iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 1h

What can you actually do at The Haven? Explore subjects you love, figure out your identity, your communication style, your senses and feelings, and how to rest, recharge, and maybe even build something of your own one day. thehavenonline.school

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Mainstream school wasn't built with neurodivergent girls & non-binary learners in mind. So @autisticgirlsnet.bsky.social built The Haven: an online school with a flexible curriculum, neuro-affirming mentors, and a community that gets it. thehavenonline.school

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Disengagement isn't the absence of progress, often it's where recovery starts. A dysregulated young person needs capacity rebuilt before re-engagement can work. That's not a gap in provision. It's sequencing. The Haven is built around it. thehavenonline.school

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Attendance-first isn't always learner-first. For an autistic young person in burnout, pressure, rewards and consequences around attendance can add to an already overwhelmed nervous system. Sometimes reducing the pressure is the first step towards recovery. #SchoolAvoidanceAwarenessWeek

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Barriers to attendance don't happen to one child, they reshape the whole household. Many of our families are fighting for an EHCP while processing their own late autism/ADHD identification. What we hear consistently: "We are completely alone in this." #SchoolAvoidanceAwarenessWeek

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

"Won't engage" is often the final stage of a long process of coping alone, sensory overwhelm, social exhaustion, masking past capacity. For #SchoolAvoidanceAwarenessWeek, we're asking professionals to look earlier in that timeline, not just at crisis point. thehavenonline.school

Small rose text reads "#SchoolAvoidanceAwarenessWeek." Below a large decorative quotation mark, bold text reads: "Barriers to attendance in autistic girls are almost always the end of a long road —" followed in rose-pink text by "not the beginning of a behaviour problem." Underneath, smaller gray text reads: "By the time attendance breaks down, the young person has often been coping alone with far more than anyone realised."

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

SENDCOs & commissioners: if you've got a young person who's been out of education, who can't speak when a placement starts, & who generalist AP hasn't been able to hold, that's exactly who we exist for. Contact to talk through a specific placement: admissions@thehavenonline.school

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Live, small groups. The same educators and the same peers all year. Camera on or off, voice or chat, and nobody disappears. The question we're asked most is whether an online school can help with social communication. We've answered it here thehavenonline.school/social-commun…

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

This is the whole point of what we do. We built The Haven because connection and emotional security belong at the centre of learning, not an afterthought. More on how: thehavenonline.school Here's to year two 🎉

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Come & meet us! We’re exhibiting & giving a talk on inclusive education and support for neurodivergent learners at the National Neurodiversity Show in Glasgow. We’d love to see you there. nationalneurodiversityshows.com/pro…

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

"I am learning in a way that actually works for me." Evie on leaving mainstream school and finding an approach to learning that fits her brain, not the other way round. autisticgirlsnetwork.org/a-life-after-school/

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

New DfE study tracked 8,632 children on behaviour, difficulties, predicted attainment. Not whether school felt safe or possible to them. That's the question we start with. Study: www.gov.uk/government/publications/…

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Not just a diagnosis. A whole person. A diagnosis is a starting point, not the full picture. Our learners often navigate ADHD, anxiety, sensory differences and more alongside autism. More on our approach: thehavenonline.school

"Autism and co-occurring differences" An iceberg illustration shows "Autistic" labelled above the waterline in blue-grey, with "just some of the co-occurring differences" in blue-grey below the waterline. Text lists co-occurring conditions: epilepsy, dyscalculia, ADHD, alexithymia, sleep difficulties, Ehlers Danlos syndromes, gastrointestinal issues, PMDD, anxiety, intellectual disabilities, situational mutism, FND, OCD, dysautonomia, eating difficulties, dyspraxia, and dyslexia.

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Flinching all day at things that apparently aren’t there, that’s sensory overload, not oversensitivity. More: thehavenonline.school

Nobody else seems to notice the hum of the lights, or fifty conversations happening at once, or the smell of the lunch hall drifting down the corridor. I’m supposed to just filter it out. I don’t know how. So I spend the whole day absorbing things that apparently aren’t there.

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Wrapped up our first year at The Haven and asked learners and families what it's been like. Here's just some of what came back. Learn more about what we do: thehavenonline.school

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Barriers to attendance, note defiance, it's a nervous system saying “not safe,” often for reasons that look small from outside. The Haven builds the day around understanding that. More: thehavenonline.school

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Two days dedicated to the SEND community. Come and talk to us about EOTAS, alternative provision, and building education that genuinely works for autistic and neurodivergent young people. Register for free - tessendshow.co.uk

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

“She's fine at school” and then falls apart at 3:45pm, that's masking, not misbehaviour. The Haven was built by people who've lived it. More: thehavenonline.school

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Every family who responded to our survey said their child's wellbeing has improved since joining. These are the young people the system called school-refusers. It was never the child. Read the full results: autisticgirlsnetwork.org/it-was-nev….

