About TCES
The Complete Education Solution (TCES) is a social enterprise providing independent education through our Good schools and specialist services for neurodiverse pupils aged 7 to 19.
Based in London and the South East, the majority of our places are funded by Local Authorities. We are committed to achieving the best outcome for each pupil and their family through access to outstanding education and family support.
Over two decades of sector-leading therapeutic education and pupil leadership
For the last 22 years we have provided sector-leading therapeutic education and a pupil leadership curriculum across our two day schools and TCES Create Learning Primary and Create in the Community services, which work with more complex pupils who need intensive support as part of our ‘step down’ model.
TCES National Online School provides a full curriculum for children who are unable to physically attend school for a variety of reasons, including severe anxiety and school phobia.
From Isolation to Independence
Most of our pupils present with significant complexity and co-morbidity linked to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) including childhood trauma or secondary trauma linked to family marginalisation, loss of homes or relationships or pupil bullying and multiple exclusions.
On joining us, pupils will have already — on average — experienced three permanent exclusions, been out of full-time education for up to 15 months and are recognised to be substantially at risk of being unemployed, developing severe mental health problems and potential involvement with the criminal justice system later in life.
Between three and five years after leaving a TCES school or service, 90% of our students are in education, training or employment, going on to study at college and university and pursuing careers in social care, retail and theatre amongst others.
No exclusions - we never give up!
Our authentic commitment to inclusion has enabled us to work with over 3,000 children and young people, and we have never permanently excluded a single child — fixed term exclusions have also been reduced to zero. We do not exclude pupils.
Threat of exclusion is not an effective deterrent. We have seen time and again how it simply further ostracises children and young people who need our support. Goldsmiths University of London carried out independent research exploring our approach and concluded that our 'never give up' attitude and refusal to exclude was “highly effective in transforming our pupils lives educationally, emotionally and socially.”
independent Special Schools
We provide a sector-leading therapeutic education, pupil leadership and LIFE curriculum across both of our day schools (East Acton and Newham), rated Good by Ofsted. Our schools pride themselves on delivering a five part curriculum together with a unique therapeutic model of Integrated, Systemic and Milieu Therapy (ISMT), which we call our "Great Minds" therapeutic education programme.
Our Create services
Our TCES Create Learning Primary and TCES Create in the Community services run alongside TCES East London and work with pupils who are extremely vulnerable or who are a high risk to other pupils. Create services have a clear mission to provide intensive support initially as part of our ‘step down’ model. TCES Create pupils have pathway plans to drive their integration and step-down into our East London school and mainstream colleges. TCES Create Learning Primary pupils have pathway plans to return to mainstream or step-down into our East London school at Year 7.
Our National Online School
TCES National Online School offers an interim support and full curriculum for children and young people aged 5-25 years who are unable to physically attend school for a variety of reasons, including severe anxiety and school phobia. This service provides either virtual learning or can offer face to face tuition according to the specific needs of the student. Programmes are underpinned by therapy where needed.
tces celebration day 2023
our curriculum
Our curriculum is designed to meet the educational, therapeutic, social, emotional, and behavioural needs of our pupils. It assesses and recognises learning needs and offers opportunities and experiences that will enable pupils to meet the challenges of adult life.
Pupil Voice & leadership
We believe in empowering pupils who often feel marginalised and who need to actively shape their lives and ongoing education as citizens and take an element of control in their futures.
We help our pupils to discover their own voices by giving them a real voice to begin with. Our pupils must feel empowered to have a strong voice and this voice must be listened to. Evidence of this voice must be seen in the full participation of our pupils in the running of the school and their involvement and full engagement in every aspect of school life.
Our exceptional pupils and their potential as future employees
On joining us, pupils will have already - on average - experienced three permanent exclusions and been out of full-time group education for up to 15 months. These pupils are recognised to be substantially at risk of being unemployed and trapped in poverty and potentially homelessness, developing severe mental health problems and involvement with the criminal justice system later in life.
Between three and five years after leaving a TCES school or service, ninety per cent of our pupils are in education, training or employment, going on to study at college and university and pursuing careers in social care, retail and theatre amongst others.
Our authentic commitment to inclusion means that in our 22-year history working with over 3,000 children and young people we have never permanently excluded a single child. Since 2018 our fixed term exclusions have also been reduced to zero. Over the next three to five years we plan to fill 25% to 33% of our teaching assistant and pastoral vacancies from our own pupils in our ‘Entrants to Employee’ programme. This programme has successful began already with our first couple of pupil graduates becoming full-time employees.
Parent Voice
We recognise that the empowerment of parents through real parental voice and engagement can be a very effective channel for encouraging mass engagement and enabling a school community to be formed.