Tuition Services
Tuition services.
Social Media.
🌱Happy 4 years of Sowing Seeds to our team, children, families and community! 🌱
Four years ago, I took one of the biggest risks and resigned as Assistant Principal and set up Sowing Seeds Tuition as a self-employed tutor with ten (yes, ten) jobs and lots of long days of driving in the day time and evening doing supply, lecturing and tutoring to pay the bills. All whilst learning how to set up and run a business.
After more than 20 years working in education, I left mainstream teaching (in all honesty) following my own experiences of anxiety and depression with three breakdowns and lots of sertraline! I left feeling disillusioned but in my gut knew that the system was broken and something needed to change. In September 2022, Sowing Seeds began with just me, working as an English tutor and recovering from my own trauma in education and wanting to repair my trust in education and repair children’s trust that learning didn’t have to mean reaching burnout. My experienced also helped me hold onto a very personal belief that children cannot thrive academically unless they first feel safe, understood, valued and enjoy learning. They aren’t machines and neither are the teachers and teams workings in education.
I wanted to help children rediscover the spark that had been lost; to bring creativity, confidence and joy back into learning. At the time, I wanted tuition to be preventing children reaching crisis and on a waiting list with CAMHS. I didn’t realise that Sowing Seeds would be needed for so many families already in crisis who needed us immediately.
This summer, we sold our house to buy the Footsteps premises and secure the future of Sowing Seeds. From renting one room to tutor at my daughter’s dance school, I never would have believed how much would change in 4 year! My family and I now live in the beautiful house upstairs via a separate external door and we have lots of new memories to make!
Over the past four years, we have:
🌱 Grown from one self-employed English tutor into a family of around 27 employees and 40 tutors working across Yorkshire and beyond (as far as Japan!)
🌱 Supported over five hundred children and young people, including those with SEND, anxiety, trauma and emotionally based barriers to attending school.
🌱 Opened our Alternative Learning non-school provision in Idle, Sowing Seeds Alternative Learning, creating personalised education packages for learners who need something different from a traditional classroom with our highly skilled team of professionals and SENCOs (yes, plural!) specialising in supporting neurodivergent learners. We are also the setting schools turn to when they know they need something highly specialised which in turn supports them and their resources.
🌱 We are highly experienced in policy, advocate for better SEND and educational reforms at a national level and have been inspected by 5 Ofsted inspectors, three local authorities and dozens of schools and Trusts! We have also been told by Ofsted NOT to become an independent school because our model works as a non-school. After 2 years trying to meet all the criteria, it took 2 hours for us to verbally withdraw when we knew we couldn’t meet the needs of our students if became a school - we would be failing our families. The inspection costs £2,500, so we continued the process so we knew we met all safeguarding and health and safety requirements).
🌱 Established Sowing Seeds Wellbeing CIC and developed our specialist Sensory Hub in Thackley, offering therapeutic, sensory, community independent-living and preparation-for-adulthood support.
🌱 Opened Sowing Seedlings, our Ofsted-registered wraparound and holiday provision for children aged 3–11.
🌱 Become an approved NCFE and ASDAN centre as well as school exam satellite centre, enabling learners to work towards nationally recognised qualifications, Functional Skills and meaningful pathways into adulthood.
🌱 Developed EOTAS, alternative provision, tuition, mentoring, counselling,autism specialist mentoring, work-experience and wellbeing packages shaped around each individual learner.
🌱 Specialise in teaching and supporting neurodivergent children of all abilities, young adults and adults, including autism, ADHD, AuDHD, PDA, dyslexia, dyscalculia, OCD, ARFID, PICA and sensory-processing differences. Many of the individuals we support often experience anxiety, trauma, communication needs, emotionally based barriers to education, difficulties with emotional regulation or experience barriers accessing traditional learning environments. We recognise that every person’s needs, strengths and experiences are different, so we create flexible and personalised pathways that allow them to learn, develop and succeed in ways that are meaningful to them and work with educators and local authorities to remove those barriers.
🌱 Been named New Business of the Year 2024, received Highly Commended for Community Involvement in Bradford Education Awards 2023, Finalist for Business Growth at Entrepeneurs Circle in 2024, and become a finalist in the Bradford Education Awards for Specialist Provision in both 2025 and 2026.
But the achievements that mean the most to me cannot be captured by an award, qualification or grade.
They are the young person who walks through our door after being unable to access education for months, years or who has lost their confidence. The parent who can finally go shopping or go for a coffee on their own and have a tiny break.
