What Cherry Garden School does

Cherry Garden School is a UK maintained special school under Southwark Council, serving pupils aged 2-11 with severe and complex learning differences from a purpose-built facility in Peckham, London (opened January 2019). Its core educational offering is a child-centred, individualised, play-based curriculum delivered via the Total Communication approach, with embedded programmes including MOVE (mobility, used since 2012), Story Massage, Heuristic Play for Early Maths, Bucket Time (Attention Autism), and the foundational Explorer Curriculum. The school's most distinctive commercial-adjacent asset is the proprietary Cherry Garden Branch Maps assessment system, distributed free to other schools via the Tapestry online learning journal and covering six curriculum areas for pupils working below Year 1 expectations.

The school also operates a Cherry Garden Outreach Service supporting mainstream Southwark schools with observation, consultation, modelling, coaching, in-school training, planning, and Branch Maps assessment, alongside a training catalogue (Branch Map Assessment, Makaton Levels 1, 2 and Refreshers, SEN Toolkit, Cherry Experience Mornings, bespoke packages) listed on Eventbrite. The Learning Portal (Teaching Resources and Home Learning Resources) and Glastoncherry community event extend reach beyond the pupil cohort.

Revenue is almost entirely government-funded via Southwark Local Authority, which commissions admissions; outreach is free to maintained schools in Southwark and invoiced via the LA for academies, while Branch Maps is free to all schools and training is priced to be accessible. Recent strategic activity includes the December 2024 Ofsted Outstanding inspection, 2025 Lead School designation for the South East London Music Hub, and the 2025/2026 PESSN SEN Provision of the Year award. As a government-state entity, the school has no private shareholders, no funding rounds, and no M&A activity; expansion has been organic, through content distribution, partnerships (Tapestry, Enham/MOVE, Voiceability, PESSN, SE London Music Hub), and capability deepening.

Name

Cherry Garden School

Legal name

Cherry Garden School

Website

https://cherrygardenschool.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cherry Garden School is a UK Local Authority maintained special school in Peckham, London, educating pupils aged 2-11 with severe and complex learning differences via a play-based curriculum and its proprietary Branch Maps assessment system, while providing outreach and training to mainstream schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Education Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Behavioral Intervention & PBIS Supports (Tiered, Gen Ed) (EDAJAGAL)

Keywords

• Special education services
• SEN assessment
• Educational outreach
• Special needs schooling
• Makaton training

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government-funded Education: As a state-funded special school, Cherry Garden receives funding from the Local Authority and government for educating pupils with severe and complex learning differences. Admissions are arranged by the Local Authority.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cherry Garden School is an outstanding maintained special school providing child-centred, individualised learning through play-based provision for pupils aged 2-11 with severe and complex learning differences. It delivers this education in a purpose-built facility with specialist environments (hydrotherapy pool, sensory room, soft play rooms), while also operating a free Outreach Service to mainstream Southwark schools and a portfolio of Training Courses for professionals and parents. The school's proprietary Cherry Garden Branch Maps assessment system, delivered via the Tapestry Online Learning Journal, underpins assessment across six areas of curriculum for children working below Year 1 expectations.

Product overview

Cherry Garden School is an outstanding special school offering a child-centred, individualised learning programme through a play-based provision for pupils aged 2-11 with severe and complex learning differences. The school's product portfolio centres on the Cherry Garden Branch Maps, a bespoke assessment system available via the Tapestry Online Learning Journal platform, complemented by an Outreach Service supporting mainstream schools, and a comprehensive range of Training Courses. The Learning Portal serves as the digital hub, housing Teaching Resources and Home Learning Resources (covering areas such as Art, Story Massage, Music, Yoga, Meditation, Maths, Sensory Play, Mark-Making, Cooking, and Bucket Time). Additional proprietary programmes include the MOVE Programme for mobility support, the Story Massage Programme for multi-sensory storytelling, Heuristic Play for early maths, Accessibility Auditing tools, and Bucket Time (Attention Autism approach). The Explorer Curriculum provides foundational learning before pupils progress to the main six areas informed by the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cherry Garden Branch Maps: A bespoke assessment package for children with SEN and complex needs, developed by the school and made available to other schools for free through Tapestry online learning journal.
• Cherry Garden Outreach Service

