Providing Bespoke Curriculum for Each Individual Student
About us
Hooke Court Alternative Provision is part of an established residential study centre on the edge of the village of Hooke, West Dorset. We use our unique setting to support children to rebuild their confidence in themselves, as well as education and learning.
Hooke Court is a stunning, historical rural site with 40 acres of land and unique buildings such as our Grade II listed 14th century manor house, Viking long house, Saxon round house and Roman town house. We have dedicated woodland space for forest school activities, a small lake, farm animals, low ropes course and much more.
Our Service
The needs of most children and young people can be met through mainstream provision. However, some children and young people need education arranged outside a mainstream setting. This is known as alternative provision (AP).
We recognise the importance of working in collaboration with families, schools and County to establish targets for our support and to ensure the best outcomes for a child. We can offer up to three days per week, and accept referrals from Dorset County or directly from schools (for more information, see admissions policy).
We plan activities in line with the children’s targets and interests to ensure they are engaged and enthusiastic in their learning.
We provide a bespoke curriculum for each student based on our WILD approach:
W – wellbeing I – independence L – life skills D – development
Mid-term and daily planning is carried out with the students and is always flexible, taking into account their engagement and progress. Our staff send daily summaries and attend annual reviews, PEPs and other multi-agency meetings where necessary.
We have a small team of tutors who are experienced in working with children and young people in a range of settings. We work primarily on a 1:1 basis, trying to match the tutors with the student so that relationships of trust and respect are developed.
Assessment
We believe that assessment, within the context of alternative provision, should be designed to be low demand, reducing pressure and anxiety. This means we use flexible formats, such as verbal responses, observational based questionnaires or visual work. Our goal is to create a supportive environment where students can demonstrate their understanding without being overwhelmed by traditional testing conditions.
Our induction process allows us to create a baseline assessment from gathering information via:
EHCP
Referral forms
Shared reports (school progress reports, educational psychologists, speech and language therapists etc)
Meeting with parents/carers to share information including any attainment/ curricular priorities
Initial and ongoing assessments are then carried out within placement (as appropriate for each individual student)
Strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ)
Phonics assessment
Informal passage reading
Sight word and non word assessment (TOWRE 2)
Nessy (reading and spelling) tracking and assessment
High frequency word reading and spelling assessment
Ongoing assessment of the students current year group objectives across subjects
Records of work and placement assessments within programmes for Maths and English
Our Values
We strive to ensure that students and their families feel a strong sense of belonging to Hooke Court AP.
At our setting, the emotional wellbeing of students is our highest priority, and we believe that fostering this begins with meaningful engagement in a nurturing outdoor natural environment with a tutor that they have built a secure trusting relationship with.
Surrounded by the calming presence of nature, students are given the space to explore, reflect and connect, not only with the world around them but also with their own feelings. We want our students to feel valued, grounded, and empowered to grow emotionally and socially so that they can cope with future transitions and have increased resilience for the next steps in their journey.
Admissions
Hooke Court AP will consider referrals for admission from the local authority, schools and any other professionals looking for an alternative education provider for a child/young person. A referral request can be made by completing the referral form. We ask that on referral, any relevant paperwork be included eg, EHCP/Risk Assessments/Educational Psychologist reports/ School reports.
We offer a staged admission process – this is to ensure suitability of placement for the young person.
Stage One – Assessment of suitability and taster session
Stage Two – Trial period
Stage Three – Decision regarding continuation of placement
Term Dates - 2025/26
Autumn Term 2025
Friday 5th September INSET
Monday 8th September – Friday 24th October
HALF TERM
Monday 3rd November INSET
Tuesday 4th November – Thursday 18th December
Spring Term 2026
Monday 5th January INSET
Tuesday 6th January – 13th February
HALF TERM
Monday 23rd February INSET
Tuesday 24th February – 27th March
Summer Term 2026
Monday 13th April INSET
Tuesday 14th April – 22nd May (Bank Holiday 4th May)
HALF TERM
Monday 1st June – 22nd July
Policies
The following policy documents are available to download:
