Think Differently Education is an outdoor alternative educational provision designed to support some of the most vulnerable students in the North East. Those who are neurodivergent and experience anxiety. Those children who have struggled in school and disengaged from education and other parts of daily life.

Our provision is designed and run by experienced teachers with professional, personal and parenting experience with neurodivergence and the complex issues associated with it. It is set up to provide a calm and nurturing environment where these students learn to feel safe again and begin to re-engage in learning.

Meeting Student Where they are

Whether your student is just beginning to disengage and you want an alternative provision placement as a preventative measure, they disengaged years ago and now barely leave their home, or anything in between, we have a personalised plan for you.

Our safety-first philosophy means we prioritise relationship-building and sensory regulation before expectation. This ensures our students feel safe enough to begin healing and supports their ability to re-engage in their education in the long term rather than burning out after a few months.

Safety First

By the time students reach our provision, both the students and their families have been through many struggles and challenges. We offer gentle interventions to build trust in our staff and environment.  Initially meeting with parents and students outside the setting, focusing on developing relationships with them. We then give a slow-paced introduction to the woodland when the young person is ready.

Woodland Provision

Our outdoor learning sessions are gentle, low-demand and intended to give each student a sense of emotional safety. Sessions start in a predictable but calm way, allowing students to settle in and be ready to engage with the environment. We'll offer a range of activities to support learning across different areas, with plenty of time for free play, socialising, and building trust with peers and the adults on site. Activities will be child-led, allowing students to follow their own interests at their own pace.

Personalised Support 

Our early focus on building relationships and emotional safety allows our teachers to get to know our students really well.  This, paired with careful observations and regular one-to-one catch-up sessions with individual students, allows us to offer tailored support.  We work together to identify areas of interest.  Teachers use this information to plan a range of low-demand learning opportunities for students to develop their skills and spark new interests.

This gives our neurodivergent students opportunities to work with their interest-based nervous system and deep dive into their special interests learning as they go.   

What makes us Different?

• The provision is designed and run by teachers with more than 20 years' experience in a range of settings, including an EBSA provision,
• We specialises in supporting students who struggle to attend school because of anxiety,
• Our staff have a mix of lived, professional and parenting experience of neurodivergence, offering us unique perspectives and insights,
• We fully integrate interest-led academic studies into our outdoor learning opportunities,
• We offer opportunities to pursue academic qualifications.