Quiz Night, August 2025 A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for our Charity Quiz Night on 29 August in support of the children and young people at The Caldecott Foundation. We’re so grateful to everyone who donated prizes, took part, and helped make the evening such a fantastic success. A special thanks to Jennifer, our brilliant Quiz Master, and to Derek from Encade, who kindly captured the night ......

We are proud to announce that The Caldecott Foundation has been named Children’s Charity of the Year at the Kent Charity Awards 2025! This was our first time entering, making the recognition even more special. The award shines a spotlight on the courage and resilience of the children and young people we support every day; they are the heart of everything we do. The ceremony at the Rochester Corn Exchange ......

Do you plan to set a New Year’s resolution to get fit? Have you thought about running and not know where to start? Then dust off your running shoes and set yourself an exciting new challenge! Going from the sofa to running can feel daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. The NHS Couch to 5K guides you from being an absolute beginner to being ready to run 5......

Our annual summer camp is a highlight of the year for our children and young people. One of our children told us what they thought about summer camp, and we’re glad to know they enjoyed themselves. I learned archery. I liked going to swimming super much. I slept in a blue and orange tent and I loved it. It was really hot and sunny at camp. We made a ......

Staff at the Caldecott Foundation today walk in the footsteps of the women who have gone before. We were founded by Leila Rendel and Phyliss Potter, two young women who wanted to make a difference in the lives of children from working-class families living in and around a matchstick factory in St Pancras, London. For many of these families, the workhouse was an ever-present danger, and their mothers worked long ......

  We are delighted to share that our Christmas Craft Fayre will be returning this year.  Held in the fabulous newly renovated meeting rooms at Caldecott House, featuring arts and craft stalls, food and drinks, free parking and a tour of the school and history talk.  On Sunday 19th November from 10am until 4pm. all proceeds support our fundraising for Caldecott.  Thank you Note to stallholders, we are fully booked ......

A story from the archives telling a first person account of a fire at the nursery in early spring of 1914 when we were in London. Miss Gracie or Nossels

The woodlands around our Primary school and children's homes have had some very special Pixies and Bears move in - thanks to our friends from the Swiss Re Foundation.  Colleagues from the UK Swiss Re offices in Folkestone came together to donate their time this summer for a Community Day.  We were not lucky with the weather as it rained all day, but this did not stop our brave band ......

We have two stunning rocking horses in the reception area of our main house, which have been part of our lives for many decades, with children playing on them every week.  One of them is an antique F H Ayres horse made in roughly 1890.  Just trying to imagine how many children will have ridden on this horse is almost impossible to consider. Neither of our horses has formal names, as ......

Today (8th March 2023) we celebrate International Women’s Day, (IWD 2023).  In this blog post, a member of our executive team, Caroline Hallett takes a look back at the history of The Caldecott Foundation, sharing some information about some of the innovative and resourceful women who have helped shape our charity.

Caldecott Foundation celebrated Chinese New Year recently; it’s really positive to learn about other cultures and celebrations. ...

This week we celebrated the Foundations' achievements with over 100 colleagues attending our event in the newly furbished Leila Rendel rooms. This was our first big event since the pandemic. We were very proud to recognise our teams’ achievements & acknowledge that at this time 8/10 services are rated as 'Outstanding' by Ofsted with 2 rated as 'Good'.   Our colleagues from Fostering, Children’s Homes, Schools and support services have shown such ......

Young people from the Caldecott Foundation have just returned from an action-packed adventure in the great outdoors at their Annual Summer Camp!    As they arrived at the start of the week, a range of activities awaited everyone, from kayaking and archery to wall climbing and a zip wire. They all slept in tents, cooked outdoors, and gathered around a campfire in the evenings, surrounded by beautiful scenery. We would like ......

  Workshop 1: It’s in Our DNA – Working in Nature For Sensory & Embodiment Reconnection in Play Therapy I attended the recent annual conference for the British Association of Play Therapists, and this are some thoughts on the first workshop I attended. While this workshop hasn’t led me to think I need to break out into the great wilds of Kent for my play therapy sessions, it did make ......

This week students from our School Council and Eco Council were delighted to have an inspirational careers talk from Richard Ford, who is currently a Sales Direct for HP Inc UKI.  Richard attended Caldecott School and lived at one of our homes in Ashford in the 1980s.  He shared fond memories of his time with us, making friends who became family. Richard said “It was a real pleasure to meet ......

We would like to celebrate the achievement of a Falcons pupil. She spent time writing a poem on the importance of recycling. This is part of taking care of our environment and Pledge2 recycle. Click here to view the poem....

At the age of four, Harry was placed in the care of his local authority. Several foster placements broke down as Harry presented with challenging behaviours. These behaviours escalated with him making serious attempts to harm himself. To keep Harry safe, he was admitted into secure accommodation in 2019. After almost a year in secure accommodation it was agreed that the secure order was no longer required. In September 2020, we offered ......

With UK “lockdown one” now past its first anniversary, “Zoom”, “Working From Home”, and “Key Workers” are words and phrases that are part of everyday conversation.. We are proud to be Key Workers here at the Caldecott Foundation; a community over 100 years old, we are focused on helping children and young people reach their full potential through our school, fostering service, and residential homes in Kent and the East Midlands. “......

