Seamab School is very special. It is where children who have experienced loss and trauma can feel safe, trust those who care for them, and start to live more stable lives.

It is a community which sees a child as a child - first and foremost. A place where challenging behaviour is never brushed aside, but met with firmness, a willingness to listen, and usually a cuddle.

The most recent report from the Care Inspectorate and Education Scotland (October 2011) says that the school has “excellent systems for identifying and monitoring the social and emotional needs” of its pupils. And it recognises the “close and effective teamwork between education and care staff” who – 24-hours a day, 52 weeks a year – provide a warm, secure and structured environment for the children.

My wife and I have been visiting Seamab for almost 20 years. We have seen boys and girls who did not know how to express their feelings learn that it is okay to be sad and glad. We have watched as they developed relationships and began to trust adults. We have enthused as they learned in the classroom and gained confidence in the swimming pool or on the back of a horse. We were moved by the little girl who took vast pride in her room in the bungalows and who said she slept “safe and sound” there at nights.

So, in the shadow of the Ochil Hills, there is something rather special about Seamab.

All Scotland can take pride in the healing which happens here.