Holistic Education and Well-being: Why Are Mainstream Schools So Disconnected?

For too long, education has been measured in data points, levels and targets. As a former Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) and creator of an alternative curriculum within, I have seen first-hand the pressure placed on children to achieve in reading, writing and maths above all else. Subjects like art, music, sports, DT, gardening and cookery are often treated as “extras,” squeezed into the timetable if there is time.

But what about well-being?

What about happiness?

What about readiness to engage in any subject, in life itself?

For my family, these questions have never been abstract. They have been lived.

Our Journey Through Mainstream and the EHCP Maze

My eldest son is also autistic. Mainstream school never quite fit for him either and we struggled through a couple of primary schools before leaving to home educated at the start of year 7. His needs were overlooked, his potential missed. It was one of the reasons we created The Edventure Project CiC – a holistic, nurturing space that put children first. He flourished there and with my dear friend at her ALP (Make it Mentoring - where I also worked) and today he is thriving at college, studying a year ahead of his peers. Proof that with the right environment, autistic children can not only catch up but leap forward.

Then came Adam.

Adam started in mainstream, and like so many children with SEND, he was quickly labelled as “behind” and disruptive. Intervention after intervention was put in place, but each one focused on deficits rather than on what he needed to thrive.

The timetable revolved around literacy and maths. Science, art, music and outdoor learning were rare, and yet these are the very things that give children joy, curiosity and the confidence to learn. Adam became anxious and withdrawn. School turned into a battleground of tears and meltdowns before, during and after.

That was when the fight for an EHCP began. Anyone who has been through it knows it is a draining, dehumanising process – endless meetings, forms, assessments and in our case tribunal. We were made to justify Adam’s needs to professionals who only saw numbers, not the child standing in front of them.

But we kept going. Because I knew Adam needed something different. And he was also excluded by age 7 yrs. How awful. It was a shame building time for him and we spent the next 9 months repairing the damage - in truth, we still are.

A New Chapter – Grace Gardens

Today Adam attends Grace Gardens School (part of the Ruskin Mill Trust), and the change is remarkable.

Here, education is holistic. They see him as a whole child, not a list of targets. His passions and strengths are celebrated: feeding chickens and cows, harvesting vegetables, creating with clay, exploring music with guitars and drums, and learning through real-life experiences.

The core subjects are still there, but they are embedded in meaningful contexts. Adam reads instructions when building, calculates measurements when planting, writes reflections after projects. Because his well-being is prioritised, he has the confidence and motivation to engage.

It is what mainstream schools are missing – and what every child deserves.

The Edventure Project – A Family’s Vision

While Adam thrives at Grace Gardens, his younger brother Thomas is now thriving as home educated and attends The Edventure Project CiC, the community organisation I founded iwth my husband and my friend Kara supported by amazing mentors (Marta, Liam and Liam).

The Edventure Project began for my eldest son, and it has grown into a safe and creative space where children who do not fit into mainstream schooling can flourish. It mirrors much of what Grace Gardens offers: a holistic approach that values creativity, nature, life skills and well-being alongside academic learning.

We see children come alive here. They develop not just in literacy and maths but in resilience, confidence and independence. Thomas, like his brothers, is growing in ways that mainstream education simply could not provide.

As a parent, I have seen the difference these spaces make. As a founder and director, I have witnessed it for countless other children too - tears spring to my eyes when I think of the growth of our young ones. Overcoming such fear and anxiety - finding their voice. Literally in some cases.

Observations as a HLTA, Parent and Founder

From every angle – professional, personal and community – the conclusion is the same. Mainstream education is too narrow. It prioritises attainment data over human beings. It sidelines the very subjects that engage children. It overlooks the critical link between well-being and learning.

At Grace Gardens and at The Edventure Project, I see the opposite. Well-being comes first. Learning is broad, balanced and meaningful. Children are valued for who they are, not just what they can achieve on a test. And because of that, they do achieve – often far more than anyone thought possible.

The Call for Reform

As a parent, I am relieved that my boys have found spaces where they can thrive. As a founder and professional, I am convinced more than ever that the system is broken.

We need schools that look more like Grace Gardens and The Edventure Project. We need training for staff that prioritises emotional regulation, sensory needs, connection to nature and creativity alongside academic learning. We need environments where children are seen as whole beings, not just data points.

Because when children feel well and happy, when they are supported holistically, that is when they are ready to engage in reading, writing, maths, science, art, music and life itself.

Adam, Thomas and their eldest brother H are living proof. With the right environment, children do not just survive – they thrive.

And that is why education reform is not just necessary, it is urgent.

Article by Kimberley Vallis ( Serendipity, The Edventure Project CiC and Vallis Ventures.