Children and young people from across the Caldecott Foundation have been celebrating the 75th anniversary of VE Day – when, on 8th May 1945, the Nazis’ surrender to the Allied forces marked victory in Europe and signalled the end of the Second World War. At a Caldecott Foundation residential home in Kent, young people took part in a variety of VE Day activities – colouring in posters and bunting flags, completing quiz sheets ......

Thanks to a new team member's brainwave, children and young people from a Caldecott Foundation residential home haven't missed out on pocket money trips to the "sweet shop” during lockdown! Measures put in place to halt the spread of coronavirus have meant that, sadly, young people can’t go into town at the weekend to browse the local shops.  But a home-grown, in-house sweet shop initiative has offered them a ......

Easter might have been a bit different this year, but Caldecott’s children and young people have continued to benefit from the kindness and generosity of the Foundation’s supporters. Thanks to the thoughtfulness of well-wishers, young people from across the Caldecott Foundation’s services have enjoyed an eggxtra chocolatey time, in keeping with lockdown guidelines. Individual supporter Andrea di Stefano, who has organised several Christmas and Easter gift collections ......

Despite the anxiety that the world is feeling about Coronavirus, and the challenges of the disruption to daily life caused by the current situation, children and young people from the Caldecott Foundation have been spreading positive messages through their beautiful handmade artwork. Following the government’s decision to close schools in the UK and put the nation into a period of lockdown, an online trend sprang up of sharing rainbows ......

Craig Rouse, Administrator for Caldecott Fostering has been training hard for his third marathon attempt, in a fundraising bid for the Caldecott Foundation’s Ofsted "Outstanding"-rated fostering service. Craig will be tackling the Brighton Marathon later this year, but the event, originally set for April, has been postponed due to the Coronavirus pandemic and is now rescheduled for September 2020. Although Craig was disappointed to hear about the date change, ......

The Caldecott Foundation has celebrated the completion of a brand new Sensory Room at its dedicated Primary School. Featuring state of the art equipment known to offer significant benefits to young people with special educational needs, the Sensory Room provides pupils with a space in which to feel calm and to process their thoughts and feelings before the school day begins, as well as during lessons.  It is available for ......

The countdown is well underway for Caldecott Foundation supporter, Simon Dyer, as he gears up for an incredible fitness-and-fundraising extravaganza this weekend. Simon will be donning his boxing gloves and testing his stamina to the extreme, as he aims to complete a hundred minutes on pads in the ring, in a bid to raise valuable funds for the Foundation. “I wanted to support Caldecott because of the amazing work they ......

Nick Barnett, Managing Director of the Caldecott Foundation will be speaking at this year’s National Police Missing Persons’ Conference in Hull.  The event is set to follow in the success of 2019’s conference, with several hundred delegates confirmed to attend. The theme of this year’s conference is ‘Missing and Vulnerability’ and, during the event, a range of speakers from the world of Missing Persons will discuss good practice ......

Children and young people from the Caldecott Foundation will have an extra special Christmas this year, following a very generous donation of gifts and seasonal goodies from both large and small businesses and individual well-wishers. Presents have been arriving at Caldecott’s Kent headquarters, thanks to the sincerity of those keen to support the young people looked after by the Foundation, Caldecott Fostering and Caldecott School. Just before December, Advent ......

Caldecott School has marked the end of a successful term and the start of the Christmas holidays with a Celebration of Achievement and a trip to the local pantomime. In early December the whole school boarded the coach to Canterbury to see “Mother Goose” at the Marlowe Theatre.  "Everybody had a fantastic time", said a staff member who had accompanied pupils to the production. Then, before breaking for the holidays, ......

Children and young people from the Caldecott Foundation have produced artwork on the theme of Remembrance, following a competition launched by Sainsbury’s in Ashford, Kent. The supermarket, which selected Caldecott to be its Store Charity of the Year, requested artwork from Caldecott School, the Foundation’s residential children's homes and Fostering service, for an in-store display. Exhibited in the foyer at Sainsbury’s Bybrook branch, the artwork supported the ......

Oaklea, the Caldecott Foundation’s dedicated Primary school, has celebrated its first birthday with a fun-packed, traditional party for pupils and their families. Cakes and party games were enjoyed by everyone, together with a barbecue lunch at which Secondary school pupils were also invited to tuck in.  The day included a special visit from a “Baby Velociraptor”, in keeping with the theme of Dinosaurs about which Oaklea pupils had been ......

The Forest Trail at the Caldecott Foundation’s main site in Kent has been officially opened by the Mayor of Ashford, Councillor Jenny Webb. Constructed this summer, the Forest Trail enables young people from the Foundation’s children’s homes and Caldecott School to discover and explore their natural environment and learn more about the wildlife on their doorstep. The Forest Trail was created by a team of volunteers from ......

The Caldecott Foundation in Kent has been receiving incredible support from its local Sainsbury’s store, after it was nominated “Charity of the Year” by the supermarket. While Sainsbury’s celebrates 150 of years trading in 2019, Ashford’s Bybrook branch of the grocery chain has been busy collecting cash donations in store and is on target to raise a significant sum for the Caldecott Foundation. Moreover staff from the supermarket have ......

Young people from the Caldecott Foundation’s children’s homes in Kent and Nottinghamshire have once again been offered the rewards of a fun and exciting Summer Camp adventure – and this year, in beautiful weather. The Foundation's Summer Camp provides young people with a range of opportunities for personal development and social bonding – through individual activities and group challenges in the great outdoors; sports and games; sleeping in tents and ......

