Headlands school has a long history of offering education and support. Originally a hotel, the site was transformed in the 1920s into a nautical training school in memory of a fallen Welsh Major, named the ‘J A Gibbs Memorial Home’. A decade later we began welcoming young people in need of support and ‘Headlands School’ was established. Whilst the school and residential service has developed and changed over the years, Headlands has always focused on serving those who can benefit from additional and skilled care.
Headlands School is now part of the charity Action for Children and provides education and residential services to students between the ages of 7 and 19 who may have experienced difficulties in their lives and are likely to face further challenges as they mature. We welcome students with a range of diagnoses including those with autism and attachment difficulties. Our pupils benefit from developing social and emotional skills alongside vocational and academic learning.
Headlands is a person-centred, therapeutically informed, democratically aligned organisation that uses relational and trauma informed practices. We enable our young people to develop a positive sense of self and provide a safe base for them to learn and explore the world. Our ethos rests on the idea that our values of Acceptance, Opportunities, and Relationships facilitate Growth.
Read more about our curriculum and our approach to developing young people’s skills
Read more about our five residential homes, where we build connected relationships and provide a warm, nurturing environment.
Read more about the activities for our young people , and our commitment to health and wellbeing and the environment.