Helping parents and carers make a positive difference

When families feel supported, children thrive.

How we support you with practical tools and shared understanding

  • Landscape with a large lake, hills, and mountains in the background, under a cloudy sky.

    Practical strategies to make a difference everyday

    Our sessions introduce clear, practical approaches for supporting positive behaviour and emotional growth at home. Parents learn:

    Strategies for teaching self-regulation to help children manage big emotions.

    How to encourage children to step beyond their comfort zones, building confidence through Trying and Resilience.

    Everyday ways to apply the TRUST principles — from calm routines to positive praise and reflection.

    The importance of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Need — understanding that children must feel safe, connected, and cared for before they can learn and flourish.

    These simple, evidence-based tools make everyday life a little easier while building consistency between home and school.

  • A modern house with stone and wood exterior walls situated on a hill with green and brown vegetation, with a backdrop of snow-capped mountains under a cloudy sky.

    Strengthening family relationships

    Healthy relationships are built on connection, empathy, and clear communication.

    During the sessions, parents explore:

    How to listen with understanding and respond with empathy.

    Using shared vocabulary and consistent approaches to support calm, connected family life.

    Why nurture, belonging, and shared experiences in nature are so powerful in building trust and emotional security.

    Parents have the chance to discuss the ups and downs of parenting in a supportive, non-judgemental space — surrounded by others who understand.

  • Modern wooden building with large glass window in a grassy field with mountains in the background.

    Your mental health matters too

    Parenting is rewarding, but it can also be demanding. We recognise the emotional impact it can have and help parents develop strategies for their own wellbeing.

    Together, we look at:

    Ways to manage stress and find balance.

    The importance of healthy bodies and healthy minds, including good quality sleep and time outdoors.

    How the TRUST approach supports adults too — fostering resilience, understanding, and teamwork within families.

    Our focus is on compassion and community: supporting you, so you can better support your child.

Hear from a parent and watch a short video from their child

“Back in October my 8 year old daughter began to show visible signs of emotional distress just by going to school. It was a really difficult and challenging time for us all as a family whilst we tried to navigate her reluctance for school and being around people again. Once a child who loved school and loved being sociable seemed to just change overnight.


She just wanted to be with me all the time, being with me and being at home was the only pace she felt safe. It was heartbreaking to see and as a parent I wanted to naturally do everything I could to make her happy, make her realise she was safe at school and to stop having the most awful thoughts (that she vocalised) that even adults shouldn't be having.


My daughter has spent most of Year 3 outside the classroom, but now with us being in her 5th and final week on the TRUST programme, the change in her is a miracle. We've had no panic attacks or uncontrollable crying through genuine fear before school each morning and she's spending more and more time now in the classroom. ”

“This my daughter’s feedback . The tools she has learnt on this programme will help her grow, thrive and something she can take with her forever.”

How do we teach?

At the heart of New Leaf Learning is our unique TRUST method—a nurturing framework that builds children’s confidence, resilience, and readiness to learn.

Each course runs over five weeks (half an academic term), with small groups of up to six children to ensure personalised attention and a safe, supportive environment.

Designed to help every participant grow in self-awareness, wellbeing, and motivation, the programme offers a balance of guided reflection and practical skill-building.

Partially funded through charitable support, places are offered via school and community referrals, ensuring that children who will benefit most can access the course at no cost to families.

All bookings need to come from schools. We have created an example letter for families if you would like to share the course details with your school.

  • The TRUST method is New Leaf Learning’s unique framework for helping children build confidence, wellbeing, and readiness to learn. It stands for:

    T – Trying: Giving your best effort
    R – Resilience: Developing skills to overcome challenges and stay motivated
    U – Understanding: Building self-awareness, understanding of others and empathy
    S – Self Regulation: The ability to change your emotional state
    T – Teamwork: Learning to collaborate, communicate, and support one another

    This nurturing approach supports emotional growth and academic progress, helping every child feel capable, confident, and ready to thrive.

  • Each New Leaf Learning course runs over five weeks, one day a week, allowing time for meaningful reflection, growth, and skill development.

    Sessions are delivered in small, supportive groups of up to six children, ensuring every participant receives individual attention and the chance to build strong, trusting relationships with both peers and facilitators.

    This small-group approach creates a safe and nurturing space where children can share experiences, practise new strategies, and make genuine progress in confidence, resilience, and readiness to learn.

  • There is no cost to the child or their family.

    Our courses are partially funded through the generosity of our donors and partners, and the current subsidised cost to schools per group of six children is £995.

    The actual cost to the charity to run a course for six children is £3,500 (£584 per child).