It’s the end of Back To School week and new Head Teacher at Caldecott School, Karen Norman has been welcoming pupils and staff, following a great start to the beginning of term. “Well done everyone – we’ve survived the first week back”, said Karen.  “It’s always hard returning to work after a long holiday and we all hate hearing that first alarm on the first day back, don’......

The Caldecott Foundation has been celebrating the success of “Caldecott’s Got Talent” – its first Foundation-wide talent show. Nine young people from across the Foundation’s children’s homes and Caldecott Fostering took part in the contest, on a sunny afternoon in the grounds of Caldecott School. “Our young people told us that they wanted us to stage a “Britain’s Got Talent”-style competition”, said Caldecott’s Karan Hughes, ......

The Caldecott Foundation is delighted to introduce Garden House, a 38 week therapeutic residential boarding home.  Garden House provides boarding and education for children from the age of 7 to 16 years, with Caldecott’s Primary and Secondary schools just a short walk from the home. “We know that the right placement really can help children to thrive”, Garden House staff say.  “Our school and residential boarding staff have persistently high expectations for ......

Caldecott Foundation teacher and long distance athlete Peter Lane has completed his greatest feat to date: running sixty nine miles in under twenty three hours and conquering “The Wall”. The annual endurance event follows Hadrian’s Wall from Carlisle Castle to Newcastle’s Millennium Bridge.  Entrants are required to cover the route in twenty six hours or less - but while Peter successfully smashed the time limit, many other runners ......

The Caldecott Foundation and Caldecott Fostering are attending the annual National Children’s Commissioning and Contracting Training Conference, of which this year's theme is “Perfect Storm: Redesigning Commissioning For A Collaborative World”. Damion Napier from the Caldecott Foundation said: “Over the two day conference, the programme of speakers is focusing heavily upon collaborative commissioning.  This runs across residential care, education and fostering services. “Providers have a duty to be open ......

Summer’s here and in celebration of Bike Week 2019, the Caldecott Foundation has launched a new appeal for its children and young people to enjoy the positive benefits of cycling. “Bikeability” is a national cycle training programme that helps people to gain the practical skills and understanding for cycling on roads and the confidence to explore all kinds of cycling. Now the Caldecott Foundation is planning to make Bikeability available ......

A Caldecott Foundation teacher is tackling a mighty physical challenge to boost fundraising for new facilities for the children’s charity. Peter Lane, Lead Teacher from Caldecott’s education services in the East Midlands has signed up for 'The Wall' – a 69 mile endurance event that spans the length of Hadrian’s Wall. “I used to be a sprinter many years ago and played a lot of football, but getting older, ......

The Fostering Network’s “Foster Care Fortnight” is underway and Caldecott Fostering, which is currently recruiting foster carers, is backing the campaign. For twenty years Foster Care Fortnight has showcased the commitment, passion and dedication of foster carers everywhere.  It has also highlighted the vital need for more foster carers, to care for the thousands of vulnerable children and young people who continue to need their support. Foster Care Fortnight ......

Former Caldecott Foundation staff member Rachel Wren has been reflecting on having run the 2019 London Marathon in just five hours and twelve minutes. “I am just about fully recovered now, my legs were pretty sore the following day and negotiating the stairs was interesting!” says Rachel.  “I had the foresight to book a day off work, which definitely helped.” Rachel had already run in the Brighton and Edinburgh marathons but ......

The Caldecott Foundation has been given its first ever place in the London Marathon and for Caldecott’s runner, Rachel Wren, it's the final countdown. “The training alongside all the other things has been a bit exhausting!” says Rachel.  “I am tapering down now, having done my longest run of eighteen miles the previous weekend.  So this weekend, when I did seven miles, it felt like a rest! Rachel, who ......

Exciting developments within Caldecott’s therapy department are making a positive impact across all of the Foundation’s services. Chris Bennett, Therapy Services Manager for the Caldecott Foundation, says, “We have been busy rolling out Individual Caldecott Therapeutic Plans for all children placed in Residential and Fostering and have been supporting staff in thinking reflectively regarding the key therapeutic targets for each child.” The Caldecott School’s therapy team has ......

The Caldecott Foundation is delighted to have been given a place in the world famous London Marathon, for the first time in the organisation’s history. Rachel Wren, who once worked for the Foundation and whose husband is a long-serving member of the staff team, will be running to raise funds for Caldecott on Sunday 28th April. “I started running after I had my youngest daughter as a way of ......

As the regulatory year comes to an end, the Caldecott Foundation has acknowledged the achievements of its residential children’s homes, five of which have been rated by Ofsted as ‘Outstanding’. “Whilst we continue to strive for the best possible outcomes for the young people who are engaged in positive relationships alongside skilled therapeutic staff, it is always satisfying to have our expectations recognised by our regulatory body”, says Kevin ......

The Caldecott Foundation, Caldecott Fostering and the Caldecott School are proud and excited to be exhibiting at the NWG 6th Annual Conference, 2019. The two-day event is taking place at the East Midlands Conference Centre in Nottingham. Formed of more than 14,000 UK practitioners, covering voluntary and statutory services and private companies, the NWG is a charitable organisation tackling child abuse through exploitation (CSE); modern slavery and human trafficking.  By offering support ......

