• 01244 604 063
  • hello@cumbershouse.co.uk
  • Cumbers House: Gredington, Hanmer, Whitchurch SY13 3DH
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About cumbers house

A school with a long memory and a steady hand

We exist for young people whose stories haven’t been simple, and whose potential has too often been overlooked. This is who we are, why we began and what we quietly insist upon — every day, for every pupil.

Our story

Why we began, and why we stay small

Cumbers House was founded by a small group of educators, carers and clinicians who had spent years working at the edges of mainstream and specialist provision. We kept meeting young people who needed something more carefully made, and families who had run out of places to ask.

 

So we built it. A school small enough to truly know each pupil, resourced enough to do the work properly and patient enough to let progress take the time it needs.

 

We do not aspire to grow into something larger. We aspire to keep being precisely this, only better, year on year.

Our outlook

"We are not in a hurry. Real progress, with the young people we serve, rarely arrives in a straight line, and almost never on a deadline."
Tara Jones
Headtacher
What we stand for

Four things we won't compromise on

Plenty of things at Cumbers House are open to discussion. These four are not. They shape every decision, every hire and every pupil’s day.

Small by design

A maximum of twenty pupils, never more. Small enough that no young person slips through the gaps, and large enough to feel like a real community.

Relational, not transational

We measure ourselves on the quality of the relationships we build. Trust is earned slowly, kept patiently and protected fiercely, without exception.

Personalised in practice

Every timetable, every target, every adjustment is carefully shaped around the unique needs of the young person in front of us, not the other way around.

Honest about what works

We borrow from the best of mainstream, specialist and therapeutic practice, and we are quick to change anything that isn't serving a pupil well.

The idea

Born from a gap, not a gap in the market

Cumbers House began in conversations with families, social workers and local authorities who kept describing the same missing thing – a small, genuinely specialist setting that felt like a place, not a programme.

The home

A house, not an institution

We chose a building that already felt like somewhere a young person could belong. Domestic in scale, warm in feel, with room to think, learn, cook, garden and breathe.

The team

Hired for who they are, then for what they can do

Every member of staff is qualified, experienced and continually trained, but we recruit first for steadiness, warmth and a genuine belief that young people can grow.

The next chapter

Growing carefully, never quickly

We grow only as fast as we can keep our promises. Each new place is a long-term commitment to a young person and the people who love them.

How we got here

The journey, in four chapters

Cumbers House didn’t begin with a business plan or a grand opening. It began with a question that wouldn’t go away; what would a school look like if it were genuinely built around the young people who tend to be hardest to place, and easiest to overlook? The answer took shape slowly, in conversations with families, clinicians, social workers and the young people themselves.

What follows isn’t a timeline of growth, because growth has never been the point. It’s a sequence of quiet, considered decisions; about the building we chose, the people we hired, the promises we make and the ones we deliberately don’t. Each chapter is a small commitment that, taken together, add up to the school we are today.

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What we stand for

Read our prospectus before you ask the awkward questions.

Our prospectus covers the bits most schools leave out; staffing ratios, clinical input, fee structure and how we approach the days that don’t go to plan.
Request our prospectus
Speak to our admissions team

Our leadership team

Skilled. Caring. Commited.

A small group of professionals united by a genuine belief in the young people we work with and a commitment to getting this right.
Tara Jones

Headteacher

With deep experience in special education and a passion for trauma-informed practice, our Headteacher leads the school with warmth, clarity, and an unwavering belief in every young person.
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Fiona Conde

Deputy Head

Bringing specialist SEMH expertise and a background in supporting children in care, our Deputy ensures that every operational detail serves the wellbeing and progress of our pupils.
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Shaun Buxton

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For local authorities

Considering a referral? Learn about our admissions process, fee structure and how we work alongside virtual school heads, social workers and personal advisors.
Make a referral

For families & carers

Looking for the right school for your young person? We’d love to hear from you. Find out how Cumbers House works, what makes us different and how to get in touch.
Get in touch

Latest from cumbers house

News, stories & small celebrations

We share what’s happening at Cumbers House honestly… the quiet wins and everyday moments that, for our community, are worth pausing to mark.

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