A consultancy promoting effective therapeutic environments for young people
1989 – 2013 archived
David retired from his 21 years of consultancy and from his work at the State University of St Petersburg, Russia in May, 2013
A little about David and the consultancy
David Dean taught for 10 years in an independent progressive school in England before being appointed as headmaster to a new special school in Wales. In 1978 he founded Raddery School, a therapeutic school for children with special needs in Scotland where he worked with up to 40 children and 40 staff members for 17 years developing an innovative residential programme based on holistic and group psychotherapeutic principles. The school had an active small farm, outdoor education programme and a flourishing use of music and drama.
Importantly, the children’s educational, social, emotional and spiritual development together with a strong involvement in community decision making were outstanding features of Raddery, much commented upon and commended by government inspectors and visitors as well as by some of the young people themselves.
During this time David Dean acted variously as Chairman of the Scottish Independent Special Schools Group and vice Chairman of the Charterhouse Group of therapeutic communities, UK.
David has acted, through the Ecologia Youth Trust, as an international advisor and consultant to the Kitezh Children’s Community in Russia, to various programmes for young people in Thailand, and separately to British Executive Service Overseas / Voluntary Service Overseas where he has assisted in Russia, Romania and Uganda. He was honoured in the UK in 1990 with an award of the OBE for ‘services to education’ and later that year by the Russian Government for assisting in their programme of change in special schools, orphanages and special vocational schools. He also contributes as a visiting lecturer to course work for students in the psychology and sociology departments at the State University of St.Petersburg.
"With profound thanks to all young people, colleagues, agencies,students, clients, the media and close family without whose scrutiny, criticism, support, dedicated hard work and loving companionship these experiences could never have materialised."
David Dean
Developing Holistic Education. A Case Study of Raddery School for Emotionally Damaged Children, Philip Seed PhD. Available as an e-book and reprinting August 2020
The Falmer Press 1992 ISBN 75070 060 2
*Raddery School closed in 2000, five years after David Dean retired.
**Artwork by Christopher Fry from the Raddery Prospectus
Published works
1990-05-10 - Independent - A Community Building Bridges.pdf1990 – The Independent – A community building bridges for children who are islands
1990 - A First Look at Residential Work.pdf1990 - A First Look at Residential Work in the USSR
1992 - Chosen With Care - Moving Towards Change.pdf1992 - Chosen With Care - Moving Towards Change
1993-04 - Contribution of Residential Intervention.pdf1993 - Contribution of Residential Intervention with Seriously Disturbed Children
1995-06 - Scottish Child - Dealing with Healing.pdf1995 - Scottish Child - Dealing with Healing
1995-06 - Raddery - The Philosophical Underpinning.pdf1995 - Raddery - The Philosophical Underpinning
2001 - The Introduction of Community Meetings to Kitzh.pdf2001 - The Introduction of Community Meetings to Kitzh.pdf
2004 - Promoting New Standards.pdf2004 - Promoting New Standards in Children's Therapeutic Communities in the UK and Russia
2004 - Introduction to the book 'Kitezh' by Dimitry Morosov.pdf2004 - Introduction to the book 'Kitezh' by Dimitry Morosov
2004-04-22 - Children in the War Zone of Uganda.pdf2004 - Children in the War Zone of Uganda
David-Dean-Huts.pdf2016 – Reforesting Scotland Magazine – Huts & Well-being: Growing with huts