Space to breathe.
Room to learn.
A small, calm and relational alternative provision for young people aged 10–16 with internalised barriers to learning.
Now booking for January 2027
About Thallo
Different paths. Brighter futures.
Thallo comes from the Greek thallō: to bloom, flourish and put forth new growth. For young people whose education has stalled or become unsafe, Thallo offers a chance to reconnect, rebuild confidence and begin again.
For some, anxiety, overwhelm, masking, shutdown, or sensory and social-communication differences make mainstream education increasingly hard to access.
Thallo offers small, calm, relational education for young people aged 10–16 years, whose barriers to learning are predominantly internalised, rather than behaviour-led.
Many young people simply aren't accessing education, and at Thallo we understand that the reasons are often more complex than typical Alternative Provisions are equipped to address.
Our RESTA based learning programmes get oversight from Educational Psychologists and focus on helping young people reconnect with learning, so they can begin to see what might come next.
A focus on need, not diagnosis
A formal diagnosis is not a condition of suitability. Referrals are considered with a focus on need, safety, and whether Thallo offers the right fit.
A place to reconnect: Thallo is a calm, low-arousal environment and is not suitable for young people whose behaviour presents a risk to themselves or others. Referrals are carefully reviewed to ensure the setting remains safe for every young person and staff member.
Safety first. Growth follows.
Our Approach
RESTA: at the heart of Thallo.
We believe that resilience isn't something we simply hope young people develop. We teach it.
Our RESTA qualified practitioners are trained in delivering Resilience Support Teaching. We use person-centred, strengths-based approaches to build trust, show compassion, and work collaboratively to support change. We enable our young people to feel safe, and build connections that are the conditions that make learning possible.
Six foundations for growth
RESTA for every learner
Every young person at Thallo takes part in the structured 12-week RESTA programme - a specially designed resilience curriculum developed with Educational Psychologist oversight, delivered by trained practitioners, with progress reviewed over time.
Resilience Support Organisation
Thallo is working towards becoming a Resilience Support Organisation (RESO), embedding RESTA through leadership, systems, culture and daily practice. Obtaining the Gold Quality Mark is an ambition, not a current accreditation.
Flexible pathways
Placements are designed around the young person, from individual sessions to a part-time package of up to 15 hours a week. Attendance may increase, decrease or stay stable; the aim is meaningful engagement and the right next step.
A calm daily rhythm
Two 3-hour sessions a day (morning 9:00–12:00, afternoon 12:30–15:30), each starting with arrival, settling in and a wellbeing check-in before learning begins.
Curriculum
Learning at Thallo
At Thallo, learning stays academically respectful without trying to recreate a smaller version of a mainstream classroom. We focus on what matters most - relationship, regulation, resilience, and purposeful participation - while also working towards positive outcomes that build confidence.
RESTA
A specially designed 12-week resilience programme, developed with Educational Psychologist oversight, that forms the core framework for reflection, self-awareness, resilience and emotional wellbeing.
Practical Learning
Cooking, growing, outdoor learning, making and creative activity provide real-world contexts for connection, confidence and achievement.
English & Maths
Literacy and numeracy are woven in where meaningful and appropriate - supporting continuity without every session feeling like a classroom.
Recognised Achievement
AQA Unit Award Scheme opportunities capture practical learning and give young people tangible, certified evidence of progress.
What progress can look like
Not every young person arrives at the same starting point, so progress is visible in more than one way:
“For the first time in years, my son actually wants to go in the morning.” - Parent of a Thallo learner
The Team
Led by experience, grounded in care
May MacKay-Morris
Founder & SEND Specialist
May brings 19 years' experience across mainstream, specialist and alternative education, including mainstream schools, pupil referral units, specialist hospital education, children's homes and youth justice settings. She holds the SENDCo qualification and has held senior SEND leadership roles at Academy Trust level.
As a Psychology graduate, specialising in learning difficulties, childhood disorders and psychopathology, May's early educational roles within the youth justice system led her to gain her teaching qualification and go on to teach A-level Psychology, before moving into the role of SENDCo and gaining the National Award for SEN Coordination from the University of Cambridge.
In 2017, May started her own SEND consultancy, Senco Services, going on to support over 50 schools, Academy Trusts, autism charities and alternative education settings across East Anglia and nationally.
May is Irlen trained, holds a Level 7 qualification in Psychometric Testing and Exam Access Arrangements (CPT3A), and is a recognised British Psychological Society Educational Assessor. Now RESTA trained, she is launching Thallo to build the calm, relational alternative provision she felt was missing.
Our team
Thallo is staffed by a small, highly experienced team of qualified teachers and skilled education practitioners, including staff with school leadership backgrounds. Every member of staff brings considerable experience of working with SEND, and understands the challenges young people and their carers face in finding the right care and support. Staffing is matched to individual need, activity and safe cohort composition, with enhanced staffing where required. Staff are RESTA trained where required for their role, safer recruitment checked and DBS enhanced-cleared, with DSL/DDSL safeguarding coverage across every session.
The Setting
Where we are
Thallo is based at Little Cornard Village Hall, a historic former village school set in the beautiful Suffolk countryside. It's deliberately different from a large mainstream school - built for calm, safe, focused learning.
Facilities
- Accessible entrance, parking & toilet
- Male and female toilets
- Kitchen
- 1 acre of land, surrounded by fields
- Picnic benches
- Outside cooking facilities
Why this setting matters
A rural environment, room to pause and reset, and easy access to nature, growing, cooking and seasonal activity are central to how Thallo works - not an add-on, but part of what makes calm, safe learning possible for young people who haven't been able to access it elsewhere.
Getting here
Address
Thallo Education Ltd.
Little Cornard Village Hall
Spout Ln, Sudbury
CO10 0NU
Driving directions (from Sudbury)
- Start in Sudbury and head towards the B1508 (Bures Road).
- Follow the B1508 out of town.
- Turn onto Wyatts Ln and continue along the lane.
- Follow the local road leading directly onto Spout Ln.
- Arrive at Little Cornard Village Hall (CO10 0NU) on Spout Ln.
Travel times
10 minutes from Sudbury
25 minutes from Colchester
25 minutes from Hadleigh
Get in Touch
Make a referral
Whether you're a parent, carer, school, or local authority, we'd love to hear from you. We're now booking placements for January 2027 onwards - send us a message and we'll get back to you within 2 working days.