Sky Vale School welcomes its first pupils
Thursday 05 March 2026
Last updated: Friday 06 March 2026
We are pleased to announce the opening of Sky Vale School, a new specialist education setting in Redhill, just outside Bristol, which has now begun welcoming its first pupils.
Designed to provide a calm, nurturing and therapeutic learning environment, the school offers places for children aged 6 to 18, with capacity to support up to 45 pupils. Set in a beautiful rural location with excellent links to Bristol and North Somerset, Sky Vale School has been designed to support children who need a more personalised and trauma informed approach to education. The building features traditional classrooms, dedicated breakout and therapeutic spaces and even a swimming pool. All designed to give children a sense of safety, belonging and enjoyment in learning. The school’s mission is to empower children to become confident, happy learners and to eliminate the barriers that may have previously held them back.
All staff at Sky Vale are trained in trauma-responsive practice and work closely with a visiting therapist, who provides weekly on-site support for pupils, alongside reflective practice for staff. This integrated model ensures that each child’s education plan is informed by clinical insight and supported by a multi‑disciplinary team, providing continuity and consistency across care and education.
Headteacher Mark Kennedy said he is “delighted to welcome the first pupils and see the school come to life as pupils begin to settle in and experience what Sky Vale has to offer. Five Rivers Child Care looks forward to seeing the school continue to grow, providing a safe, supportive and aspirational environment for children who need specialist educational provision. We are looking forward to seeing the positive impact that this new school will have on children, families and local authorities across the region”.
The curriculum follows the national curriculum and is tailored to each child’s needs, with opportunities to work towards GCSEs and other accredited qualifications. The school also makes full use of its unique setting, drawing on easy access to Bristol’s cultural opportunities and the natural environment of the Mendip Hills to enrich pupils’ learning and life experiences.
Chris Sweeney, Head of Education at Five Rivers added “Sky Vale School reflects our commitment to providing trauma responsive, high quality education for children who need something different from mainstream settings. As a social enterprise, we believe that our resources should strengthen opportunities for the young people we support, and opening Sky Vale is a powerful example of that. This school exists because of that reinvestment and because we believe every child deserves access to an environment where they can heal, learn and thrive”.
Sky Vale School represents a significant milestone in our commitment to Social Enterprise reinvestment. Five Rivers reinvests the majority of its surplus directly back into services for children and the opening of Sky Vale is a clear example of that mission in action. The school has been developed through reinvestment to expand access to high quality, therapeutic education for children who may otherwise struggle to find the right provision.