSPECTIONS

  • OHS does everything well. The schools are highly effective. (London, 2022)
  • Pupils get a fresh start and thrive. They love coming to school. (Essex, 2023)
  • Staff go beyond the ordinary to help pupils reach their full potential. (London, '22)
  • Staff ensure they show pupils that they truly care for them. (Essex, 2023)
  •  The therapeutic and academic curriculums are woven together seamlessly. (London, '22)
LATEST Ofsted REPORTS: OHS, LONDON LATEST Ofsted REPORTS: OHS, ESSEX

OUR THERAPEUTIC APPROACH

Louisa Webster is our assistant principal for therapy and our seamless therapeutic approach

Our seamless approach to therapy means that therapists and teachers 'work as one' to support pupils' social, emotional, behavioural and educational development.

We hold therapy and a therapeutic approach at the heart of everything we do, understanding that if pupils feel emotionally and mentally well, they are able to play and learn with interest and enthusiasm.


We are proud to provide the following range of therapies and support...

  • Art

    ART THERAPY

    April is an art therapist. She facilitates child-centred, creative therapy using art as a tool for connection and understanding of the pupils' inner world, their feelings and experiences. Art therapy is used to improve self awareness, self esteem, promote insights and develop emotional regulation.

  • Canine

    Canine Therapy

    We have canine therapy across all of our schools.

    Some of our dogs are volunteers and some belong to staff members. The dogs help to support pupils' emotional regulation and well-being.

    Please see our families page for a short video exploring the therapeutic benefits of having dogs at school. 

  • drama

    DRAMATHERAPY

    Louisa is a drama therapist. Dramatherapy uses creativity and the imagination to support feelings.

    It can help pupils to understand different emotions and to build confidence. In these sessions pupils can share their thoughts and experiences in a safe way using role-play, storytelling, sand-play, lots of different objects, art materials, poetry and creative writing.

  • EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

    EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

    Aysun is our educational psychologist. She provides assessments to further support our pupils in accessing the learning environment. Aysun works alongside both therapists and teachers in order to assess our pupils' needs and to develop strategies to help them. She also meets with families to discuss what they see at home and to offer additional support where needed. 

  • Family Support

    Family Support

    Our lead therapists (Louisa at Vauxhall; Jack at Walworth; Ben at Kennington; Charlotte at Great Baddow) provide our families with therapeutic support, tailored to meet the needs of the individual family - whether flexible and ad-hoc or weekly, online or face-to-face, individually or with their child. We work in an integrated way, using a variety of therapeutic tools that support families for meaningful and transformative change.

  • Integrative

    INTEGRATIVE THERAPY

    Integrative therapy is flexible, child-led and adapted to meet pupils' complex needs. Pupils can choose different ways to share their thoughts and feelings. These may include play, drama, music or art. Our psychotherapists work with pupils in the classroom as well as offering therapy sessions in the therapy room. 

  • Music

    Music Therapy

    Ben is a music therapist. He uses music and song writing to help pupils share their feelings and experiences. Aims of therapy include relieving stress,                problem-solving, understanding emotions, increasing levels of self-confidence and improving relationships. In music therapy pupils can play a range of instruments, make recordings and share music by their favourite artists.

  • OCCUPATIONAL

    OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY (OT)

    Lenez, Martha and Nicola are occupational therapists. Occupational therapy can help pupils with various needs including the need tomove around or difficulty sitting still. This, in turn, can help to build confidence, self-esteem and improve access to learning. Our occupational therapists create plans to support the development of key skills needed for pupils to learn and complete everyday tasks. They work with pupils both in the classroom and in specialist therapy spaces.

  • PLAY

    PLAY THERAPY

    Jack is a play therapist. Play therapy uses different ways of playing to help pupils develop confidence in talking to others.

    Play therapy sessions may include using sand, arts and crafts, and a range of toys.

    Play therapy is a place where pupils can think about how they are feeling and share different experiences in a safe way.



  • SPEECH AND LANGUAGE

    SPEECH & LANGUAGE THERAPY (SaLT)

    Corinne and Terisha are speech and language therapists. They assess pupils to help us understand whether there are additional speech and language needs that can be better supported in school. If additional needs are identified a pupil may then be offered group therapy, one-to-one speech and language therapy and/or indirect therapeutic support, both in the classroom or in a therapy room. 

OUR SPECIALIST CURRICULUM

Rhys Pritchard is our senior vice principal responsible for the quality of education

Our curriculum is ambitious and effective. It focuses sharply on developing pupils socially, emotionally and academically. As well as getting the therapy they need, our all-qualified team of experts teach pupils a broad range of subjects. The curriculum is complemented by an enriching extra-curricular programme, including daily after-school clubs.

Our Schools, TEAM & CONTACTS

To refer a pupil with an EHC plan for their SEMH needs, please email referrals@ohs.uk 

Our schools do not cater for pupils with a primary need of autism.

We do not facilitate visits to our schools without a formal consultation from a prospective pupil's local authority.

For any other help, please email hello@ohs.uk

We do not accommodate student/trainee placements, or make use of volunteers.

  • Octavia House School Vauxhall, London

    Key Stages 1 & 2
    Vauxhall Street, London SE11 5LG
    020 3651 4396 (option 1)

    Assistant principal
    Ms Ross

  • Octavia House School Walworth, London

    Key Stage 3
    Larcom Street, London SE17 1RT
    020 3651 4396 (option 2)

    Assistant principal
    Mr Dickens

  • Octavia House School Kennington, London

    Key Stage 4
    Kennington Rd, London SE11 6AU
    020 3651 4396 (option 3)

    Assistant principal
    Ms Knight

  • OCTAVIA HOUSE SCHOOLGreat Baddow, Essex

    Key Stages 1–3
    High St, Great Baddow CM2 7HH
    020 3651 4396 (option 4)

    Assistant principal
    Mr Putman

The senior vice principal for safety, safeguarding and compliance is Joanne Evans.

The senior vice principal for quality and standards is Rhys Pritchard

The principal for all schools, and Octavia House Schools' CEO, is James Waite. 

The proprietor body for both Octavia House Schools, London and Octavia House Schools, Essex is Octavia House Schools Limited (08047473), registered at 37 Warren Street, London W1T 6AD.  Richard Leonard chairs the proprietor and governing bodies of both schools. He is contactable in writing at the Kennington address above or by telephone via the main switchboard. 

The governing body for both schools comprises an expert group of highly-experienced inspectors, leaders and therapists. Our external governors are: Emily Barlow, Lesley Cox, Barney Payne and John Seal.