01582 866972
Welcome to The Chiltern School!
We are proud to be different; we celebrate our diverse community and ensure everyone is valued. We treat everyone with dignity and respect.
Dare to be Different!
Our vision is to develop children who are happy , confident , inquisitive and independent.
Our School
Our Partners
News & Events
Welcome to The Chiltern School, where we dare to be different!
Thank you for visiting our website, where we hope you will find information that will give you a greater insight into our inclusive, nurturing and inspiring school.
We are a maintained school in the heart of Houghton Regis, Central Bedfordshire. The Chiltern School is an inclusive all through special school where we educate pupils aged 3 to 19 years with a range of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. As an inclusive community, celebrating diversity, we place great emphasis on the value of each individual. We recognise that we are all different and unique. Children and young people are at the centre of everything we do. We want our pupils to thrive in a happy, stimulating environment based on mutual respect. We pride ourselves on celebrating the steps children and young people make towards being independent and fulfilled individuals.
We have a fantastic team of staff who are highly skilled, developed specialist knowledge, caring and dedicated to promoting high aspirations for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. Our school is full of energy, laughter and most importantly, learning.
We put children at the heart of every decision we make, driven by our core values and promoting high expectations; we encourage everyone to be the best they can be. We believe that by working together with all stakeholders, especially our families, we ensure our pupils thrive, developing the skills they need to lead independent, safe and happy lives.
Lisa Leonard
Head Teacher
School Vision
The Chiltern School is a forward thinking ‘Centre of Excellence’, where we put the pupils at the heart of all decision making. We endeavour to take a holistic approach, valuing the whole child.
We have created a culture of learning and discovery that is stimulating and enjoyable, learning is fun and exciting. Our learning starts with the child and our aim is for all pupils to achieve their academic potential and be able to lead independent and fulfilling lives.
Underpinning our work is an ethos of distributed leadership, empowering the school community and promoting independence. We will encourage each other to take risks, have a go and try new things, with a fearless pursuit of inspirational and high quality teaching.
We strive to promote in our children the ability to be happy, confident, inquisitive and independent. Confident to move on, they will have the ability and desire to build on the skills they have developed and they will have a strong set of practical, social and emotional life skills to enable them to get things done and get along with people.
We provide a relevant and rich curriculum that is enjoyable, interactive and creative. It is designed to take account of pupils’ abilities, interests and experiences; at the heart of the curriculum is the development of functional independence, communication and emotional wellbeing. The curriculum is highly personalised; pupils follow relevant learning pathways to meet their changing needs, with a strong emphasis on celebrating the small steps.
We have created a caring yet purposeful environment where high expectations, good manners and positive relationships are nurtured. We foster mutually respectful relationships with warmth, humour and pleasant firmness that allow pupils to take responsibility for themselves.
Staff work together, expertly and enthusiastically – we are experts in our field. We provide high quality opportunities for continuous professional development, promote action research and use evidence based practice to enrich our own learning. We aspire to be national leaders for school to school support and outreach so that other children with SEND benefit too.
We work closely and collaboratively with families and other professionals to ensure every child has a happy, purposeful experience and one that allows them to thrive. They will take with them a sense of personal achievement and pride in their talents.
Elephant Class have been exploring colour through our shared attention sessions, using fun and engaging activities like balloon painting while focusing on matching colours. We have also been experimenting with colour mixing during a range of mark-making activities, including spray painting, chalking, and painting with cotton buds. These experiences not only encourage creativity and curiosity but also help to develop fine motor skills as the children practise different ways of making marks and exploring how colours can change and blend together. 🎨🐘 ... See MoreSee Less
We’re excited to announce that The Chiltern School is now on Instagram! 🎉
Follow us at @thechilternschool to keep up with the latest news, celebrations, learning highlights, and what our amazing pupils and staff have been getting up to.
Head over, check out our page, and give us a follow! 📸✨ ... See MoreSee Less
What a spectacular day at The Chiltern School! We were absolutely delighted to welcome His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Bedfordshire, Mrs Susan Lousada Bedfordshire Lieutenancy, to our school community. It was a joy to showcase the incredible work of our pupils and staff, especially as our visit coincided with World Book Day! From sensory rooms to vibrant art displays, the day was filled with joy and pride.
At the heart of the visit was a powerful opportunity to amplify the voices of those often overlooked, ensuring that our most vulnerable learners are not just seen, but truly heard and celebrated. By demonstrating inclusive pedagogy at its best, we celebrated learning that looks different and ensured that every pupil's unique way of communicating and experiencing the world was recognised and valued. It was a true celebration of our diverse school family, showcasing the unique and meaningful ways our pupils enrich and contribute to our vibrant community.
The Lord-Lieutenant joined our Early Transitions classes for Forest School activities, experienced a wonderful Sensory Story with Squirrel Class and a Sensology session with pupils and staff from our Physical and Sensory Pathway. Our Phase 2 pupils prepared a fantastic Mad Hatters lunch in the School Bungalow as part of their "Shop,Cook and Eat" programme. In the afternoon visitors explored our Business and Industry Day activities, including Sensory Circuits and "Sounds of Intent" sessions.
A huge thank you to the Lord-Lieutenant for taking the time to meet our pupils, including a special Q&A session and even joining us for our staff World Book Day photo!
In addition we were honored to also host Mrs Camilla King, The High Sheriff, Cllr Michelle Herber, the Mayor of Houghton Regis, Cllr Liz Childs, Amana Gordon, The Director of Children's Services and Dan Newbolt, Director of Education and SEND.
#chilternschool #LordLieutenant #WorldBookDay #InclusionEducation #bedfordshire #community ... See MoreSee Less
Squirrel Class have been developing their English skills by responding to familiar stories and poems, commenting on objects of interest, and sharing information. To support this learning, pupils explored an adapted sensory version of The Smeds and the Smoos, zooming off to space for World Book Day! 🚀📚 Using a core communication board, pupils shared messages and engaged with the story throughout the session. ... See MoreSee Less