The new partnership with Thorpe Primary Academy also allows Oak Activities pupils to utilise the Academy’s forest school area, providing a sensory-rich environment that encourages exploration, confidence, and independence.

 

Dr Ian Young said: "This new relationship between Keys Academies Trust and Oak Activities makes sensible use of extra classroom capacity at Thorpe Primary Academy, following its move to two form entry. While based in a separate area on the Thorpe Primary Academy site, Oak Activities operates entirely independently from the Academy.  It is clearly a potential win-win, and the new arrangement has been seamless to date. I am very pleased that we have been able to make this happen together."

 

“Our company specialises in supporting children and young people with social, emotional, and special educational needs through a personalised curriculum that blends academic learning with therapeutic interventions,” said Michael Kaoura Business Development and Compliance Director.

 

Mr Parkhouse, Head Teacher of Thorpe Primary Academy said: "Having Oak Activities on our site is a tremendous asset to our community. Not only does Oak Activities support children who need additional help to become school-ready, but it also fosters a collaborative environment where our staff can learn from the expertise of the professionals who work there. We are proud to play a role in supporting all children in our community, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to thrive in a nurturing and inclusive educational setting."

Over the past four years, Oak Activities has grown to meet the increasing local demand for specialist, high-quality alternative provision, now supporting over 100 pupils across eight sites in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. It was started by Managing Director, Tom Milner, who initially worked with children and young people at risk of exclusion through sports intervention in primary school settings.

Across Cambridgeshire, the number of children requiring additional support through Education, Health and Care Plans has risen sharply since 2020. Oak Activities has worked closely with local authorities to support sufficiency offering tailored, small-group learning environments supporting pupils to thrive both emotionally and academically to enable them to transition back to either mainstream, specialist or, post 16 education settings. The provision can only be accessed through referrals either made by the local authority SEND teams or through schools directly for pupils who are struggling to access mainstream.

 

Mr Kaoura explained: “Our Readiness-Based Learning model adapts to children and young people’s needs through three layers: Grounding, Low-Entry, and Core Offer. Learning is always opt-in, placing safety, agency, and relationships at the centre. This trauma-informed approach strengthens regulation and engagement, preparing children and young people with the skills to reintegrate into their next or current setting.”

Mr Kaoura said: “We are excited about our new primary offer at Thorpe Primary Academy which creates a welcoming and supportive space where younger pupils who may struggle in mainstream settings can learn and grow. The addition of being able to utilise Thorpe Primary Academy’s forest school area offers a sensory rich environment to help build confidence, independence, and emotional regulation for our pupils and, gives them hands-on learning that provides freedom to explore. By working with academy trusts that share our values of inclusion and care, Oak Activities ensures our provision complements and enhances the wider school community.”

 

Mrs Jude Macdonald, Keys Academies Trust Director of Inclusion said: ‘We are delighted to have Oak Activities on-site at Thorpe Primary Academy. Oak meets the needs of some of the most vulnerable children and young people in Peterborough and having them working on a Trust site goes to our ethos of inclusion and community. We are also delighted to access training from Oak staff across the Trust and short-term placements for pupils in our schools as part of the arrangement. We are looking forward to developing our relationship with Oak Activities further, learning from each other and supporting our families.”

 

Oak Activities operates entirely independently from the Academy.

 

Thorpe Primary Academy currently has 435 pupils and 66 staff and was rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted in November 2022.