Grace Garden School is a specialist Steiner school located on an 18 acre smallholding on the outskirts of Bristol, offering a range of outdoor learning activities in practical land and craft work to support the education and development of children and young people.

At-a-glance

Executive Principal: Francesca Meynell

Assistant Principal and Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL): Veronika Chidemo

Deputy Provision Lead: Edwin Rhodes

Designated Attendance Lead: Veronika Chidemo

Student Engagement Manager and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL): Dan Elliott

Head of Care: Not applicable

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator (SENDCo): Victoria Reakes

Director of Schools: Tara Gratton

Chair of the Board of Directors: Helen Kippax

Clerk to the Board of Trustees: Solene Mosley

Proprietor: Catherine Grace Trust

Age Range: 9-16

Local Authority: City of Bristol


Quick links

Ofsted reports

Local Offer document

School policies

SEN Information Report

Get in touch

The Grace Garden School had an Ofsted Inspection in May 2022. The Inspector graded the school Good in all areas. Click here to view the report online.

We have had a very successful first year and have now filled all our 20 registered places. We are not planning to open residential provision, due to the high demand for day places. If you are looking for Ruskin Mill Trust residential provision, please contact our Admissions team to discuss other RMT opportunities across the UK.

Please contact us if you wish to visit in the meantime or be sent information about our virtual tour.


“I am extremely excited to be leading this new and innovative provision in Bristol. We are so fortunate to have found a wonderful site for our new school: we have 18 acres of cultivated land on the edge of the city, bursting with potential for our work.” –

Francesca Meynell, Executive Principal


A Holistic Curriculum

Offering a holistic curriculum, Grace Garden School is set in 18 acres of cultivated landscape on the outskirts of Bristol. It offers an education to young people between the ages of 9 – 16 with complex social, emotional and behavioural difficulties including Autism Spectrum conditions.

Grace Garden School provides a contemporary outdoor learning approach, with the focus on experiential learning. This programme of study is interwoven with the mandatory outcomes of the National Schools Curriculum. Our young people engage with learning and development through a whole-person approach to education that draws on the insights of Rudolf Steiner, John Ruskin and William Morris. The curriculum focuses on making, doing and creating, taking part in meaningful activities that engage hand, head and heart.

All children and young people have a carefully planned programme of study, developed through collaboration between the education, therapy and care teams, along with the child and young person’s family and wider support network.

Although we are inspired by Rudolf Steiner, we are a non-denominational school and our calendar of celebrations reflects the diversity of both the local and global community. Grace Garden School will endeavour to ensure that its children and young people move into adulthood with the strongest foundation of values upon which to build a successful life and understanding of what is a meaningful contribution to our society.


Grace Garden’s Vision, Aims and Ethos

Our vision is that each child and young person has the potential to shape their own future through experiencing meaningful relationships with universe, earth and people.

We value inclusive learning and living activities that integrate practical activity, thinking and our emotions. We value mutual respect and we strive to understand all people’s differences and uniqueness. We value the capacity for re-imagination present in all people, towards positive change and development. We value openness, goodwill, tolerance and treating individuals with dignity and respect.

We provide children and young people with holistic learning by role modelling positive relationships in the fields of arts, crafts, commerce, agriculture, nutrition, living skills and the environment.