Principal’s Introduction

Radlett Lodge School is a wonderfully caring environment that has every pupil’s needs at the heart of its every decision.  I was hugely honoured to accept the role of Principal, in January 2023, to serve the families of this small caring community as best I can.

Initially, I joined Radlett Lodge School in 2015 as a Class Teacher which helped me understand the needs of the pupils, and then in 2017 I embarked on a senior leadership role becoming Deputy Principal.  Over my 25 year teaching career beginning back in 1998 where I was a Physical Education (PE) Teacher in an inner city secondary school in Berkshire, then went on to teach PE and Mathematics in a single sex grammar school in Buckinghamshire and subsequently as a boarding Housemaster in a mixed independent school in Hertfordshire.  

Having taught in a wide range of educational settings, I am able to draw upon my experiences from working with hundreds of dedicated colleagues, inspirational pupils and kind parents over many years to solve the unique issues of leading this extraordinary school.

As an Independent Special School, we have the authority to be able to create a bespoke and truly meaningful curriculum for each pupil appropriate to their own developmental stage; their strengths, needs and special interests.

Our community is made up of therapists, teachers and support staff, all working collaboratively to positively impact the lives of our 50 autistic children with additional needs.  The whole RLS staff team and I pledge to work tirelessly to improve the lives of our children and young adults  with the extra challenges they face towards understanding themselves, the world around them and accessing their local community as successfully as possible.

Working collaboratively, alongside our proprietor the National Autistic Society, we also proudly promote their values and ambition to create a society that works for all autistic people.

I am passionate at striving for the best for you and your child and will endeavour to create the best possible environment for them, to ensure that they don’t just grow, but more importantly blossom, into their extraordinary self.

Stuart Mainwaring

Radlett Lodge is a small school with just 55 pupils. This means staff and pupils get to know each other well. We develop trusting relationships which in turn make sure that our young people are equipped to make their own choices in life and have the chance to be as independent as they want to be. 

At Radlett Lodge we celebrate the achievements of all of our pupils and recognise that what some might see as a tiny step can be the biggest of challenges. Every Friday, we have a celebration assembly for the whole school where we mark individual occassions (such as birthdays or personal development milestones) as well as cultural and public celebrations, considering how they reflect our school, community and British values.

Life at Radlett Lodge is always fun. We have a distinct sense of community and helping children and young people feel they belong both in the school and in our wider neighbourhood is highly important to us.