  • The children take part in fun activities whilst they work on the 5 key elements of TRUST. Children attend the nature-based provision at Courteenhall Estate, one day a week for a minimum of 5 weeks (by arrangement).

    Children are assessed continuously as well as formally at the beginning and end using the headings that are applied in the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (Goodman,1997).

    From September 2022,  schools identified areas that they considered important in the current climate.

     Every day the children will take part in a walk and talk, and a yoga session with an accredited provider for 45 minutes.

    Other activities may include elements from Theraplay, Drawing and Talking and 123 Magic.

    We stay abreast of current, approved research from the fields of Psychology and Education and particularly Educational Neuroscience.

    Children are taught strategies to support appropriate emotional regulation.

    The children have experiences in:

    Den building, pond-dipping, slack-line, fire, drawing, crafts, whittling, feeding animals, gardening, cooking, bug hunting and more.

  • If you are a parent or carer and think your child could benefit from the programme, in the first instance please contact your school SENDCo.

    Places are allocated through referrals from schools, local authorities, and community organisations who identify children that would benefit from additional wellbeing and learning support.

    Schools apply using this form

    We are often asked by parents, how they should share the programme with their school so we have created the following example letter.

    There are no referral criteria.

Children and adults planting small green plants in pots in a gardening tray.
Help your child familiarise themselves with the course

Who will teach my child on the course?

  • A middle-aged woman with short gray hair and light skin smiling in a greenhouse or garden with lush green plants and sunlight in the background. She is wearing a navy blue T-shirt with a logo on the left side and a gold watch on her left wrist.

    Alex Preston | BA Hons, PGCE, SQC Psychology

    Lead Teacher, Designated Safeguarding Lead

    Alex has worked as a senior teacher, SENDCo and Designated Safeguarding Lead for over 20 years in Northamptonshire schools. Alongside this career she has worked in a consultancy capacity supporting school leaders.

    Alex has been a facilitator on the Outstanding and Improving Teacher Programmes. Bringing together training  in Theraplay, Drawing and Talking, Protective Behaviours and 123 Magic.

    Alex wrote The TRUST Programme after her study of Psychology and Educational Neuroscience. She brings The TRUST Programme to New Leaf Learning.

  • A woman with short gray hair smiling outdoors in a lush garden, wearing a navy blue T-shirt with 'Neo Leaf Learning' logo.

    Preety Sidhu | BA Hons, QTS, MSc Integrative Counselling

    Teacher

    ‍Preety worked as a classroom teacher across the primary age group for twelve years before making the decision to leave mainstream teaching and re-train in the mental health world. As a class teacher she was passionate about the wellbeing of her students and ensuring that all were able to access learning in a way that was comfortable for them.

    Since retraining as an integrative therapist, Preety has worked with individuals and families struggling to cope with difficult emotions or life events such as bereavement, anxiety, PTSD and exam stress.

    In her spare time Preety enjoys leisurely walks with her dog, going to the gym and baking the occasional cake.

  • A woman with glasses and long curly hair holding a small drum, smiling and looking upwards, outdoors in a natural setting.

    Trudie Pape | BSc Paediatric Nursing, PGDip Specialist Community Public Health Nursing

    Yoga and Drumming Teacher

    Trudie started working with children and families over 20 years ago firstly as a Community Paediatric Nurse and then a Health Visitor.

    Trudie took her knowledge and experience in supporting Women and Children and developed her own business, the Zen Den. She is passionate about empowering others through mindfulness and meditation and brings this passion to her role of Drumming and Yoga teacher at New Leaf.

FAQ’S for parents and carers

Where is the course based? At the Courteenhall Estate — Sessions are held both indoors within The Old Grammar School, pictured, and outdoors in a calm, natural environment within the private estate.

Do I have any sessions as a parent or carer? Yes, you will receive a two-hour session at the start and one-hour session at the end of your child’s five-week programme. We also support you with practical strategies to help you everyday.

Do I book the course with you directly? No - If you are a parent or carer and think your child could benefit from the programme, in the first instance please contact your school SENDCo. Places are allocated through referrals from schools, local authorities, and community organisations who identify children that would benefit from additional wellbeing and learning support. There is no reference criteria.

How much will it cost me? There is no cost to parents or carers.

How will it benefit me? Through shared learning, open conversation, and time in nature, parents and carers gain the tools and confidence to help their children — and themselves — grow and thrive.

If you any other questions, please do not hesitate to reach out and we will be happy to support you with any other questions.

A group of people sitting on the grass in front of a stone house with a red-tiled roof, surrounded by trees and greenery.
An interior room with dark wooden benches, chandeliers hanging from a beamed ceiling, mounted deer antlers, framed pictures, and a window with natural light.