A TV documentary next week shows the vital role of the Mulbery Bush School, writes PETER CANN

An award-winning film about the work of Mulberry Bush School at Standlake is being broadcast on BBC4 on Thursday. Hold Me Tight, Let Me Go is made by prize-winning documentary film-maker Kim Longinotto and the well known producer Roger Graef.

The Mulberry Bush is a boarding school that looks after and teaches children who have been expelled from regular schools for extreme behaviour. The three-year programme gives them the chance to turn their lives around and re-enter mainstream education.

Longinotto spent a year at the school following the progress of four boys. All have severe problems with anger and violence - they punch, kick, spit and curse at the teachers who are trained never to raise their voices and who encourage the pupils to express their emotions.

The film, which has won awards in the UK, Holland and Germany, compassionately captures the battle these children go through to give voice to the hurt they carry inside.

Since 1948 the Mulberry Bush School has provided specialist therapeutic care, treatment and education to the children who are aged from five to 12 from all over England and Wales.

The school is a not-for-profit charity and is funded by the fees paid by health, social services and education authorities. Children are referred by social workers, education departments, psychiatrists or by the courts. Many of the children have been neglected and abused. Others have had terrible experiencs when very young or even when babies. They carry the memory of what happened but find it almost impossible to put it into words.

John Diamond, the school's chief executive officer, said: "The aim of the school, whenever possible, is to re-integrate the child back into family, school and community life.

"In early 2006 senior managers and the trustees wondered how, after nearly 60 years of development, our work could be communicated to the general public. One of our patrons, filmmaker Roger Graef, suggested that a documentary film would be the most powerful vehicle."

The film crew were given access to the daily life of the school. At first staff found being observed intrusive while after some initial excitement the children seemed to accept the crew's presence.

John Diamond said: "We did not have any final control or influence over the editing or the content. Our work is about real people with real feelings struggling with real emotional pain. In this way it is a warts and all view.

"I trust that the audience will have a view about the care of the 62,000 children in the UK care system, a number that grows at the rate of about 1,000 per year, and might ask themselves what can I do or what can our society do to improve the lives of so many children."

Author Joanna Trollope, who is also a patron, said: "The Mulberry Bush School is national in importance, and does quite simply, extraordinary work. It is a unique school, a unique opportunity, a unique vision. It fulfils every criterion I have in looking for a cause to support."

For further information about the school visit the website www.mulberrybush.org.uk