Four terms into the academic year, Caldecott Primary School continues to go from strength to strength. Refurbishment of a Caldecott Foundation house in September 2018 made way for a dedicated Primary provision for Caldecott School, where pupils with special educational needs can engage with class-based topics and outdoor learning. “All of our classes are set up to provide a low stimulus learning environment, which is zoned and structured to meet our ......

Following the huge success of its second white collar tournament in support of the Caldecott Foundation, Kent Coast Charity Boxing (KCCB) has announced that “Caldecott Champions” is to become an annual event. The St Patrick’s Day show at the Leas Cliff Hall in Folkestone raised almost £8000 for the Caldecott Foundation, after participants were sponsored to receive ten weeks’ training in the ring. “We are proud to be involved with ......

Following its full inspection from Ofsted, Caldecott Fostering has been rated as an overall 'Outstanding' provider of services. The announcement comes as the fostering agency sets out a number of plans for the year ahead, building upon its successes of the past three years. “We have high aspirations for all our placed children and young people; our staff team and our foster carers”, says Clair Chamberlain, Registered Manager for Caldecott ......

The Caldecott School’s Independent Learning Project (ILP) for term 3 resulted in the highest standard of entries since the initiative was launched, says Project Lead, Jerry Evans. The ILP has been running termly for four years at the Caldecott School and gives pupils the opportunity to engage with curriculum-based work in a format of their choice. Broken down into modules covering all aspects of learning, the ILP allows pupils to ......

Kent Coast Charity Boxing’s second Caldecott Champions Night is just around the corner and staff member Claire Beaumont has been stepping up her training ahead of the massive fundraising event. White collar boxers are gearing up to compete against each other on 17th March and Claire’s been pulling out all the stops as she counts down to her debut contest in the ring. “It’s going really well”, ......

A fantastic year of fundraising from Hythe’s Sene Valley Golf Club has raised more than £7000 for the Caldecott Foundation, with the charity receiving a huge donation on Valentine’s Day. It follows a campaign spearheaded by Lady Captain, Sally Milton and backed wholeheartedly by the Club Captain and Veterans. ​“I knew that taking on the role of Lady Captain was a big undertaking and I would need to dedicate ......

The Caldecott Foundation is delighted to have been chosen by John Lewis (Home), Ashford to benefit from the company’s Community Matters “Green Tokens” scheme. Every three months, John Lewis and Partners’ shops nominate three community groups or charities to support.  Each store has £3000 to donate per quarter - to share amongst the nominees proportionally, according to how customers have voted. Customers can choose which charity or community group to ......

An incredible donation of gifts and goodies from the Caldecott Foundation’s supporters has brightened Christmas for vulnerable children from across the UK. Care teams from the Caldecott Foundation work tirelessly to make Christmas a special time for the young people they look after, some of whom have not spent Christmas in residential service before. And thanks to the kindness and consideration of local businesses and individuals, an overwhelming show ......

In the first event of its kind, the Caldecott Awards has celebrated the dedication and commitment of Caldecott Foundation staff in helping traumatised children to rebuild their lives. “Our staff teams work tirelessly to ensure our young people receive the best care”, said Karen Rainer, Service Development Manager, “and we wanted to acknowledge and thank them for their continued service.” The award categories included Long Service; Outstanding Contribution; Registered Managers’ ......

The Caldecott Foundation has received a huge show of support to its vulnerable young people in the run-up to Christmas. Beginning with Advent, children from the Foundation’s residential houses have been gifted chocolate calendars following an appeal by “The Little Teapot” in Ashford. Well-wishers brought advent calendars to the coffee shop, which proprietors Jacqui and Russell Green then distributed to the Caldecott Foundation and other organisations that care for ......

White collar boxers are once more stepping into the ring to support the Caldecott Foundation, through Kent Coast Charity Boxing’s “Charity Champions” initiative. Following the success of KCCB’s first event in September – which raised several thousand pounds for the Foundation - a second tournament has now been planned for March 2019. Wayne Morley of Dover’s Fightin’ Fit Academy is behind the programme, which trains participants from all backgrounds ......

The Caldecott Foundation is delighted to have won a Community Award from the Howard League for Penal Reform in a new Residential Care category. Announced at the League’s “Policing the Community” conference, the Awards recognise the country’s most successful community projects that encourage desistance from crime. The Residential Care category was created to acknowledge work undertaken to prevent the criminalisation of children in residential care, as part of ......

Children from the Caldecott Foundation now have even more positive futures to look forward to, thanks to a very generous donation from the Swiss Re Foundation.  The donation will fund a number of inspirational and life-enriching experiences for vulnerable young people from across Kent and Nottinghamshire to enjoy. Already planned are a Christmas trip to London to watch a West End musical and an outdoors adventure-themed holiday in summer 2019, as ......

The Caldecott School now includes residential boarding in its offer to pupils. Garden House has accommodation for up to ten young people and is located in a separate building on the main site.  Pupils aged from 11-16 on admission can board for up to 38 weeks of the year, from Monday to Friday. A newly furnished room is available to each individual and pupils are encouraged to personalise their bedrooms. James ......

Kent Coast Charity Boxing’s white collar “Charity Champions” event has raised almost five thousand pounds for the Caldecott Foundation. Participants from all walks of life, with little or no boxing experience, had been given the chance to train for free in exchange for sponsorship for the charity. After ten weeks’ hard training over the summer, contenders took to the ring on Sunday to compete against each other in a ......

