A team with a shared purpose
We believe every young person deserves to feel safe, understood and hopeful about their future.
Our team brings together experience across education, social, emotional and mental health needs, safeguarding, regulated children’s services and organisational leadership. We share a commitment to creating environments where young people feel that they belong and are supported to take their next step.
Our purpose
To make education feel possible again for children and young people who have found mainstream settings difficult.
Our vision
For every young person supported by Starfish AP to develop a sense of belonging, experience meaningful achievement and move towards a positive future.
Our mission
To provide calm, personalised alternative provision built around trusted relationships, strong safeguarding and the individual needs of each young person.
Experience guided by care
Starfish AP was founded by Dan Healy and Chloe Fox, bringing together extensive experience across education, social, emotional and mental health needs, safeguarding, regulated children’s services and organisational leadership.
We understand that high-quality alternative provision must combine compassion with strong safeguarding, clear accountability and meaningful evidence of progress.
Our experience helps us understand both the individual young person and the responsibilities shared by families, schools, local authorities and other professionals.
The Starfish Way
The Starfish Way is our relationship-first approach to education. It places safety, connection and humanity at the centre of everything we do.
We believe behaviour is communication and that meaningful progress begins when a young person feels safe, seen and understood. That means choosing curiosity over judgement, connection over correction and progress over perfection.
What makes Starfish different
Every learner arrives with their own experiences, strengths, needs and hopes. We take time to understand the young person in front of us and build their support around what will help them engage and progress.
Learning may include English and maths, AQA Unit Award Scheme opportunities, practical activities, life skills and emotional development. The programme develops as trust grows and the learner’s needs change.
We work closely with families, schools, local authorities and other professionals. Together, we agree clear goals, communicate regularly and plan an appropriate next step for each young person.
Progress is reviewed and reported clearly, whether the next step is reintegration, further education, training or another suitable destination.