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info@loddonschool.org

A Typical Day

Learning and living.
Growing together.

School doesn’t end at 3.30pm here – our children live at Loddon. That means every hour is shaped around each child, with the same care and intention. Mornings, evenings, weekends: every moment matters.
A smiling child in a blue floral dress at The Loddon School high-fives an individual with bright blue hair. They are standing outdoors in a sunny, grassy field. The person with blue hair, seen from behind, has a large floral tattoo on their forearm and small tattoos on their fingers as they raise their hand for the high-five. In the blurred background, others are participating in an activity using yellow pool noodles, with colourful small balls scattered across the grass.

The shape of a day

Every hour, shaped around the child

This is what a typical day can look like – timings, pace and activities are built around each child, not a fixed routine everyone follows.
07:00 – 08:00

Wake-up & personal care

Gentle routines with familiar staff.

MORNING
08:00 – 09:00

Breakfast together

Seated meal, social, communication practice.

MORNING
10:00 – 12:30

School begins

PLLUSS curriculum, the whole approach.

SCHOOL
12:30 – 13:30

Lunch & rest

Cooked meal, quiet time, preferred activities.

MIDDAY
15:30 – 16:30

"School" day ends

Therapy, creative arts, community visits.

AFTERNOON
16:30 – 17:30

After-school activities

Horticulture and caring for animals

AFTERNOON
17:30 – 20:00

Supper & social time

Cooking together, leisure, music, TV.

EVENING
20:00 – 22:00

Wind-down & bed

Consistent sleep routine. Waking night staff on duty.

NIGHT
• Morning
07:00 – 09:00

Starting well means starting gently

The morning at Loddon isn’t rushed. We believe that how a child begins their day shapes everything that follows. Each child wakes in their own bedroom, with their key worker or a familiar face, and moves through their personal routine at a pace that works for them.

Breakfast is a social moment, a proper seated meal in the house, not a quick transaction. It’s also a communication opportunity: making choices, expressing preferences, practising independence.

Personal bedroom routine

Washing, dressing and sensory needs met in a consistent sequence.

Breakfast together

A cooked or continental meal. Fresh fruit always available. Dietary needs fully met.

Transition preparation

Visual schedules and reassurance help each child prepare for the school day.

The Loddon School's large red brick building with a distinctive conical turret in the background. In the foreground, a black-and-white horse and a small black pony graze peacefully in a grassy paddock enclosed by a wooden fence.
A close-up of a black wire, two-tiered fruit basket in one of The Loddon School's kitchens. The top tier is filled with a bunch of slightly green bananas, and the bottom tier holds several pears. In the blurred background, a staff member in a black uniform is working, stirring food in a large metal pot.
Two people sitting at a table with a light blue polka-dot tablecloth at The Loddon School, engaged in an arts and crafts activity. One person, wearing a grey cartoon sweatshirt, holds a pink marker. The table is scattered with colourful markers, shiny star stickers, a star stencil, and paintbrushes.
• School day
09:00 – 15:30

Learning that meets every child where they are.

Our school day is built around the PLLUSS curriculum – an approach designed specifically for our children, covering Physical development, Language, Leisure, Understanding of the environment, Self-help skills and Social development. No two timetables look the same.

Therapies are woven into the day, not scheduled as isolated appointments. Occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech and language — all happen in the moments that make sense for each child.

Personalised timetables

Every child's day is individually planned with their team.

Small group & 1:1 teaching

Low arousal environments designed for focus and calm.

Integrated therapies

OT, physio, SaLT and music therapy as part of the daily routine.