Sowing Seeds has become more than a tuition and wellbeing centre. It has developed its own identity, its own values and, most importantly, a family of people who genuinely care. We are now recognised by families, schools, charities, professionals, adults social care and local authorities across Yorkshire but we have never forgotten our values.
There have been challenges, long days, difficult decisions, tears and moments when I have questioned at what point do we stop growing and say we stay the size we are. However, every child who finds their confidence and every family who finally feels understood reminds us why it has all been worthwhile and that we can do more, really!
I am incredibly proud of what we have created together and deeply grateful to every member of the team, learner, parent, carer, colleague, school, professional and supporter who has believed in us and become part of the Sowing Seeds community. We still don’t have a Google business page for our non-school daytime provision and we are almost booked up and it’s all thanks to recommendation and the local authorities seeing the value and difference our approach makes as an existing inclusion base with a team of experts at hand.
Here’s to the next chapter, the lives still to be changed and all the seeds we are yet to sow (pun, absolutely intended!).
Rachel x
#FourYearsOfSowingSeeds #SowingSeeds #AlternativeProvision #SEND #ChildrensWellbeing #InclusiveEducation #EOTAS #Bradford #Yorkshire
14 CommentsComment on Facebook
September Tuition Timetable
It’s time to get back into routine, Our new session timetables are here!
Looking for extra support, a confidence boost, or personalised tuition for your child? We have a
range of sessions available to support learners at their own pace, in a safe and supportive
environment.
Take a look through our timetables below to see our upcoming sessions and find the right option
for your child. Can’t see one that suits your need? Get in touch and we can help where we can.
Primary School:
Year 2 English - Tues 4pm / Tues 4:30pm
Year 2 Maths - Tues 4:30pm / Tues 5pm
Year 5 English - Mon 4pm / Mon 4:30pm
Year 5 Maths - Mon 4pm / Mon 4:30pm
Year 5 & 6 English - Wed 4pm / Wed 4:30pm
Year 6 Maths - Mon 4pm / Mon 4:30pm
Secondary School:
Year 8 English - Tues 5pm / Tues 5:30pm
Year 9 Maths - Wed 5pm / Wed 5:30pm
Year 10 Maths (Foundation) - Wed 6pm / Wed 6:30pm / Thur 5pm / Thur 5:30pm
Year 11 Maths (Foundation) - Mon 4pm / Mon 4:30pm
Year 11 Maths (Higher) - Wed 5pm / Wed 5:30pm
Year 11 Combined Science (Higher) - Mon 6pm / Mon 6:30pm
Year 11 English - Wed 5pm / Wed 5:30pm
Spaces may be limited, so get in touch to find out more or secure your childs place!
#sowingseedstuition #personalisedlearning #westyorkshire #education #tuition
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
A Day of Learning, Reflection & Teamwork!
On Tuesday it was all about working together, thinking strategically and understanding where we can grow. 💭✨
We had the amazing Paul from New Habits running our training session.
We spent the day:
🌱Analysing our Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats (SWOT)
🌱Working in teams to tackle general knowledge challenges 🧠
🌱Exploring our gaps and areas for development
🌱Sharing ideas, perspectives and experiences
🌱Identifying opportunities for growth, improvement and future success
🌱 Going over our safeguarding policies
🌱 Big welcome to our new staff
A brilliant day of collaboration, honest reflection and learning from one another. It’s amazing what we can achieve when we put our heads together! 💚
#TogetherWeCan #sowingseedstution #bradford #teambuilding
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
🌱 Welcome to Sowing Seeds Tuition! 🌱
Looking for more than just traditional tuition? You’ve found us. 💚
At Sowing Seeds, we believe every child matters. We provide personalised tuition, wellbeing support and alternative learning for children and young people aged 4–25, with a particular focus on SEND and neurodiverse learners.
✨ Award-winning & Ofsted registered
📚 Qualified, specialist teachers
🌱 Small, personalised groups
🧠 SEND & neurodiversity specialists
💚 Wellbeing-first, trauma-informed approach
🏡 Home, online & centre-based learning
🎓 SATs, GCSEs, Functional Skills & more
🤝 School partnerships, alternative provision & EOTAS
👨👩👧 Wraparound childcare & holiday provision
🏆 Official NCFE Exam Centre
We don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. We get to know the child behind the learner and create support around their individual strengths, needs and goals.
📍 Based in Idle, Bradford, supporting families across Bradford and West Yorkshire.
Ready to find out how we can support your child?
