The past decade has seen sustained pressure on the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system in England. Rising numbers of autistic students, increasing complexity of need and constrained provision have made it harder for schools to meet learners’ needs consistently and equitably.

Against this backdrop, The Cavendish School opened in 2021 as Cambridgeshire’s first state-maintained special free school for autistic students with a clear purpose: to create a school designed to support autistic learners rather than asking them to adapt to school.