Maypole School caters for a wide range of complex needs. We are a primarily a school for pupils with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) difficulties; but also for children who do not display challenging behaviour, whose primary needs may for example be severe anxiety, or severe speech and language difficulties, or severe learning difficulties.

How we group children   

Underlying these difficulties, most of our pupils will also have some combination of additional complex needs, such as Anxiety disorders, ASD, ADHD, FASD, PDA, OCD, ODD, Toxic Childhood Stress / Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), Attachment difficulties, Developmental Trauma or Delay, Speech and Language difficulties, Sensory Processing difficulties, Cognition and Learning difficulties, Specific Learning Difficulties such as Dyslexia and Dyspraxia; and more. 

Some of our young people will have displayed challenging behaviour at their previous schools, and we have many children who were out of school for extended periods prior to starting at Maypole.  

"He loved his taster morning, he wants to come to the school. He was really cross that I came to pick him up and that he had to leave."

Parent, Maypole School (Sunbury), January 2024

"I've never seen him so relaxed, so happy. And he never likes any school. He said "Mum, I love it. The teachers help me. If you're struggling, someone helps you.""

Parent, Maypole School (Leigham Court), January 2024