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Autistic capacity shifts with context, not just intensity. A young person overwhelmed by a supermarket checkout can genuinely enjoy a concert, predictability, choice, and control change everything. Read more: autisticgirlsnetwork.org/when-contr…

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

A UN report on the right to education just confirmed what our learners have always known: exam halls often fail to accommodate neurodivergent processing, sensory, and executive functioning needs, turning assessment into an exit point rather than a support. bit.ly/4wQhFNs

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

A perfectly timed meme can show analysis, humour, cultural understanding & critical thinking all at once. We see learners using memes to explore topics like gender stereotypes & feminism, communicate complex ideas & start meaningful discussions.

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

We don't ask learners to be school-ready. We meet them exactly where they are, even after years out of education. No timeline promises, but re-engagement often comes faster than families expect. thehavenonline.school

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Behaviour points and charts often measure obedience, not wellbeing, and for autistic young people that can mean fear, shame and isolation instead of support. We do things differently at The Haven. Find out how: thehavenonline.school

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

If you're a professional, parent or carer, curious about whether The Haven could be the right fit, watch this video from our Head, Kirsten & book onto a Meet the Head session to ask questions directly. Video: bit.ly/4y5sGvG Event: bit.ly/4viwFmb #AlternativeProvision #EOTIS

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Swipe to see brilliant artwork by two of our learners at The Haven. Drew's character illustration is stunning, and Phoebe has been creating gorgeous original characters, Ketta and Aspen. We are so proud of both of them. #TheHaven #EOTAS #OnlineSchool #AlternativeProvision

Anime-style illustration of a pale-skinned character with short white hair, red rectangular glasses, colourful braces, and a grey chunky knit jumper. They are grinning and holding up a green camouflage-patterned drinks can.

Character reference sheet for an original character named Ketta (they/it pronouns). Ketta is a humanoid fox character with curly brown hair, a fox mask, leaf earrings, a sun necklace, a cream embroidered top, layered green and rust-coloured skirts, and brown boots. The sheet includes colour swatches, annotated design notes, and two additional head views showing detail. Text describes Ketta as "quiet but outspoken, loves nature," with the name derived from the Finnish word for fox, "kettu."

Reference sheet for character - Aspen (19, she/her). A girl with brown hair styled in space buns, green peekaboo highlights, purple rattails, & fringe. She has green eyes with winged eyeliner, a star stamp, & purple eyeshadow, and wears grey headphones, a green t-shirt, brown dungarees, & dark green Converse. Colour swatches for hair, face, & body, annotated design notes, & 2 additional head views. Full name Aspen Jade Lumena, 5ft 8in, has a tabby cat called Fern, & her style is "whimsy twee."

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

This is what learning looks like when a young person feels safe enough to reach for it. One of our learners, Eva, wrote this diary entry imagining Florence Nightingale after a day caring for wounded soldiers at Scutari. Find out more about wjat we do: thehavenonline.school/about-us

A vintage-style poster titled The Diary of Florence Nightingale featuring a diary entry written by a learner named Eva in the first-person voice of Florence Nightingale, describing a day caring for wounded soldiers at Scutari Hospital during the Crimean War. The parchment design includes an illustration of a Victorian oil lamp & a historical portrait of Florence Nightingale. The piece highlights compassion, hygiene, determination & the importance of women in healthcare.

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

The Haven's new blog on why the shift from "school refusal" to "school can't" isn't just semantics, it changes how we understand and support struggling young people. bit.ly/havenschref

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

When a child can't get out of bed for school, it's often a sign that something deeper is going on. Anxiety, burnout, overwhelm & unmet needs can make school feel unmanageable. Our latest blog explores why & how parents can respond with understanding & practical support. bit.ly/havblogwtd

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

School can feel like a place where you're constantly trying to fit in, masking, struggling, never quite feeling like you belong. Our learners meet others who who just get it. That sense of being understood & genuinely belonging is woven into everything we do.

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

Wondering what a typical day at The Haven looks like? Our timetable balances learning, wellbeing, mentoring, movement breaks and opportunities for learners to connect, grow and build confidence. Take a closer look - thehavenonline.school/what-a-typica…

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

Haven founder Cathy will be speaking at the Autism & ADHD Show on Saturday 4th July in Liverpool. Her talk will focus on SEND reforms & what the proposed changes mean for families and schools. Tickets - autismadhdshow.co.uk/liverpool #AutismADHDShow

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

At The Haven, we support young people who've often spent years unrecognised and unsupported. A diagnosis doesn't define who we support, but we know how much it can change a young person's life. Find out more - thehavenonline.school/about-us

Large light lavender text reads "80%" at the top, followed by the words "of autistic girls remain undiagnosed at the age of 18" in white. A citation in italics reads "(McCrossin, 2022)". In the lower centre of the image is an illustration of an open book, and to its right a round clock with a coral/orange frame. In the bottom left corner are the logos for The Haven and Autistic Girls Network, alongside the text "Registered Charity in England (1196655) and Scotland (SC054837)".

