Pupils from Oaklands School participated in the Great Big Ride event on June 28 to support Autism in Racing, an initiative founded by racing broadcaster Bobby Beevers after his daughter was diagnosed with autism. The event combined the children’s passion for horse riding with raising awareness for autism, featuring special guests including National Hunt jockey Brendan Powell and the school’s founder Sir Peter Birkett. Oaklands School integrates horse riding and equine therapy into its curriculum, recognizing its benefits in fostering emotional well-being, social skills, physical development, and cognitive abilities among children with autism.

The school, catering to young people aged five to 16 with special needs, emphasizes a personal approach to education supplemented by extracurricular activities like equine therapy. This therapy helps build trust, empathy, confidence, and independence in pupils, contributing to their outstanding personal development rating by Ofsted in June 2024. Sir Peter Birkett highlighted that the sense of accomplishment from riding lessons uniquely boosts pupils’ confidence beyond what other therapies can achieve.