Attending Community Care Live has once again proved to be a positive experience for the Caldecott Foundation. The two day event took place in London earlier this week. Registered social workers, local authority commissioners and workforce leads attended free seminars that discussed key issues in children and families’ social work, as well as adult social care and social work management. The comprehensive programme included sessions on managing adoption breakdown; effectively ......

Sally Milton, Lady Captain at Sene Valley Golf Club is continuing a fantastic year of fundraising for the Caldecott Foundation. At the beginning of the summer Sally’s 28-mile walk along the Royal Military Canal raised almost £1500. Since then Sally has been busy with a host of fundraising projects including three raffles that totalled £1600 in cash for Caldecott. An art auction and various other donations have raised a further £800 for ......

Young people from the Caldecott Foundation’s houses in Kent and Nottinghamshire are gearing up for an action-packed adventure in the great outdoors. Thanks to Caldecott's supporters, vulnerable children will enjoy an exciting and fulfilling Summer Camp during their break from school. Kayaking; archery; climbing; trampolining; zipwire and team-building challenges await the Foundation's young people at a specialist multi-purpose activity centre in the English countryside. They will sleep in tents, ......

Summer holidays have got off to a kicking start at the Caldecott Foundation, thanks to The Gym Group, Ashford. Young people from the Foundation’s houses and the Caldecott School will enjoy brand new footballs following the gym’s “Bring Your Balls” appeal. Gym members were asked to bring in a ball in exchange for a guest pass, for the duration of the World Cup tournament. Assistant Gym Manager, Toni, ......

It’s been a busy year at the Caldecott School and the last week of term has been no exception! Sports Day saw pupils - and staff - tackle a variety of inflatable challenges including a bungee run, an obstacle course and Zorb racing. “Last Man Standing” involved leaping over a revolving pole at exactly the right time to avoid being knocked over. “We’ve tried to be as inclusive ......

Three of our fabulous fundraisers in the East Midlands are gearing up for a MAMMOTH challenge this weekend… running a hundred kilometres in just ONE DAY, in aid of the Caldecott Foundation's new Therapy Room! Steve, Adam and Rich are taking part in this year’s “Race To The Stones” - an ultra marathon voted Best Endurance Event in the UK. The route follows the 5000-year-old Ridgeway from the Chiltern ......

If you’ve watched boxers in the ring and dreamed of putting on the gloves yourself, now’s your chance…  You can train for free and raise cash for the Caldecott Foundation at the same time! Kent Coast Charity Boxing (KCCB) is staging a “Charity Champions” night at the Leas Cliff Hall, Folkestone on September 30th. Wayne Morley of Dover’s Fightin’ Fit Academy explains: “We started KCCB a couple ......

The Caldecott Foundation is proud to have exhibited at this year’s National Children’s Commissioning and Contracting Training Conference. Across the two-day event, keynote speakers shared their perspective on “How to commission children’s services that work”, through a series of workshops and presentations. Attending for the Caldecott Foundation, Damion and Michelle said: “We’ve really enjoyed the conference this year and have met with many commissioners and fellow ......

Young people from the Caldecott Foundation in Kent can continue to celebrate World Cup season in style - with brand new balls, thanks to The Gym, Ashford! Members have been asked to donate a playing ball in exchange for a free day’s pass for family or friends. The Caldecott Foundation was kindly chosen by the gym as their charity for the promotion, which stretches across the duration of the ......

The Caldecott School was rainbow-unicorn-tastic for Autism Pride Day 2018, in an explosion of colour and circus fun! Young people - and staff - enjoyed a visit from Circus Allstars' founder member and professional juggler Rob, who believes that building confidence makes learning fun.  Pupils from the school and children from the Caldecott Foundation's residential homes were able to take part in circus workshops throughout the day. “We wanted to celebrate ......

As World Cup Fever strikes, children from a Caldecott Foundation house in Kent have been kicking it in new kit, thanks to a local football club. Ashford Football Club have kindly donated personalised football strip to young people who have been engaging in the sport. Children have been proudly practising footie skills in their shiny new shirts, with their names emblazoned on the back - just like the pro players! ......

The Caldecott School has celebrated its first ever Arts Week! Using the theme of Animals, pupils explored African drumming; puppet-making; tile mosaics; baking craft; cartoon-drawing; music; dramatic performance and more, as part of a varied programme in which everyone could get involved. “It’s about showing how the Arts are in everything we do” said Louise, Head of the Caldecott School. “We have an Art Therapist and a Music Therapist ......

It’s been a week of Welsh adventuring for pupils from the Caldecott School! Goldfinches Class have enjoyed a fantastic School Residential in the Brecon Beacons, trying a variety of outdoor sports including caving and gorge walking. Young people also experienced rock climbing and body boarding, with all pupils and staff making it to the top of Pen y Fan.  What an amazing achievement! ...

The Caldecott School rocks!  Superb vocals, great showmanship and true friendship were top of the set list when RockSteady Music School visited us just before Half Term. With a full programme of rock workshops and a rock concert to end the day, our young people had the chance to play different instruments. Everyone played together as a band with outstanding attitude and enthusiasm. James T from RockSteady told the Caldecott ......

The Caldecott Foundation has proudly hosted the renowned psychotherapist Christine Bradley for the launch of her book, “Revealing The Inner World Of Traumatised Children And Young People”. Christine, a former co-director of the Foundation, has more than forty years’ experience of working in therapeutic communities, local authorities and organisations in the UK and overseas.  Her work has been influenced by familiar names in child psychology and psycho­analysis, including Donald ......