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

Noticing a shift in someone's tone and spending the rest of the day convinced you've upset them. Replaying conversations. Feeling feedback like a physical blow. For many of the young people we support, this is RSD and it's neurological, not an overreaction. Read more: bit.ly/AGNRSD

"Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria may look or feel like". Below are seven rounded pill-shaped buttons in shades of dusky pink and mauve, arranged in a two-column layout with one centred at the bottom. They read: "Overwhelming physical pain at perceived rejection", "Perfectionism or people pleasing", "Fear of disappointing others", "Emotional overwhelm or shutdown", "Reassurance seeking", "Strong feelings of shame", and "Replaying and feeling deeply distressed by perceived mistakes".

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Haven founder Cathy will be speaking at the Autism & ADHD Show on Saturday 27th June in Birmingham. Cathy will be talking about creating sanctuaries, re-engaging the "crashed out" learner. Tickets - www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-autism-a… #AutismADHDShow

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

Meet the team behind The Haven. A group of educators, mentors and advocates passionate about creating a neurodivergent-affirming online learning space where young people feel understood, supported and celebrated. Find out more - thehavenonline.school/meet-the-team

3x3 collage of smiling team members against a muted pink background.

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

Haven founder Cathy will be speaking at the Autism & ADHD Show on Saturday 20th June in London. Her talk will focus on SEND reforms & what the proposed changes mean for families and schools. Tickets - autismadhdshow.co.uk/liverpool #AutismADHDShow

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

We know that success looks different for every young person.Some students shine in exams. Others shine in creativity, problem-solving, curiosity, practical skills, or the way they support those around them. Because success isn’t one-size-fits-all, and neither are our students.

We celebrate effort.
We celebrate progress.
We celebrate growth.
We celebrate the way you shine.

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

Being passed from service to service, on waiting lists while things get worse. We know how heavy that experience can be & we’ll keep advocating for change until timely support becomes the standard, not the exception. Source - All party parliamentary group on autism. #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek

86% of families found the process of getting support from mental health services took too long.

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

We observe & analyse our lessons against The Haven Teaching Principles on a weekly basis to ensure that all teachers remain reflective of their practice and that our relational curriculum is truly embedded in our teaching.

Infographic titled “Relational Practice Evidenced in Lesson” by The Haven. A table outlines Haven principles alongside examples seen in teaching practice, including safety before learning, belonging, neurodivergent affirmation, learner voice, flexible participation, emotional honesty, and futures thinking. Examples include emotional check-ins, optional participation, strength-based language, regulation activities, and multiple ways for learners to engage safely and authentically.

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

Last chance to vote! Our CEO, Cathy, has been nominated for a National Diversity Award, she's a relentless advocate & support created through The Haven & @autisticgirlsnet.bsky.social have been truly life-changing for so many families. We’d love you to vote: bit.ly/NDACW #NDA26

A colourful promotional graphic with overlapping rainbow-toned circles and bold white text reading “Proud to be nominated. Vote for me at the National Diversity Awards.” A photo of a AGN CEO, Cathy Wassell is in the centre. At the bottom are logos for NDA26 and a “15 years celebrating unity in society” badge, along with the website nationaldiversityawards.co.uk.

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

What if school felt safe first? Too many autistic students face overwhelm, masking, and burnout, not learning. At The Haven, we start with safety, trust, and understanding. Read more - bit.ly/havsafbp

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

Not a motivation issue. Not a behaviour issue. A nervous system issue. The Haven is an alternative education provision for neurodivergent girls and non binary young people, built around safety first, because that's where real learning begins. thehavenonline.school/about-us

Background image of a classroom with desks and chairs and busy displays on the wall. You can't learn if you're in survival mode.

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

We're hosting an online discussion with autistic author & sensory specialist Joanna Grace. This is a space to explore ideas together, hear directly from Joanna, and be part of a conversation that centres autistic voices in all their diversity. 18th May, 8–9:30pm, bit.ly/AGNJGevent

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

For many autistic people, this kind of deep immersion, where time fades, the world quiets, & everything clicks, isn't a quirk. It's one of the best parts of being alive. We build around this. Because education shouldn't fight against who they are, it starts there.

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

When a young person finally finds a place that was built for them, not one they have to mask through or survive, it changes everything. Not just for them, but for the whole family. This is what The Haven exists for. Find out more about what we offer - thehavenonline.school/about-us

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

Come and meet us! We’re exhibiting and giving a talk at the National Neurodiversity Show in Cardiff. Whether you’re a parent, professional, or neurodivergent yourself, we’d love to see you there. Book your ticket - nationalneurodiversityshows.com/pro… #natneuroshows

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

97%. That’s not a gap, it’s a system failing children who deserve to be understood & supported. Too many neurodivergent girls are overlooked & pushed out of mainstream education, that's why we built a different kind of school, where neurodivergent girls can thrive without masking who they are.

Illustrated graphic with a purple background and colourful crayon drawings. Large text reads “97%” followed by “of children excluded at primary school had a special educational need or disability (Chance UK).

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The Haven online school @thehavenonline.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

We’re thrilled our CEO, Cathy, has been nominated for a National Diversity Award, she's a relentless advocate & support created through The Haven & @autisticgirlsnet.bsky.social have been truly life-changing for so many families. We’d love you to vote: bit.ly/NDACW #NDA26

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