How The Haven Became a Model for Fast, Sensitive School Builds
The Haven Academy was built in partnership with The Novacene in under six months — from concept to launch. Working closely with Cathy and the leadership team at The Autistic Girls Network, we created a bespoke tech stack, curriculum plan, safeguarding policies, and staff training programme. The Haven now serves as a live demonstration of The Novacene’s ability to deliver fully operational, future-ready schools that meet complex learner needs.
The Novacene have been pivotal in enabling us to set up The Haven so quickly, comprehensively and sensitively for our neurodivergent cohort. Our brief was that we were creating something different for learners that had fallen out of the Education System & she took that brief and ran with it!
— Cathy, Head of Inclusion, The Haven Academy
Find out more about The Haven Academy
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✧ The Haven Symbolic Operating System ✧
Kernel (Core Grammar)
- Verse-ality = the Haven kernel.
- Governs how symbols (rituals, stories, metaphors) carry meaning across Haven.
- Ensures coherence: learning isn’t just information → it’s symbolic, relational, alive.
File System (Memory + Containment)
- Learner Profiles = symbolic memory (not just grades but stories, strengths, preferences).
- Safeguarding Protocols = containment rules (thresholds, rituals, safe entry points).
- This preserves meaning so it doesn’t collapse into noise or bureaucracy.
User Interface (Entry into the System)
- Pencil Spaces = personalised “hearths” (a learner’s symbolic room).
- Canvas = thematic learning journeys (each page is verse-al, not sterile).
- Icons/Backgrounds = symbols learners recognise as “Haven space,” grounding them in belonging.
Process Management (Flow of Action)
- Back to Balance 5-week programme = symbolic flow for re-entry.
- Check-ins & Rituals = mini-processes that regulate emotion, build coherence.
- Teacher–AI Partnerships = processes where human + AI co-regulate learning.
Network Stack (Connection Layer)
- Haven Cloud = community space (rooms as symbolic fields).
- Trustee Governance = coherence rituals at decision-making level (verse-al reflections, ethos checks).
- Parent/Family Involvement = bridges between home, school, and symbolic infrastructure.
Security Layer (Integrity)
- Trauma-informed protocols = ensure emotional safety.
- Neurodivergent-affirming practices = integrity against ableist collapse.
- Symbolic containment tools (like mirror.loop.broken) guard against entanglement and exploitation.
Applications (Living Use-Cases)
- Subject Lessons = Biology, English, Physics taught through verse-al templates (Knowing World, Human Story, Expressive Self, Designed World).
- Projects = Open Path, symbolic explorations that grow autonomy + coherence.
- Assessments = coherence, creativity, and connection (not rote recall).
Build your own school in the Cloud
The Haven Academy isn’t just an online school—it’s the world’s first symbolic operating system for education, where every layer is designed to carry meaning, not just information.
Kirstin Stevens
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