Outstanding therapeutic education

If you are an education professional or a family member with an enquiry about a young person we may be able to help, please click here.

Ellern Mede Schools are OFSTED-registered with the school in Mill Hill serving our two London hospitals. The school has been rated as Outstanding in three consecutive inspections, most recently in 2022. Ellern Mede Moorgate School in Rotherham is led by the same excellent teaching principles. We will open our fourth school at Ellern Mede Derby soon.

We provide education that is either privately funded, or funded by the relevant home address local authority. Education is for both patients of Ellern Mede hospitals and for young people self-excluded due to ill health. Our purpose is to support young people avoid disruption and remain engaged with their education even through difficult times. We want to hear from parents, teachers, and local authority commissioners if we can help. With our support more than 60% of our pupils have attained A or A* exam results over the past eight years.

By law, every child under 16 has the right to receive education, even when they are facing barriers such as mental or physical ill health or disabilities. Children who attend state-funded school are usually funded for the education they receive in hospital through their local authority. Privately schooled children may apply for funding or be privately-funded by their family for education whilst in hospital.

When the right therapeutic education, centred around each young person’s specific needs, is delivered, it not only maintains their engagement with education, but plays an important part in their health recovery.

Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP)s are often appropriate to help a young person and family. We help you to apply for these and put them in place. Ellern Mede Schools also support post discharge and post educational input. We do this by working with Local Authorities and NHS Community Teams, with EHCPs to ensure support is in place for the young person and family in their own home town. The recovery achieved in full time healthcare is sustainable after discharge when this sort of support is offered.

We provide a curriculum consisting of all the core subjects which are taught to GCSE and A Level such as English Language, English Literature, Mathematics, French, Spanish, German, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography, History, Art, Art and Design, Textiles, Sociology, Psychology, Drama and Music. The breadth of the curriculum is enhanced through lessons provided, as required, for individual students, including Personal Social and Health Education (PSHE). We also provide engaging extra-curricular activities. This is the case for our new school in Moorgate, Rotherham as well.

Schools’ Ethos

The schools’ ethos is of great importance. We provide environments in which the children and young people feel safe, accepted, and satisfied with their own achievements. We promote their self-confidence. Our expert staff work closely with the health and education professionals who form part of the young person’s wider mainstream school team as well as the family. By involving everyone concerned we can all help to ensure a sustainable future for the young person. Read more about the schools’ aims and ethos.

How to refer / apply for educational support through Ellern Mede Schools

Most government school-educated young people who are inpatients at Ellern Mede hospitals are admitted to Ellern Mede Schools. The school day forms the core of each day for most inpatients, from 9.30 to 15.00 with breaks for snack and lunch. Sample Timetable. It is generally recommended that privately-schooled children admitted should also ideally participate in this education. We arrange funding wherever possible with the relevant local authority. We involve the home school and the family. Many private patients do take up the offer of this educational support with the family providing funding.

Young people who are not inpatients at an Ellern Mede hospital but who do have special educational needs linked to health that has caused them to be unable to attend school or to self-exclude can also apply for educational support to any of Ellern Mede Schools.

When a young person funded by the NHS is receiving treatment at an Ellern Mede hospital, the school will contact the young persons’ home school and local authority to advise them of their admission and arrange for education to proceed and to ensure funding is secured. If a patient is paying privately, we can tailor a package for the length of stay and the specific needs of the young person, again, in contact with the home school, the family and any available funders. The daily charge for education at an Ellern Mede School is £175.

Every young person has a Key Teacher. Every young person at the point of being ready to go home, can be supported with a plan for future learning support which may include application for an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP). Ellern Mede Schools are expert in making these arrangements which are reviewed annually, and stay in place until a young person reaches the age of 25.

Ellern Mede Schools Term Dates

Both Ellern Mede School in Mill Hill and Ellern Mede Moorgate School in Rotherham follow the same term dates, which closely match both the term dates for Barnsley in Rotherham and Barnet in London. The 2021/2022 school year for both London and Rotherham Schools began for pupils on Friday 3rd September 2021 and completed on Wednesday 20th July 2022. There are 190 school days (academic days) per year with five inset (staff training) days.

The 2022/2023 school year begins on Monday 5th September 2022 and will complete on Friday 21st July 2023.

Please visit the Ellern Mede Schools website for more information and to view school policies and download Term Dates.