A staff member at The Loddon School stands beside a young person, gently guiding her hand as she uses a paintbrush to apply white paint to a cardboard craft project. The young person is smiling and wearing a Hello Kitty sweatshirt with a light blue backpack. They are working at a table with various art supplies, and colourful children's artwork is displayed on the walls in the background.
A staff member and a child at The Loddon School sitting together on a bright orange sofa, engaged in reading the children's book 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt'. Both individuals are wearing glasses and looking attentively at the open pages held by the staff member, who is wearing a staff lanyard. On the wall behind them is a framed noticeboard displaying visual communication symbols.
A staff member and a student at The Loddon School laughing joyfully while playing with a large, brightly coloured parachute in a sunny outdoor green space. The parachute, featuring wide panels of orange, yellow, purple, and pink, billows up in the foreground. The staff member has long reddish-brown hair, and the student is wearing a light pink bucket hat and a white t-shirt.
• After school
15:30 – 17:30

When school ends, life continues.

3.30pm at Loddon is not the end of the day – it’s the beginning of a different kind of learning. Afternoons are when children swim, tend the garden, care for the animals, or visit the community.

These aren’t extras. They are purposeful activities mapped to each child’s individual outcomes: building confidence, physical fitness, communication and independence in the real world.

Swimming

Heated pool on site. Qualified lifeguards, full accessibility.

Horticulture & animals

Grounds to explore, vegetables to grow, resident animals to care for.

Community visits

Shops, cafés, parks - independence built one trip at a time.

A woman wearing a brown hijab and a black jacket smiles warmly as she holds the arms of a young boy looking up at her. The boy is wearing a brightly coloured hoodie with cartoon patterns. They are standing in a grassy field, and a group of people wearing casual outdoor clothing and rain boots can be seen blurred in the background.
Two individuals joyfully dancing together outdoors on a sunny, grassy field at The Loddon School. A young man wearing a bright pink bucket hat and a maroon t-shirt is holding hands and dancing with an older man with grey hair in a light-striped shirt. In the background, several other people are relaxing on light blue plastic chairs, enjoying the outdoor gathering near a line of trees
A child at The Loddon School sits at an outdoor wooden table, focused on a painting activity in the sunshine. Wearing a pink t-shirt, she uses a paintbrush to dab brown paint onto paper. The table is scattered with craft supplies, including yellow sponge rollers and a printed activity sheet. A staff member stands behind her, carrying a bright red first aid backpack. Wooden raised garden beds and green fencing are visible in the background.
• Evening
17:30 – 22:00

This is home - evenings prove it.

Evenings at Loddon look and feel like home. Children help to prepare supper, choose what to watch on television, listen to music, play games, or simply enjoy some quiet time. The care team are present but unobtrusive – supporting, not directing.

Wind-down is handled with the same thoughtfulness as wake-up. Consistent bedtime routines, sensory comfort objects, and familiar faces mean that going to sleep is not an anxious event.

Cooking together

Supper prepared with resident involvement, building real-world independence.

Leisure & choice

Music, TV, arts and crafts, games - led by each child's preferences.

Consistent bedtime

Familiar routines reduce anxiety and support a good night's sleep.

A staff member and a child at The Loddon School walking together on the grass alongside a red brick building. The child, wearing a black t-shirt, beige joggers, and carrying a light blue backpack, is gently holding the arm of the staff member, who is wearing a black top and blue-and-white striped trousers.
A student wearing a light blue hoodie leans in closely to examine a green painted object clamped to a table in a room at The Loddon School. A staff member wearing glasses and a brightly striped shirt stands behind him, closely observing his work. A drum kit is slightly blurred in the background.
A close-up of two pairs of hands working on a nature craft project at an outdoor wooden picnic table at The Loddon School. One person is applying glue while the other points to a piece of paper decorated with small pressed blue flowers. Scattered across the table are freshly picked wildflowers, leaves, and rolls of yellow and green tape.
• Overnight
22:00 – 07:00

Waking night staff, every night.

We do not use sleeping night staff. Waking staff are on duty throughout the night in every house, trained to respond calmly if a child needs support – whether that’s a nightmare, a medical need or simply a child who can’t sleep.

Parents tell us this is one of the most important things we do. It means the children they send to us are truly looked after – not just during the day.

100%

Waking staff every night

24/7

On-call senior management cover

52wk

Year-round for most children in our care