📞 01274 003 011
📧 hello@sowingseedstuition.co.uk
🌐 sowingseedstuition.co.uk
💬 Send us a DM or get in touch today — let’s help your child learn, grow & succeed. 🌱
#SowingSeedsTuition #BradfordTuition #BradfordParents #westyorkshire
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
🌱 Welcome to Sowing Seeds Tuition! 🌱
Looking for more than just traditional tuition? You’ve found us. 💚
At Sowing Seeds, we believe every child matters. We provide personalised tuition, wellbeing support and alternative learning for children and young people aged 4–25, with a particular focus on SEND and neurodiverse learners.
✨ Award-winning & Ofsted registered
📚 Qualified, specialist teachers
🌱 Small, personalised groups
🧠 SEND & neurodiversity specialists
💚 Wellbeing-first, trauma-informed approach
🏡 Home, online & centre-based learning
🎓 SATs, GCSEs, Functional Skills & more
🤝 School partnerships, alternative provision & EOTAS
👨👩👧 Wraparound childcare & holiday provision
🏆 Official NCFE Exam Centre
We don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. We get to know the child behind the learner and create support around their individual strengths, needs and goals.
📍 Based in Idle, Bradford, supporting families across Bradford and West Yorkshire.
Ready to find out how we can support your child?
📞 01274 003 011
📧 hello@sowingseedstuition.co.uk
🌐 sowingseedstuition.co.uk
💬 Send us a DM or get in touch today — let’s help your child learn, grow & succeed. 🌱
#SowingSeedsTuition #BradfordTuition #BradfordParents #westyorkshire
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
🌱 Welcome to Sowing Seeds Tuition! 🌱
Looking for more than just traditional tuition? You’ve found us. 💚
At Sowing Seeds, we believe every child matters. We provide personalised tuition, wellbeing support and alternative learning for children and young people aged 4–25, with a particular focus on SEND and neurodiverse learners.
✨ Award-winning & Ofsted registered
📚 Qualified, specialist teachers
🌱 Small, personalised groups
🧠 SEND & neurodiversity specialists
💚 Wellbeing-first, trauma-informed approach
🏡 Home, online & centre-based learning
🎓 SATs, GCSEs, Functional Skills & more
🤝 School partnerships, alternative provision & EOTAS
👨👩👧 Wraparound childcare & holiday provision
🏆 Official NCFE Exam Centre
We don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. We get to know the child behind the learner and create support around their individual strengths, needs and goals.
📍 Based in Idle, Bradford, supporting families across Bradford and West Yorkshire.
Ready to find out how we can support your child?
📞 01274 003 011
📧 hello@sowingseedstuition.co.uk
🌐 sowingseedstuition.co.uk
💬 Send us a DM or get in touch today — let’s help your child learn, grow & succeed. 🌱
#SowingSeedsTuition #BradfordTuition #BradfordParents #WestYorkshire #tuitionbradford
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
🌱 WELCOME BACK! 📚✨
We’re so excited to welcome our learners back for another year of learning, growth and success! 💚
At Sowing Seeds Tuition, we believe every child and young person is unique. Everyone has their own strengths, challenges and learning style — so our support is never one-size-fits-all.
Whether your child needs extra academic support, a confidence boost, or personalised tuition, we’re here to provide the individualised academic and emotional support they need to learn, grow and reach their full potential. 🌱
🏆 Award-winning
📚 Ofsted registered
💚 Tuition & wellbeing support
👧 Supporting ages 4–25
Here’s to a fantastic year ahead! Let’s learn, grow and succeed — together. ✨
🌐 Find out more: sowingseedstuition.co.uk
#SowingSeedsTuition #WelcomeBack #LearnGrowSucceed #Tuition #PersonalisedLearning #Wellbeing #EducationSupport #Confidence #LearningSupport #NewSchoolYear
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
✈️ As many of us have seen the airport queues and delays shared on the news with the changes with eye scans and finger prints at border control, we were relieved when we were ushered into the family queue…and realised it was even longer.
But that wasn’t the main challenge at Milan airport.
My son (6), is very protective of his glasses. He doesn’t like people seeing him without them unless he feels comfortable and prepared. If he’s unexpectedly asked to remove them, he covers his eyes and becomes extremely distressed and shuts down.
We were naive and unprepared when they asked him to remove his glasses for the eye scan. He shuck his head and immediately covered his eyes and bolted to get to the other side (successfully) of passport control. Fortunately, I had already gone through and was there.
And suddenly, we felt the stares and frustration from the queue behind us. The pressure that there was no alternative.