Young people from the Caldecott Foundation in Kent have enjoyed a great day out at the circus, thanks to Circus Starr – the Circus with a Purpose! Circus Starr was founded more than thirty years ago and its performing artists come from all over the world. The touring troupe gives free seats to thousands of disadvantaged, disabled and vulnerable children and helps to raise money for local charities too. Ollie, a ......

Young people and staff from the Caldecott Foundation’s houses in the East Midlands held a very successful bake sale this Bank Holiday weekend. With a mouth-watering array of home-made tasty sweet treats to choose from, the team hosted a stall at Retford Charter Day 2018 and raised a fabulous £180! The cash will go towards the appeal for a new Therapy Room for the Foundation’s Nottinghamshire houses. Amazing achievement guys ......

Sally Milton was blessed with blue skies and warm sunshine for her twenty eight mile trek along the Royal Military Canal this Bank Holiday Weekend. Sally, Lady Captain at Sene Valley Golf Club in Hythe, has been raising money for the Caldecott Foundation’s Young People’s Summer Camp. “The weather was ideal” said Sally, “and apart from a couple of incidents with unexpected stinging nettles and a hidden badger ......

Bank Holiday Weekend is around the corner and as we cross our fingers for good weather, we might be planning a BBQ, trip to the beach – or perhaps some TLC for the garden. But Sally Milton, Lady Captain at Sene Valley Golf Club in Kent is warming up her walking shoes, ready for a twenty eight mile hike along the Royal Military Canal. “Each captain raises money for charity” says ......

The Caldecott Foundation had a great experience at Community Care Live in Manchester. Registered social workers; local authority directors; commissioners and workforce leads attended the two-day event of which the Caldecott Foundation was proud to be a part. Through seminars, exhibitions and professional networking opportunities, visitors received essential learning and training from peers and sector thought leaders. Discussions across children and families’ social work included Deprivation of Liberty; Modern Day ......

Spring has arrived and we have been blessed here at The Caldecott Foundation! Our young people were given an eggxcellent boost to their Easter break, thanks to our friends at John Lewis; “The Little Teapot”, Ashford; and other local businesses. This fantastic spread of yummy chocolate Easter eggs, which included donations from well-wishers, meant that our young people could enjoy an eggstra cracking good treat over the holidays. Karin Moncrieff, ......

2017/18 has been a fantastic year for the Caldecott Foundation receiving recognition from Ofsted for the outstanding outcomes that we are achieving for the young people placed in our care. Over the last year Ofsted have judged four of our seven children’s homes to be ‘Outstanding’. Our other three homes received ‘Good’ ratings with two also being rated as having “Improved Effectiveness” in their second annual inspection. Caldecott’s Managing ......

We are excited to have the opportunity to work with The Curly Hair Project to deliver training for parents, carers and professionals working with young people with ASD. The Curly Hair Project deliver training both nationally and internationally and provide relevant and up to date training. Click here for more information....

In DT, Jessie has been using his skills to make a bird table; look how proud he is of his work....

A family member of those at Woodclose Farm are cycling from Land’s End to John O’Groats – that’s an incredible 110 miles a day for 9 consecutive days. Paul and his team are raising money to pay for brand new play equipment that will change young peoples lives! They set off on the challenge yesterday and have currently raised £1000 out of the £3000 needed, so any donations you can spare would ......

We’re delighted to share our news with everyone today. At our Ofsted inspection on 7 and 8 March, we achieved an overall rating of Good. Thanks to all our staff, students and governors for their hard work. You can read the full report here....

Pupils from Woodpeckers have been to visit Herstmonceux as part of our Science week experience.  ...

We've got lots of great activities going on today in school to promote the love of books for World Book Day 2017....

In Kingfishers we have been working on our SUPERHERO personalities. We have PONYGIRL, BATBOY, WOLFMAN and PUMABOY. We wrote recipes for our superheroes, came up with adjectives to describe them and superpowers using natural disasters which they had to research. We also created our personalities on the computer using superimposed faces. The final part of the project was to create a story involving their superhero and one other from someone ......

Today at Caldecott Foundation School we are using our social skills of participating and cooperating and our spiritual skills of understanding the feelings of others. We are celebrating Bad Hair Day to raise money for seriously ill children at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH). A great display of Caldecott's British value showing respect and tolerance of others. ...

Today we are celebrating NSPCC Number Day. We have chosen to support this in school, with students completing a variety of events, including "Who wants to ba a Mathlionnaire", "Countdown" and "Staff Bingo" whilst raising money for the NSPCC. Number Day is a great way to make maths fun and bring a positive, 'can do' attitude towards it. To ensure everyone has the opportunity to take part, a Number Day ......

Summer House has joined Hornbeam and Pine Lodge as The Caldecott Foundation’s third children’s home rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted. Importantly the inspection report highlighted the views expressed by the young people cared for at Summer House stating that, “they feel safe and cared for. They are confident that staff will support them and help them if they feel unsafe or worried.” It was also noted in the report ......

We are delighted to announce that Hornbeam House has achieved a rating of “outstanding in all areas” in its recent Ofsted inspection. We have received a letter of congratulations from Sir Michael Wilshaw (Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Ofsted) Congratulations to Hornbeam’s registered manager, Emma Hamlet and her team! Sir Michael Wilshaw's Letter...

