Our Ethos
Broadleaf Family Hub centralises services, support, information and activities for families in the Wessex area. Everything we offer is based on our Founding Principles, which you can learn more about below:
Consent-based
Everything we do is based on principles of consent, supported by a low-pressure, low-demand environment.
We support people to recognise their own regulation needs, and help our young people learn how to meet their own needs.
Regulated people = calm, nurturing spaces.
Relationship-based
We pride ourselves on our relationships with our children, young people and parents. The choices we make in our interactions with our young people always put relationship first.
We model kindness, patience, inclusivity and cooperation, and see our young people offer the same to their peers; this kindness is often the first thing people comment on when they visit us.
Trust-based
Trust-based practice is a way of being in relationship with others, where we believe in our young people and in their ability to make good decisions.
Our belief in the ability and inherent desire of our young people to thrive, learn and grow, as well as find authentic expression of themselves, runs through every interaction we share at Broadleaf.
Neuro-affirming
We are a neurodivergent-led organisation, which continues to shape our unique ethos and practice.
We have particular expertise in supporting young people with PDA/demand avoidant profiles, which continues to inform our commitment to trauma-informed, ND-affirming practice. Reflective practice and clinical supervision for our team form an essential part of our work.
Warmly-nurturing
Nurturing our children and young people is the very most important thing that we can do. They are our future!
We want everyone to feel safe, supported, accepted as they are, and focus our efforts on creating a space which enables this to happen.
Wellbeing, trust-building and friendship are the primary focus of everything we offer.
Elective Home Education (EHE) is something entirely different from a school-based education, and this is exactly where the strength of Home Ed lies.
We as HE parents - mostly mothers - are fully invested in curating bespoke educational programmes and curriculums for our children, rooted in broad, rich educational philosophies. Home Ed is a bespoke, private education developed to meet the needs, strengths and challenges of each individual child.
At Broadleaf, our core team are so passionate about this way of life and educating that we volunteer over 45 hours each, every week, to sustain and grow our community, which enables the breadth of offerings you will see on our timetable, all heavily subsidised through our volunteer’s commitment to our work.
Through coming together at Broadleaf, we magnify the benefits of home ed, amplify the experience for our children and grow our community, supporting the entire family.
Nature-first
In our beautiful, rural location, we are immersed in the natural world. We encourage time outside, and are lucky enough to have private access directly into the New Forest.
We also have our own 3 acre wildflower meadow, a community allotment built with our bare hands, and BBC Gardeners’s World award-winning show gardens within our space.
From humble beginnings as a small home ed group, we have listened to our members - child and adult - to provide the sessions you, as fellow home educators, want.
Home educators volunteering for our own community - the way it has always been.
“I have no idea what we would have done without you. Our child adores your facilitators, loves coming and never wants to leave! You have made our home ed journey fun, exciting and filled with the most wonderful company”
- parent of child E, a member of Broadleaf