About us
Broadleaf is a community-led family hub, shaped and held by the families who are part of it.
We support children, young people and families who are seeking connection, belonging and meaningful community.
Home education is, at its heart, a collective endeavour, one which is rooted in equality, shared responsibility and mutual support. It is not hierarchical, and no one person is “in charge.”
Families come together as equals, each bringing skills, experience, care and commitment, and this is the spirit from which Broadleaf grew.
In a world that recognises organisations and formal groups, coming together as a collective allows families to open doors that might otherwise remain closed, from creative workshops and shared projects, to college transition days, partnerships and wider opportunities.
Broadleaf exists because of the power of families working together. We are not a service delivered to families, but are a community built by them.
We care deeply about collaborative working and have had the joy of creating projects alongside organisations such as Turner Sims, Southbank Centre, Countryside Education Trust, Gardeners' World, Hampshire Music Service and University of Southampton, among many others.
These partnerships are not about provision, but about coming together — families, artists, educators and organisations working alongside one another to create meaningful, creative and real-world opportunities for young people.
We believe family life should be joyful, inspiring and whole-human. Community is not an optional extra within that worldview — it is central.
Broadleaf is our shared community space: a place of care, friendship, shared knowledge and mutual encouragement. It is where families walk alongside one another — offering support, experience and practical wisdom — and where children and young people grow within a network of trusted relationships.
Broadleaf began simply as families choosing to gather together to share ideas, learn together, and build something collectively that reflected their values. What emerged was not a service, but a living, evolving community.
That reflexive, grassroots approach remains at the heart of everything Broadleaf stands for today.
Our roots
We began as a toddler group in a village hall in 2010, running gentle, nurturing groups for children and their parents.
Over the years, Broadleaf has taken many forms, as it has grown to meet the changing needs of our own children and the local community. We aim to model the power of belonging and to provide opportunities not available elsewhere to children and young people who are unable to access mainstream services or education.
We still base all our offerings on our neurodivergent-led, inclusive and consent-based foundations, building a nurturing, caring space for the entire family.
