About Maypole Farm
Learn about who we are, our mission, our values, and our relationship with the wider Maypole Foundation and Tuition Extra.
Who we are
A different kind of provision, for a different kind of need.
Maypole Farm is a specialist alternative provision based in Kent, supporting children and young people who are not currently able to thrive in mainstream educational settings.
We are part of the wider Maypole Foundation / Tuition Extra group — a family of organisations committed to giving children who have been underserved by the system a real chance to learn, grow, and build a positive future.
We work with young people aged roughly 5 to 25, many of whom have Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) and complex combinations of need. Many have had difficult, sometimes damaging, experiences of education before they reach us.
Our job is to change that — one child at a time.
Our mission
To help every child who comes to us feel safe, build trust, and find a meaningful path forward.
Not a path we've chosen for them. Not a path that fits a system. Their path — shaped around who they are, what they need, and where they want to go.
Our approach
Relational. Practical. Therapeutic in feel.
We are not a therapeutic provision in the clinical sense — but our whole approach is shaped by what we know about trauma, attachment, and the conditions young people need to learn.
We use Thrive-informed practice throughout. Thrive is an evidence-based approach to social and emotional development, grounded in neuroscience and attachment theory, that helps our team understand children's behaviour and meet the needs beneath it.
Everything we do — the farm environment, the small groups, the consistent adults, the flexible timetabling — is chosen because it creates the conditions where children who have struggled can start to feel safe again.
Learning follows from safety. We don't skip that step.
The wider organisation
Maypole Farm sits within the Maypole Foundation / Tuition Extra group, which has a long track record of supporting children with complex needs across Kent and beyond. The broader group provides additional capacity, expertise, and support that benefits every child at Maypole Farm.
What we believe
Our values
Every child matters — fully
Not just the easy-to-support ones. Not just those who can show progress in neat numbers. Every child who comes to us deserves to be seen, understood, and genuinely cared about.
Relationships before results
Nothing else works without trust. We invest in relationships first — with children, with families, with the professionals around them — because that is where real change begins.
Start with strengths
Every child has something. We look for what children can do, not just what they can't. Building on strengths and interests creates momentum that difficulties alone cannot generate.
Work with families
Parents and carers are not problems to manage. They are the most important people in a child's life, and they are partners throughout everything we do.
Safeguarding above all
The physical and emotional safety of every child in our care is non-negotiable. Safeguarding is not a policy on a shelf — it shapes every decision we make.
Honest about progress
We celebrate every step forward — and we are honest when things aren't working. Children and families deserve honesty, not spin.
Safeguarding first
DSL-led, child protection policy in place
Experienced team
Qualified, vetted staff with relevant SEND experience
Child-centred
Individual plans, not labels or categories
Family partnership
Parents and carers involved throughout
Thrive-informed
Therapeutic approach underpins all support
Want to know more about Maypole Farm?
Whether you're a parent, a professional, or just curious — we're always happy to have a conversation.