Products and services

• Cherry Garden Branch Maps A bespoke assessment package for children with SEN and complex needs, covering six areas of curriculum (Expressive Arts and Design, Communication Language and Literacy, Understanding the World, Mathematical Development, Physical Development, and Personal Social and Emotional Development). It allows pupil achievement to be assessed in a broader, holistic way and is delivered via the Tapestry online learning journal so teaching staff and parents can share photo and video observations. Available free to all schools.
• Cherry Garden Outreach Service An outreach service for mainstream schools supporting children with complex learning differences such as Down's Syndrome, chromosomal disorders and Global Delay. Includes observation, consultation, modelling, coaching, in-school training, planning, assessment using Branch Maps, inclusion support, working with other professionals, and transition support. Free for maintained schools in Southwark; academies and free schools invoiced by Southwark LA at the end of each support block.
• Training Courses Training courses offered to professionals and parents including Branch Map Assessment training, Branch Map project, Makaton training (Level 1, Level 2 and Refreshers), SEN Toolkit training, Cherry Experience Mornings, and Bespoke Training packages. Courses are kept as low cost as possible with twilight moderation sessions and Makaton refreshers offered free, listed on Eventbrite.
• Learning Portal An online portal containing Teaching Resources (articles on teaching strategies used at Cherry Garden School) and Home Learning Resources (video activities, downloadable resources and activity ideas for parents to support learning at home), available to parents and professionals free of charge.
• Accessibility Auditing and Resources An auditing tool and training resources created in partnership with Voiceability as part of a Southwark innovation project to increase accessibility across the borough for children and young people.
• Reading Project A project launched in January 2020 with the aim of getting all children with Down's Syndrome in Southwark primary schools reading, using a research-based approach starting with high-meaning sight words transferred to sentences and personalised books.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TapestrycoreTechnology or IntegrationTapestry provides the online learning journal platform through which Cherry Garden's Branch Maps assessment system is delivered. Teaching staff and parents/carers can share photo and video observations of learning. Unique visualization shows child's growing knowledge through petals on a flower or leaves on a tree. Tapestry is also principal event sponsor for Glastoncherry community event.
• VoiceabilityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration as part of a Southwark innovation project to increase accessibility across the borough. Cherry Garden co-created training sessions and resources for providers of services for children and young people. Voiceability gathered parent and service user voices to shape development of a Toolkit of resources.
• PESSN (Physical Education and School Sports Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPE and School Sports Network supports PE and swimming as well as training and peer mentoring for staff. Pupils regularly take part in sports network events. Cherry Garden won SEN Provision of the Year 2025/2026 and Male Athlete of the Year at PESSN awards.
• Calvert DevonminorOthersOutdoor education residential centre that Cherry Garden pupils visit for residential trips. Activities include horse riding, archery, bikes, canoes, and beach trips.
• Enham TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization behind the MOVE Programme which Cherry Garden has been using since 2012. School has two certified MOVE trainers on staff.
• South East London Music HubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCherry Garden is a Lead School for the South East London Music Hub, helping to grow and support excellent music provision across Southwark.
• Southwark Music ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through South East London Music Hub designation. School helps continue to grow and support excellent music provision across Southwark.
• Suena Bien SoundsystemminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSound and staging support for Glastoncherry community event. Built spectacular stage and played music for the two-day extravaganza.
• Zen EducationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner providing ice creams for Glastoncherry community event.
• Ice Dream ItminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner providing ice creams for Glastoncherry community event.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• The Makaton Charity: UK charity that owns and licenses the Makaton communication programme in which Cherry Garden's staff are qualified tutors. Comparable as the ecosystem owner of one of Cherry Garden's signature capabilities and training revenue lines.
• Enham Trust: Charity behind the MOVE Programme that Cherry Garden uses and has certified trainers for. Comparable as the originator and licensor of a key programme Cherry Garden delivers and trains in.
• VoiceAbility: Advocacy charity that co-developed Cherry Garden's Accessibility Auditing toolkit under a Southwark innovation project. Comparable as a SEN/disability sector partner developing training and resources for children and young people.

Broad incumbents

• National Autistic Society: Large UK charity providing education services, training, accreditation and resources for autistic children and adults. Comparable as a broader SEN provider offering schools, training programmes and assessment tools.
• Ambitious about Autism: National charity operating TreeHouse and Ambitious College, plus outreach and training services for autistic pupils. Comparable as a larger organisation running SEN schools plus outreach, training and resource products.

Direct peers

• Highshore School: Southwark maintained special school for pupils with complex learning needs, also referenced by Cherry Garden. Highly comparable in mission, commissioning structure and pupil demographic.
• TreeHouse School: London special school run by Ambitious about Autism for pupils with autism and complex needs. Comparable as a high-quality London special school with proprietary assessment and outreach programmes.
• Tuke School: South London maintained special school for pupils with severe and complex learning needs, referenced in Cherry Garden's Instagram as a destination school for leavers. Directly comparable as a borough special school serving a similar pupil profile.
• Joseph Clarke School: Waltham Forest maintained special school for pupils with severe and complex needs including visual impairment. Comparable in operating model, therapeutic staffing and bespoke assessment practice.
• Linden Lodge School: London maintained special school (Wandsworth) supporting pupils with profound and multiple learning needs and complex needs. Comparable as a South East England special school with bespoke curricula and therapies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/cherrygardensch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cherry-garden-school

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cherry Garden School