Dave Church
Education Consultant · Children's Coach · Adoptive Parent
NPQH qualified
13+ years teaching
Former Deputy Headteacher
Adoptive Parent
Parents who come to Braythorpe often say things like…
"The school keeps saying he’s fine. But I’m the one picking up the pieces every evening.”
Parent of a child with unidentified SEND needs
This is your Testimonial section paragraph. It’s a great place to tell users how much you value your customers and their feedback.
Parent navigating the SEND system
“She used to love school. Something happened and no one will tell me what.”
Parent navigating a school conflict
“I’m an adoptive parent. I know about trauma and attachment. The school just doesn’t get it.”
Parent of a looked-after child
Services
Three ways to help
Whatever stage you’re at, there’s a place to start
Whether you need clarity, your child needs a coach, or your school needs better-equipped staff.
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Both sides of the gate.
Braythorpe is the only education consultancy founded by someone who has spent 13 years as a senior school leader and is also a current adoptive parent. That dual perspective is everything.
The gap
Between what schools can offer and what your child needs
Braythorpe exists in the space most families find themselves in.
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SEND processes are slow
Getting on the SEND Register, accessing the right support, progressing to an EHCP, it takes time. Schools are navigating this too, with growing demand and shrinking capacity.
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Schools are stretched
There are now 1.7 million children in England with an identified SEND need. EHC plans have more than doubled since 2016. Schools are doing more than ever, but the gap between need and resource keeps growing. Children with EHCPs have a 36.9% persistent absence rate, more than three times the national average.
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Home and school tell different stories
The child who holds it together all day and falls apart the moment they walk through the door. Two very different versions of the same child.
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Parents need a navigator
Schools are doing more than ever with less. Braythorpe helps families and schools find each other, by helping parents understand the system and communicate more effectively within it.
“Before I set up Braythorpe, parents would come to me anyway, informally, in corridors, after parents’ evenings. I realised there was a real need for somewhere to go.”
Dave, founder
About Braythorpe
A senior school leader on your side
Braythorpe was founded by Dave, former Deputy Headteacher, NPQH, with 13 years in education, a background as Pupil Premium Lead, and experience supporting children across the full range of SEND and wellbeing needs.
He has deep respect for the teachers and schools trying to navigate increasing demand with limited resource. Braythorpe is about working with that system, not against it, to find the best path for each child.