Help reaching out to your school

Example letter/email to your school

Dear [SENCO’s Name] and [Headteacher’s Name],

I’ve recently found a Northampton charity, New Leaf Learning, who run The TRUST Programme, a nature-based intervention designed to support children who are finding it difficult to fully engage in mainstream learning. Here is their website: www.newleafl.com

The programme is specifically designed for primary-aged children (typically 5–11) who would benefit from additional support with confidence, emotional regulation and positive engagement. There are no formal referral criteria; schools simply nominate the children and families they feel would benefit most. Based on my child’s current needs, I believe this programme would be a constructive and empowering opportunity.

About the TRUST Programme
The acronym TRUST stands for:

· Trying

· Resilience

· Understanding & empathy

· Self-regulation

· Teamwork

These five core skill areas are taught through a structured five-week programme, delivered one day per week in small groups of 6 children. Sessions take place outdoors at Courteenhall Estate in Northamptonshire and include activities such as den-building, gardening, pond-dipping, cooking, animal care, slack-lining, and yoga/meditation for self-regulation. The approach is trauma-informed and strengths-based, helping children build confidence. They learn how to learn.

Whole-school and family involvement
A key benefit of the programme is its wrap-around model:

· Parents/carers attend workshops to learn practical nurture-based strategies they can use at home.

· School staff join trauma-informed CPD sessions to help embed the learning back in school.

This joined-up approach ensures consistency between home and school, and it helps children maintain progress after completing the programme.

Evidence of impact
You can see the impact data on their website here: www.newleafl.com

Practical considerations
The five-week group is subsidised, with a cost of £995 per group for schools. Additional pupils or staff can be added for a small supplement. I understand the school would need to contact New Leaf Learning directly to discuss availability and suitability: admin@newleafl.com

I thought that this would be great for my child, and for others too.

Thank you so much for your time and for everything you continue to do to support my child.

Warm regards,

[Your Name]
[Your Contact Details]