We recently announced that two of our homes have achieved a rating of “outstanding in all areas” in their recent Ofsted inspections. We were delighted to receive a letter of congratulations from none other than Sir Michael Wilshaw (Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, Ofsted) We hope you feel as proud as we do! Sir Michael Wilshaw's Letter...

Congratulations to our registered managers, Becky and Emma, who manage our residential homes Pine Lodge and Hornbeam and their dedicated teams. Both have achieved a rating of “outstanding in all areas” in their recent Ofsted inspections. Commenting on Hornbeam’s performance, the Ofsted inspector wrote “Staff are highly skilled at making extremely positive relationships with young people. This ensures young people’s welfare is wholly safeguarded and promoted. Young people ......

The Rotary Club of Ashford will be holding their annual charity ramble in the beautiful location of  Wye Village.  A family friendly walk through the picturesque village and surrounding area is on Sunday 13th September 2015 and there will be a choice of a 5 mile or 10 mile course. Join us and to help to raise money for The Caldecott Foundation on this diverse and beautiful walk with tremendous views over the ......

Helen Jones, our Head of Care, has been involved in shaping the new regulations for children's homes, known as the new Children's Homes Quality Standards that came into effect at the beginning of April. Helen was asked to work with the Department for Education as a member of the Quality Standards Working Group.  Her hard work and contribution have been recognised not only in a letter from Edward Timpson MP (......

Here is our very own Louise Parkinson with Tony showing how fabulous they are in red. This week the children and young people from our school dressed in red to help raise funds for the British Heart Foundation, Wear It. Beat it. campaign, a total of £52 was raised. Well done to all in helping making a difference in peoples lives and the fight against heart and circulatory disease. ...

Join The Tuesdays for a spell binding night of music inspired by the films of Tim Burton including The Corpse Bride - Sweeney Todd October 31 & November 1 from 7pm The Sinden Theatre Homewood School Tenterden Tickets start at £10 and can be purchased by calling the Sinden Theatre box office on 01580 763826...

What an amazing weekend we had at this years 'Tentertainment'. There were so many great acts that preformed especially our great friends 'The Tuesday's'. Along with CoCo & The Butterfields, Jamie Johnson, ArteMiss and The Sugar Sister's. It might only be July but organisers of Tentertainment brought a touch of Christmas winter wonderland to the festival complete with a snow, Christmas trees and carols!! From start to finish it was ......

Here at the Caldecott Foundation we have signed up with the brilliant "Clothes For Charity." It's a great way to recycle unwanted clothes and give back to charity in one go. All you have to is register online at their website. Pick the Caldecott Foundation to donate to and then request a bag to be sent out to your home address. Once you get the bag, fill it with all ......

Congratulations and a big well done to The Caldecott team for completing this years London to Brighton bike race on 15th June. They joined the thousands of cyclists for this iconic 54 mile ride from London to the Brighton seafront. Setting off from Clapham Common, South London to the Brighton seafront. Ditchling Beacon is the highest point of the ride at 813 feet, and a mile long and is a renowned challenge ......

Come and join us for festival fun at Tentertainment. Returns once more for you to enjoy a free family festival on the Recreation Ground in Tenterden. A weekend festival of wonderful local music, fun, food and drink for the whole family. They will be helping us to raise money for the Foundation,  please come along to support us and Tentertainment. Put the date in your diary, 4th, 5th, 6th July 2014. ......

Congratulations and a huge well done to 6 students and 3 staff from the Caldecott School. Who attended a cross country course event organised by ISP at Oare Country Park in Faversahm on Friday 9th May. The students came 2nd overall out of 50 people from local special schools, we are very proud of them all....

Tenterden Rotary Club are delighted to be holding our Annual Charity Golf Day at London Beach Golf Club on Friday 20th June. Money raised will be donated to The Caldecott Foundation and other Rotary supported charities. Stableford competition for teams & individuals. Lots of fun prizes and Rotary Challenge Cup for the best team including a Rotarian. Handicap limit -Men 24 / Ladies 36. Coffee & Bacon Roll from 8.30 am Tee off 9.00 am ......

Caldecott are working with Sainsbury's Hythe to host a Swishing Event at Caldecott School Hall. Date: Thursday, 27th March 2014 Doors open: 7pm Swishing begins: 8pm Entrance: £5 per person, including refreshments Tickets sold on the door- first come first served Swishing involves getting ladies together to swap clothes, shoes, bags and accessories. Caldecott's Swishing Event will also have a tombola. Changing rooms are available. Download the Swishing Poster here...

Hello. I am a pupil at the Caldecott Foundation, which has both care homes and a school. Life at Caldecott is fun, but it can have its ups and downs. Caldecott has helped me change, I now do things I would never have done before, I would slack off of school and just do nothing, but now I am different. When I first came to Caldecott I was very nervous ......

Caldecott Foundation School Adult Literacy and Numeracy Examination Results The Caldecott Foundation School are pleased to announce the results from their first set of Adult Literacy and Numeracy Examinations this year. The students have done really well and are looking forward to taking the next level of examinations. These examinations will help them in securing placements on college courses and employment.   Year Group Entry Level 1 Literacy Entry Level 1 Numeracy ......

There is a lot going on at the Caldecott Foundation at Christmas time. The first sign that Christmas is coming at Caldecott is when the Christmas trees are delivered to the houses. The young people get involved in decorating them and this is where the excitement begins! We hold lots of activities at Caldecott to get the young people into the Christmas spirit and this year activities include the annual ......

