Background
Mill School Bury, part of the Kedleston Group, is a specialist independent day school in Greater Manchester supporting children and young people aged 7–17 with SEND, including autism spectrum conditions and social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs. The school provides a calm, purpose-built environment with sensory spaces and therapeutic areas, creating a bespoke setting where pupils can thrive academically, socially and emotionally.
Bespoke Approach to Learning
At Mill School, there’s no ‘rigid’ curriculum. Every learner follows an individual learning plan and teachers are encouraged to design creative, tailored programmes for their subject areas. This flexibility allows staff to embed real-world skills into lessons.
Take a recent example: a maths teacher organised a trip to Heaton Park for his Year 10 class. There were lots of activities to do. Students researched Metrolink timetables, calculated travel costs and worked out change for café visits. They discussed safe travel, respectful behaviour in public and how to manage anxieties. Once at the park, they explored landmarks, worked in teams, and even estimated squirrel populations using multiplication.
Maths became practical, engaging and very relevant, not just an abstract subject done in the classroom. In this context, it wasn’t just about numbers, it was about life skills.
This Is Where Kloodle Fits In
This kind of experiential learning is central to Mill School’s ethos. But linking activities to skill development and evidencing progress, especially against EHCP targets, can be challenging. That’s where Kloodle comes in.
Kloodle provides a structured, standardised way to record skills development across the school. Teachers can:
- Create activities and link them to curriculum and EHCP targets.
- Tag Gatsby Benchmarks for careers education.
- Share learner profiles and progress reports with parents each term.
Older students (Years 10–13) are encouraged to reflect on their own skills within Kloodle, rating their progress and building confidence in personal development.
How Can You Get Started?
In a recent session with the headteacher, the team:
- Added learners and classes.
- Built skills wheels and categories.
- Created EHCP outcomes and SMART targets.
- Uploaded activities and reflections.
- Demonstrated how to share reports and learner profiles.
The Verdict? “Mega Impressed.”
Staff felt the workflow through Kloodle covered everything a SEND school needs -making progress tracking easier, more transparent and more meaningful.
Mill School Bury is proving that with creativity, flexibility, and the right tools, SEND education can be both personalised and measurable. Kloodle is helping them turn great ideas into clear evidence of success.
