Mulberry Bush: Building the Burrow

Timber panels, dark blue shutters and gabled roofs - it looks like a piece of Scandinavia dropped into the heart of rural Oxfordshire. The Burrow certainly isn't your usual country bolthole. Set to open in May half term, it is the newest part of the Mulberry Bush, a residential special school for children aged five to 13 who have severe emotional and behavioural difficulties.

Matthew* is one example of a child who has benefited from Mulberry Bush's therapeutic approach. He was adopted at a young age but his family found it impossible to look after him following a number of school exclusions. When he first arrived at Mulberry Bush he insulted and physically attacked the other children. He would run off site, climb onto roofs, and put himself in extreme danger. But as time passed he began to establish relationships with adults, made better decisions and found he did not need to run away or fight. He made friends, his self-esteem grew and he became a caring child who would support other children rather than making things harder for them. When he left Mulberry Bush, his parents said the school had "saved him and the family". They now spend time together, and he has gone on to a specialist secondary school where he is learning successfully.