Our newly converted property in Fledborough, Newark, is in a tranquil, rural setting. We offer a comprehensive package of assessment, care and education to young people with extremely complex needs. Our highly skilled and experienced team tailor this package to each young person and can deliver any of the following: Emergency Placements Three or six month assessments Focused work over a specific time period Bridging placements Respite care Each young ......

Thank you to everyone who voted for us in the Lloyds Community Fund Thanks to all the votes, we received an amazing £3,000 donation which will be spent on Rhythmix music sessions at the school. This donation will cover 2 sessions per week for a year. Rhythmix is a leading UK music charity, who work with the young poeple to express their creativity through music. They have some fantastic experience working with ......

The Vocational Learning Centre was the main element of our Centenary Appeal. This was introduced to provide the kind of work based training that is relevant for today’s job market, but in a fully supportive environment with the further social and emotional skills that are a key element of our provision. Courses We offer a programme of vocational training courses, from BTEC entry level to BTEC level 2 for 14-19 ......

The Caldecott Foundation has so far received over £200 simply from our supporters shopping online! The amount is generated by easyfundraising.org.uk, and doesn't cost shoppers any extra! Caldecott earns donations when people register on easyfundriaisng.org.uk and choose to support us. The process is simple, all you need to do is: Go to www.easyfundraising.org.uk Click on 'Support a Good Cause' Under 'Name of Good Cause' ......

Following the Official Opening of the Vocational Learning Centre on 24th October 2013, Stacey McShane, Head of Education, talks to Meridian News along with students Liam and Chloe. You can watch the interviews here....

Our Vocational Learning Centre was officially opened on Thursday, 24th October 2013 by our guest of honour Lady Amanda Ellingworth who was representing her mother, Countess Mountbatten of Burma. Guests were able to have a tour of the Vocational Learning Centre and the Inclusion Unit, which were both funded by the Centenary Appeal.  The Vocational Learning Centre is now officially opened to students, who are able to study a range of ......

Staff at Sainsbury's Hythe got into the Halloween spirit to hold 2 fundraising days for the Caldecott Foundation, who are currently their charity of the year. The fundraisng days kicked off with a Tombola on Friday 25th October, which continued on Saturday 26th with face paints and games included. Thank you to all the staff who got involved in the fun and to all the customers who took part in the ......

Lloyds Banking Group Community Fund Vote for Caldecott and make a difference to our children's lives The Caldecott Foundation has been shortlisted for the Lloyds Community Fund 2013 and we need your help to win a £3,000 charitable donation. Voting is easy and your vote really could make a difference. SMS: Text "VOTE PZJB" to 61199 In store: Visit your local branch and cast your vote....

Nearly a hundred guests joined the Caldecott Foundation at the Late Summer Lunch at the beautiful Boldshaves in Woodchurch on Monday, 9th September 2013. The event was started off with a drink upon arrival where the guests were given the chance to buy tickets for the raffle, for which prizes included lunch for two at Elvey Farm Hotel in Pluckley and a golden season ticket for the Secret Gardens of Sandwich. ......

Sainsbury's in Hythe, Kent, has appointed The Caldecott Foundation as its local charity partner for 2013 and 2014. The local charity scheme is now in its fifth year and aims to raise money and awareness of a range of charities throughout the UK. In the last four years, Sainsbury's colleagues and customers have supported thousands of local charities, raised more than £5 million and volunteered more than 7,000 days in support of charities and ......

We would like to say a big thank you to everybody involved with the Charity Golf Day at Tenterden Golf Club on Friday, 17th May to raise money for the Caldecott Foundation. Special thanks go to Phil Auden of Tenterden Rotary Club for organising the event and to the Rotary Club members for choosing Caldecott as this year's beneficiary, Barclays Bank and JBH Refurbishments for sponsoring the event and everyone ......

We are delighted to announce that we have reached our £750,000 centenary campaign goal to build a new vocational learning centre and supported accommodation. The money was raised through numerous local and national fundraising activities and events, as well as donations from charitable trusts and foundations. The money raised through the Centenary Appeal will help Caldecott's older children acquire workplace skills in a range of fields such as construction, car mechanics ......

We are delighted to be working with Rhythmix, one of the UK's leading music charities, who are running two afternoon music workshops a week with our young people.  The tutors from Rhythmix help young people to express their creativity through music making, and they have some fantastic experience from working with young people in challenging circumstances. The workshops include an element of lyric and song writing, cross genre and new ......

Hundreds of friends, patrons, trustees and supporters joined our children and staff as we travelled back in time with an exclusive 1911 themed Garden Party to celebrate our Centenary. The event, held at the stunning Doddington Place, saw supporters enjoy a glorious day of fun, games and live entertainment. Guests sampled sideshows such as the fortune telling bearded lady and Punch & Judy. They were able to buy luxury prize-filled scrolls ......

Hundreds of members of public joined the children, staff, patrons and supporters as we celebrated our Centenary with a beautiful Service of Thanksgiving at Canterbury Cathedral on Friday, 13th May 2011. The Archbishop of Canterbury led the ceremony which included beautiful hymns sung by King’s School Chamber Choir and Caldecott Choir, readings from past and present Caldecott residents and a candle light ceremony. We are delighted that the collection raised ......