The Cotswold Project Holistic CIC

09/10/2026

🌿 We're Growing Our Team! 🐴

As The Cotswold Project continues to grow, we're looking to connect with passionate, child-centred practitioners who would like to join our team on a flexible sessional basis.

We support children and young people with SEND, SEMH, EBSA and neuro-diverse needs through outdoor, nature-based and animal-assisted learning in a safe, nurturing environment near Charlbury.

We're particularly keen to hear from:

✅ Teaching Assistants & HLTAs
✅ SEND & SEMH Practitioners
✅ Youth Workers
✅ Tutors
✅ Forest School Leaders
✅ Alternative Provision Staff
✅ Equine-Assisted Learning Practitioners

We're looking for people who are:

🌱 Calm, patient and relationship-focused
🌱 Passionate about helping children thrive
🌱 Comfortable working outdoors in all seasons
🌱 Confident supporting learners on a 1:1 basis
🌱 Experienced in SEND, SEMH and/or neurodiversity

Flexible opportunities are available, with pay dependent on experience and responsibilities.

If you'd like an informal chat, or know someone who may be a great fit for our growing team, please send us a message or email:

📧 [email protected]

Please share with your networks!

27/07/2026

10/07/2026

This is a lovely idea… encouraging the foundational skills we all need’

15/06/2026

Play is seriously underrated in my book……it brings joy to life and creativity to problem solving…..

29/05/2026

Thank you to Tilly for spotting this…. A great explanation of why doing the yard isn’t just that… also allows us to show how powerful team work is and quiet observation of the horses, pattern spotting and versions of “spot the difference “ - what has changed since we last saw the horses, to talk about how we motivate ourselves to do repetitive but necessary chores and really important time to have often deep and moving conversations about all sorts of subjects- grief and loss, rejection and frustration amongst others while the movement involved in doing the yard helps process those emotions and no eye contact is required so, in my experience, clients find it less invasive than sitting down to chat…

🐴 Why We Do What We Do Wednesdays 🐴

This week we’re highlighting a simple stable task that provides BIG therapeutic benefits: manipulating fasteners! Buckles, clips, snaps, and straps may seem like everyday barn chores, but they help riders build important life skills while working with the horses.

✨ Therapeutic Benefits of Fastening & Unfastening Tasks:

🔹 Fine Motor Skills – Pulling, pinching, and manipulating small pieces strengthens hand muscles and improves coordination.

🔹 Bilateral Coordination – Riders use both hands together in different ways at the same time, such as one hand stabilizing while the other manipulates the fastener.

🔹 Motor Planning – Helps develop the ability to figure out how to move the hands and fingers to complete a task successfully.

🔹 Sequencing Skills – Encourages understanding the correct order of steps needed to complete a task, like unlocking or fastening a buckle.

🔹 Visual Motor Integration – Combines what the eyes see with how the hands move, such as lining up clips, holes, or straps accurately.

In the barn, everyday activities become meaningful therapy opportunities that build independence, confidence, and functional life skills — all while connecting with our amazing horses. 💙🐴