He tried to run and I had to restrain him with a bear hug so he couldn’t ’escape’ and we all get in trouble with passport control (it all feels ridiculous now but at the time we didn’t have any one there who we could ask for help and the border control office said he had to take them off). Tom held him while I tried to remove his glasses (unsuccessfully) and tried to move his hands from his eyes and hold him still on the footprints. It was so distressing for all of us and he screamed and fought against us.
I felt cruel and it went against everything I believe about respecting children’s boundaries and responding compassionately. I’m still traumatised by it now and angry that we had no our choice at the time.
Eventually, the immigration officer simply said, “It’s okay” and allowed him to complete the process wearing his glasses. Why he couldn’t have allowed this in the first place is infuriating.
But - Walking away, I didn’t feel frustrated with my son. I felt ashamed and really angry that we had no other choice and that there was no prior warning or way to share with children what to expect as we naively believed this only applied to adults and that it was just finger prints for children.
And then I thought about the children and young people we support at Sowing Seeds Alternative Learning. What if he had complex needs? What if he couldn’t stand on the footprints at all? What if the officer hadn’t been so understanding - eventually?
If we’d known exactly what to expect, we could have practised. We could have used pictures, explained the process and prepared him.
We talk about reasonable adjustments in education, workplaces and public services, but we need to think about them throughout travel too: A short video. A visual guide. Photos. A child-friendly explanation during booking and on the aeroplane.
Small adjustments can prevent enormous distress and is why travel training helps at any age.
The Sunflower lanyard and other disability identifiers are valuable, but not every disability is visible—and not everyone wants to disclose one or is aware they have one.
The only positive is that I can use this experience to help prepare our families and learners so they know what to expect.
But in the wider world, travel needs to also inclusive, to prepare families, and to recognise that accessibility isn’t always about changing what happens. Travel shouldn’t be traumatic. Sometimes, it’s simply about helping someone know what is going to happen next.
Before we travelled back, we took time to explain and made it into a game and he said he was ready (even excited) and willing to take his glasses off when he was asked to do it. 💚
At Sowing Seeds, we want to support children academically but also advocate and strive to help children and young people personally so that they are enriched, feel prepared and learn about themselves and thrive in the wider world - whatever their ability and needs are.
#HiddenDisabilities #InclusiveTravel #ReasonableAdjustments #SENDParents
3 CommentsComment on Facebook
🌙 To all our GCSE students (and our parents) on the night before Results Day…
We know tonight might feel like a long one. And tomorrow morning will feel very daunting as it approaches.
There may be nerves, excitement, worry, pride and lots of “what ifs?” For parents and carers, it can be just as emotional. You’ve watched your child work hard, overcome challenges, doubt themselves, keep going and, for many of our young people, face barriers that others may never fully understand.
So tonight, we want you to remember something really important:
Tomorrow’s results are just one moment in time. They do not define your child, their ability, their potential or their future. We also know that some children won’t have this experience tomorrow and that it will happen if or when they are ready (and we are here to help if needed)💚
A grade cannot measure resilience.
It cannot measure kindness.
It cannot show how much courage it took to walk into an exam room or even being able to open that envelope to read those results.
It cannot capture the progress made simply by re-engaging with education, believing in yourself again or refusing to give up.
Whatever is written on that piece of paper tomorrow, there will always be a next step and another pathway. Open it on your own, when you get home, with you family or with your friends. It’s your moment to choose and every person shows their nerves in their own way
To our students: we are already incredibly proud of how far you have come. Tomorrow is about recognising what you have achieved, not measuring your worth by a number.
And to our parents and carers: whatever tomorrow brings, celebrate how far they have come and know we are here if you need to chat . ❤️
From all of us at Sowing Seeds, we wish every young person receiving their GCSE results and resit results tomorrow the very best of luck. 🍀🌱
You are so much more than your results. This is one moment in your story, not the whole story.
#GCSEresults #GCSEresultsday #SowingSeeds #SEND #Proud
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
🎓 A-Level Results Day 🌱
To all our A-Level students receiving their results today, well done! 💚
Remember, one set of results doesn’t define your future. There are many different pathways to success, and the right one is the one that works for you.
At Sowing Seeds Tuition, we’re here to help young people explore your young person’s options and find the right next step - if you want to arrange a consultation, please get in touch.
You’ll also find us in the The Telegraph & Argus today!🤩 🌱
To find our more, get in touch:
📞 01274 003 011
🌐 sowingseedstuition.co.uk
Your future is still yours to shape and we’re here if you need us. 💚
#SowingSeedsTuition #ALevelResults #ResultsDay #NextSteps #StudentSupport #Education
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
like to know more?
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt