Our Schools and ARBs
Our ARB Partnership Model
The Special Partnership Trust (SPT) works in close collaboration with mainstream ‘host’ schools to support Area Resource Bases (ARBs). These ARBs remain an integral part of their host schools, while being led, staffed, and quality-assured by SPT. This model combines the strengths of both mainstream and specialist education, creating inclusive environments where pupils and staff benefit from shared expertise, enhanced resources, and a strong culture of collaboration.
How It Works
ARBs are led by experienced SEN leaders who ensure both mainstream and specialist needs are represented.
- Pupils have their mainstream school named on their EHCP but are registered with Pencalenick School (SPT).
- Safeguarding is a shared priority, with clear protocols and SPT holding direct responsibility for pupils on its register.
- ARBs are staffed, resourced, and quality-assured by SPT, in partnership with the host school.
- Pupils remain part of the host school community — wearing the uniform, following the same values, and accessing inclusive learning where appropriate.
- Ofsted evaluates both the registered and teaching settings.
- Parents engage directly with ARB staff and continue to access host school events and community life.
- Funding is managed by SPT, with a portion allocated to the host school for site-related costs.
- Host schools provide suitable accommodation through a legal lease agreement.
- The Local Authority retains responsibility for admissions and statutory SEN duties.
Key Benefits
- Collaboration: Shared expertise and consistent best practice across mainstream and specialist settings.
- Support: A connected network of professionals, reducing isolation and enabling responsive staffing solutions.
- Improved Outcomes: High-quality provision that prepares pupils for adulthood, learning, and employment.
- CPD & Research: Ongoing professional development and access to a wider research-informed network.
- Integrated Services: Streamlined access to outreach, Ed Psych support, and specialist staff.
- Shared Practice: Common policies and efficient systems built on each school’s strengths.
- Informed Admissions: Better planning and placement through deeper understanding of LA processes.
- SEN Leadership: Leaders with hands-on experience drive progress and assess impact meaningfully.
- Unified Ethos: A shared commitment to pupil growth, inclusion, and excellence in teaching.
- Financial Efficiency: Economies of scale and shared resources benefit all settings.
- Moderation & Data: Aligned tracking and moderation across ARBs and schools to enhance outcomes.
- Accountability: SPT leads quality assurance, while respecting host school standards and culture.
- Parental Confidence: Inclusive opportunities remain central, with added consistency and support from the wider Trust.
- “The Trust believes that successful schools develop their own identity and individuality and are best placed to meet the individual needs of all pupils."
Pencalenick School
Pencalenick School is a specialist provision based in St Clement, Truro, offering education for children and young people aged 3–16 with complex learning, communication and interaction needs. The school community places a strong emphasis on building resilience, fostering independence, and developing social and life skills through a broad and enriching curriculum.
In addition to its day‑school provision for around 150 secondary-age students, Pencalenick supports four Area Resource Bases (ARBs) across Cornwall – located at Falmouth, Mount Charles (St Austell), Brannel, and Budehaven – ensuring inclusion and specialist support within mainstream settings. The school also has a residential component, offering weekday boarding to support the wellbeing and independence of its pupils. Their most recent Ofsted inspection commended the school’s caring residential environment, noting that children make good progress, feel safe, and benefit from a stable and experienced care team.
Mount Charles ARB
The ARB at Mount Charles Primary School is a specialist facility catering for children with an Education, Health and Care plan in the St Austell area of Cornwall. Some children are primarily educated within the ARB, whilst others spend a larger percentage of their time accessing inclusive, supported provision within mainstream. Application for a placement within the ARB is coordinated by the SEN team at County Hall, Truro.
Budehaven ARB
The ARB at Budehaven School is a specialist facility catering for children with an Education, Health and Care plan who have complex or multiple learning needs or disabilities. Some children are primarily educated within the ARB, whilst others spend a larger percentage of their time accessing inclusive, supported provision within mainstream. Application for a placement within the ARB is coordinated by the SEN team at County Hall, Truro. Applications for ARB specialist provision are made by the Primary School SENCo during the Year 5 Annual Review process.
Brannel ARB
The ARB at Brannel School is a specialist, purpose-built facility catering for children with an Education, Health and Care plan who have complex or multiple learning needs or disabilities. Although children are primarily educated within the ARB, we strive to provide inclusive, accommodating and accessible provision for children within mainstream if and when appropriate. Application for a placement within the ARB is coordinated by the SEN team at County Hall, Truro. Applications for ARB specialist provision are made by the Primary School SENCo during the Year 5 Annual Review process.
Falmouth ARB
The ARB at Falmouth School is a specialist facility catering for children with an Education, Health and Care plan who have complex or multiple learning needs or disabilities. Some children are primarily educated within the ARB, whilst others spend a larger percentage of their time accessing inclusive, supported provision within mainstream. Application for a placement within the ARB is coordinated by the SEN team at County Hall, Truro.
Curnow School
Curnow School, part of the Special Partnership Trust, is a specialist provision based in Redruth, Cornwall, offering education for children and young people aged 3 to 19 with severe learning difficulties (SLD) and complex needs. Operating across two sites, a lower school in Illogan and an upper school in Redruth, the school provides a caring and inclusive environment under the leadership of Headteacher Robert Armstrong.
Curnow School is dedicated to nurturing each pupil’s potential through a curriculum that emphasises communication, social interaction, and life skills. The school was most recently inspected by Ofsted in November 2024, confirming it continues its strong provision for students with complex needs.
Curnow Upper School is based in Redruth and caters for older pupils up to age 19 with complex and profound learning needs. The Upper School continues the same specialist ethos, with a curriculum tailored to life skills, communication, and independence, supporting long-term development and transitions beyond school.
Curnow Lower School is co-located with Illogan Primary School in Illogan, serving younger pupils (from early years up towards primary age) with severe learning difficulties (SLD). This shared site helps provide a nurturing, integrated setting while specialist staff deliver personalised support for each child’s cognitive, communication, and social-development needs.
Karder Hub
The Karder Hub operates as an early years and primary provision. It serves younger children (Reception to Year 2) whose needs are primarily around social, emotional, communication, and sensory development, including pupils with autism spectrum conditions or high sensory needs. Rather than being a separate school, it functions as a distinct hub within the Curnow School structure, ensuring continuity of specialist support, teaching approaches, and pastoral care as children progress through Curnow Lower and then Upper School.
This integration allows the Hub to benefit from the same expertise, governance, and resources as the rest of Curnow School, while offering a tailored early years environment with small class sizes, sensory‑friendly spaces, and specialist interventions. Pupils in the Karder Hub transition seamlessly into Curnow Lower School, continuing their learning and development in a familiar ethos and curriculum framework, ensuring a consistent and nurturing pathway from early years through to age 19.
Doubletrees School
Doubletrees School, part of the Special Partnership Trust, is a specialist academy in St Blazey Gate, Cornwall, serving children and young people aged 2–19 with complex learning needs, including severe learning difficulty (SLD) and communication challenges. Under the leadership of Headteacher Mrs Heidi Hoskin, the school supports around 100+ pupils, all of whom have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
Doubletrees provides a highly personalised and nurturing learning environment, built around its core values: Achieve, Belong, Communicate, Develop, and Enjoy. Its curriculum is tailored to each learner’s needs, emphasising functional skills, communication, independence, and personal development. In the most recent Ofsted inspection (July 2023), the school was rated Good overall, with Outstanding behaviour and attitudes.
Nancealverne School
Nancealverne School is a specialist provision based in Penzance, Cornwall, serving learners aged 2 to 19 who have moderate to complex learning difficulties. Under the leadership of Headteacher Mrs Ruth Carpenter, the school works across multiple sites, including a dedicated upper school for post‑14 students, to provide a safe and supportive environment tailored to each young person’s needs.
