Welcome to our website and our school.  After over 30 years in education, I became Head at Taunton Deane Partnership College (TDPC) in January 2018 and it felt like I arrived home. This is the feeling that we want to instill for all our students: to feel safe, to belong and to begin to take the next steps in their journey.

TDPC is a pupil referral unit for students aged 5 – 16.  We work with schools and young people with Social Emotional Mental Health (SEMH) needs living in the Taunton, Wellington and Wiveliscombe areas. We work in different ways: our statutory places are allocated to students who have been permanently excluded from their school or who a medical Professional considers currently unable to access mainstream education. We have a small number of places for children with Education Health Care Plans (EHCP) and we work in partnership with mainstream schools, with school leaders and staff, to promote inclusion. Our aim is always to reduce suspensions and exclusions and to increase engagement and attendance. 

We offer a different and bespoke experience with smaller class sizes to meet the needs of our students. We are ambitious for our students and determined that they will have opportunities to grow and flourish socially, emotionally and academically. Our staff are skilled SEMH practitioners, who create nurturing and predictable environments for students so that they can make progress and experience success.  We take a holistic approach working collaboratively with schools, families and other agencies underpinned by a focus on next steps for their future.

Best wishes

Kim Lawrence

Headteacher