We strive to create a homely environment for our young people where they feel safe, comfortable and valued. 

Our main building is in two Victorian houses with a large extension. This forms both home and the school with Purpose-built classrooms. Young people will initially live in the main house until they are about 16 when they may have the opportunity to move into our off-site four bedroom ‘independence’ house at Kendal Green which is less than a 5 minute walk away.

Any move will be dependent on the needs and development of the individual young person but we aim for most of our young people to transition through Kendal Green. This gives those approaching adulthood a chance to further develop independence and life skills, readying them for life beyond Cambian Whinfell School.

Extra-curricular Activities at Whinfell School

Additional activities in and out of school hours complement the curriculum and focus on the developmental needs of each young person. All young people have Individual Learning Plans (IDP) which are informed by the multi-disciplinary team and are regularly reviewed.

Very few of our young people have ever participated in school sports and PE but we support them to do so and we have competed in in football, athletics and fell-running fixtures. We have won Boccia competitions and have regularly taken part in tag-rugby sessions with other schools. The physical and mental health benefits of participation are enormous. One of our young people has competed in Indoor Climbing competitions at a national level (which led to work experience and he is now employed full-time at a climbing wall).

"I’m very grateful to have been able to attend Whinfell. I’ve met some brilliant people, been given lots of advice, made friends and have improved in every aspect. I know some of that’s down to me, but there’s no way without the support from Whinfell I’d have been able to get to where I am now. They helped me realise I could get GCSEs, when my parents were told that wasn’t realistic when I was a kid. They helped me realise my opinion matters and I matter. They’ve taught me countless lessons, but the one I come back to is if you work hard and put your mind to it, you can achieve great things and reach your potential."

- Student (Read Jack's full story here) 

We have a summer camp programme and expeditions to the mountains of the Scottish Highlands and Snowdonia alongside our daily forays into the Lake District. Young people can take part in the John Muir Award Scheme, carrying out environmental work in the National Park.  We have an established annual ski-trip to Bulgaria, the benefits of which are enormous.

Older students have bespoke independence programmes at our Kendal Green site in a semi-independent residential setting. Here they will develop the skills and resilience to be as independent as possible when they eventually set out on the next part of their journeys.