At Nancealverne, the curriculum is highly structured, differentiated and personalised to encourage both academic and personal growth. The school has strong relationships between staff, pupils, and families, and its ethos emphasises high aspirations, inclusion, and caring support. According to its most recent Ofsted inspection, pupils flourish under this nurturing culture that “goes above and beyond” to meet their needs.
Cury School
Cury School is a specialist primary provision, designed specifically for children with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) whose primary need is Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH). Located in Churchtown, Cury, Cornwall, it reopened under this specialist status following a consultation between the Trust, Truro Diocese, and Cornwall Council.
The school’s ethos centres on inclusivity, empathy, and the holistic well‑being of its pupils, recognising that emotional health is just as important as academic progress. Classes are designed to be small with a strong adult‑to‑pupil ratio, enabling tailored therapeutic and educational support. Through this nurturing environment, Cury School aims to equip its pupils not only with core academic skills but also with resilient social‑emotional competencies, preparing them for future pathways and well‑rounded lives.
Orchard Manor School
Orchard Manor School is a specialist school in Dawlish, Devon, catering for children and young people aged 3 to 19 with complex communication and interaction needs and autism spectrum conditions. The school offers both day‑pupil and weekly residential provision, welcoming up to 20 young people to live on‑site in a nurturing, home‑like setting. Under its guiding ethos of “We live and learn together,” Orchard Manor prioritises the voices, wellbeing, and individuality of its pupils, working closely with families to build a community grounded in respect and mutual support.
The school’s curriculum is tailored around autistic learners and their unique needs, combining academic learning with development of life skills, independence, and emotional resilience via an integrated clinical team. In its most recent Ofsted inspection (January 2024), Orchard Manor earned a “Good” rating for overall education, with “Outstanding” behaviour and attitudes. The residential care provision was judged “Outstanding” in a social-care inspection, with inspectors highlighting how well the setting supports young people to gain independence, social confidence, and personal growth.
Lampard School
The Lampard Community School is a specialist provision in Barnstaple, Devon, serving children and young people aged 5–16 with complex communication and interaction needs. Lampard combines therapeutic, educational, and life-skills support, building a community where relationships are at the heart of all learning.
Its bespoke “Image Curriculum” is built around developing independence, communication, and emotional wellbeing, making use of rich vocational experiences like outdoor learning and animal care through its on-site school farm. To support its students’ social, emotional, and mental health, Lampard also works with specialist partners, including arts-therapies provider Chroma, offering music and expressive therapy.
Mill Water School
Mill Water School is a specialist provision based in Bicton, East Budleigh, Devon, catering for children and young people aged 3–19 with severe, profound, and multiple learning difficulties. The school offers a truly individualised, holistic curriculum supported by a team of therapists, specialist educators, and multi‑agency professionals – all working to prepare pupils for “their best future.”
Nestled in a rural setting within the grounds of Bicton College, Mill Water prioritises a calm, nurturing environment. Its admission policy is for pupils with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), covering a wide range of needs such as severe communication impairments, physical or sensory disabilities, and complex health challenges. The school is committed to inclusion, offering outdoor learning, therapeutic support, and strong family engagement – all underpinned by its newly formalised partnership with SPT.
Brunel School
Brunel School is a specialist provision located in Paignton, Devon, for students aged 11–16 whose needs cannot be met in mainstream settings, specifically catering to those with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) challenges. Under the leadership of Headteacher Mrs Vikki Alden, the school creates a highly supportive, wrap‑around environment to help students rebuild confidence, manage emotional barriers, and make positive academic and personal progress.
With a relatively small capacity (55 places) and current enrolment of around 48 pupils, Brunel School emphasises close relationships, tailored support, and bespoke interventions that reflect each learner’s EHCP. As an academy under SPT, it benefits from structured specialist‑trust support that drives school improvement, enabling learners to move successfully into further education, training, or employment.
Bosvena School
Bosvena School is a purpose-built provision for children aged 5–16 with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs. Serving up to 65 pupils, all of whom have an Education, Health and Care Plan, the school provides a calm, nurturing and highly individualised learning environment designed to help children re-engage positively with education. Located in Bodmin, Bosvena was created in response to a significant local need for high-quality SEMH specialist provision, offering families a dedicated setting within Cornwall rather than requiring out-of-county placements.
Developed as part of the Trust’s strategic growth, Bosvena features a modern, therapeutic teaching environment, including a multi-use games area and carefully designed internal spaces that prioritise wellbeing, safety and positive relationships. The school aims to transform life opportunities for its learners by building emotional resilience, supporting personal development and, where appropriate, preparing pupils for reintegration into mainstream settings. As part of SPT, Bosvena is committed to delivering inclusive, aspirational and specialist education that strengthens SEND provision across the region.
Castlebridge School
Castlebridge School is a specialist free school providing tailored education for pupils aged 7–16 (Years 3–11) who have high‑functioning Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) and may have struggled in mainstream settings. Based in Devon, its first operational hub opened in Tavistock (at the Alexander Centre on Plymouth Road) in September 2025. The main campus is planned for Ivybridge, due to open in the 2027 academic year, with a capacity to serve up to 120 pupils.
The school’s mission is to create a safe, nurturing environment where students who have faced barriers in mainstream education can thrive both academically and emotionally. Class sizes are small, with high levels of adult support and staff skilled in understanding sensory, communication, and anxiety-related needs. The curriculum is specially designed to develop not only academic qualifications but also transferable life skills, resilience, social communication, and wellbeing.
Magdalen Court School (Partner School)
Magdalen Court School is a specialist independent provision in Exeter, Devon, serving around 120 young people aged 5–18 with significant social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) needs – including many who experience high anxiety or school refusal, and those who are autistic or have ADHD. While it remains legally independent, it is a key partner to the Special Partnership Trust, benefitting from shared governance, safeguarding, and school-improvement support.
The school offers a tailored, carefully structured curriculum that combines traditional academic subjects (such as languages, design technology, photography) with strong pastoral, therapeutic, and character‑building elements. In its most recent Ofsted inspection (October 2024), inspectors recognised that while pupils’ learning and behaviour can be challenging, Magdalen Court provides a safe and caring environment, and meets independent school standards.
Cardrew Court School (Partner School)
Cardrew Court School is a specialist independent provision in Redruth, Cornwall, serving young people aged 7–16 whose primary needs are social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH), often characterised by high anxiety. As part of its care‑and-education offer, the school is steeped in the values of safety, dignity, and well‑being, putting each child “at the centre of everything that we do.”
Opened relatively recently, Cardrew Court has capacity for around 80 pupils, with a phased intake as the school scales. Its site has been newly refurbished for educational use. The school works in close partnership with the Special Partnership Trust, which supports governance, safeguarding, and quality-assurance. In a pre-registration inspection, Ofsted noted the school’s commitment to providing specialist education for students with very high-level needs, including anxiety and ASD.
Threeways School (Partner School)
Three Ways School is a community special school (ages 4–19) located in Bath, offering a wide-ranging and holistic curriculum. While Three Ways is not a mainstream SPT school, it has a strategic partnership with the Special Partnership Trust, focused on shared expertise, school improvement, and infrastructure development. The school is staffed by a multidisciplinary team (teachers, therapists, support staff) that supports pupils with a variety of needs, including autism, communication difficulties, physical disabilities, and more.
Three Ways offers a pre-formal, semiformal, and formal curriculum, depending on pupils’ needs and developmental stage, and places high importance on life skills, social development, and well‑being alongside academic learning. Its ethos emphasises “access to achievement,” and the school aims to create a family-style, close-knit environment that encourages both learning and fun.