About Us
Get to know our ethos, our team and the story behind Foundations for Life.
Our ethos and values
Foundations for Life is an inclusive school. We welcome and celebrate diversity, and the wellbeing of our pupils sits at the heart of everything we do.
We work in close partnership with parents and carers wherever we can, because we know that the people who know a child best are the people who love them. Our brand new, therapeutic and calming environment is designed to support pupils’ emotional and mental health alongside their academic achievement.
We believe a healthy sense of self-esteem is fundamental to a child’s development, so our teaching is trauma-informed and built around an understanding of neurodiversity. Classes are small, every pupil has access to individual support from a teaching assistant, and our pupils have a real voice through our school council.
We accept nothing but our best, for every child, every day.
Meet the team
The people behind Foundations for Life
Senior Leadership Team
Ross Flanagan
Deputy Headteacher (DDSL)
Helen Webster
Assistant Headteacher, Pastoral Lead (DSL)
Vinny McPoland
Assistant Headteacher, Behavioural Lead (DDSL)
Anthony Walker
Behaviour Intervention Support
Sophie Loughlin
SENCO
Teaching Staff
Megan Brougham
Class Teacher - Primary
Louise Stanton
English and Drama Teacher - Secondary
Lewis Probert
PE Teacher - Secondary
Luke Pollitt
Humanities Teacher - Secondary
Gage McAllister
Art and Computing Teacher - Secondary
Rachel Yule
Maths Teacher - Secondary
Emily Bakewell
Science Teacher - Secondary
Sophie Sloane
Trainee Teacher (Primary) and Spanish
Ruth Clarke
Librarian
Support Staff
Terri Hall
Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) and Lead TA
Ben Sedman
Primary Learning Mentor
Craig Cooke
Tennis Coach / Learning Mentor - Secondary
Nikki Moran
Teaching Assistant Level 3
Angela Doherty
Teaching Assistant Level 2
Caitlin Doherty
Teaching Assistant Level 2
Callum Doherty
Teaching Assistant
Office Staff
Holly Murray
Senior Administrator and Receptionist
Family Support
Lauren Humphreys
Family Support Worker
Clinical Team
Dr Carly Pointon
Clinical Psychologist
Lorna Harvey
Psychotherapist
Finnuala Garner
Speech and Language Therapist
Amanda Kasperowicz
Clinical Team Officer / Occupational Therapist
Rebecca Niblett
Senior Assistant Psychologist
Lauren Highton
Senior Assistant Psychologist
Governors
Alex Aresti
Proprietor
Bill Doherty
Chair of Governors
Anne-Marie Blundell
Safeguarding Governor
Eoin Campbell
Curriculum and SEND Governor
Caron Lackenby
HR Governor
Paul Seddon
Behaviour Support Governor
Nadia Brew
Parent/Carer Governor
Mark Brew
Parent/Carer Governor
Chris Tudhope
Parent/Carer Governor
Our history
Foundations for Life was founded by Alex Aresti, proprietor of Omega Life, which has provided children’s residential care since 2015. Alex set up Foundations for Life after noticing that many of the young people in Omega’s care faced ongoing difficulties at school, and wanted to build somewhere that genuinely understood neurodiverse learners and pupils who have experienced adverse childhood experiences.
Our school is on Bridle Road in Bootle, close to Aintree Racecourse, with a lawn at the front, an outdoor garden, and a playground to the side. No expense was spared in creating a calm, nurturing environment in which our pupils can thrive, and we are proud to be the first school in the UK to install a Lü Interactive Playground.
From a blank canvas, we have built a culture of excellence, recruiting a team of caring, conscientious professionals who are committed to every child in our school family.