We run a variety of interventions for pupils who need a little extra help with their emotional health and general well being. These interventions are timetabled alongside our regular daily lessons and pupils come out of their lessons to take part in therapeutic session either working 1:1 with staff or in very small groups.
Here are the therapeutic interventions that we run:
1 . Managing Strong Emotions
Being a teenager is about the struggle between dependence and independence. It’s about the desire to abandon childhood patterns while feeling frightened by the consequences of adult behaviours. It’s about sorting out a tangle of physical, emotional, moral and social changes. It’s about deciding, “What do I want for my life?” Our counselling psychologist works to empower pupils to make independent choices, encourage self esteem and aspiration. To support pupils in developing their emotional health and wellbeing and to look at ways to develop more helpful approaches to everyday situations life.
For pupils experiencing grief life can be even more complex and we have our counsellor who specialises in this kind of specific support.
2 . Therapeutic Arts
We support pupil mental well being through the creative arts, by facilitating non-verbal communication as a way of unlocking emotional expression. Pupils may find speaking to a therapist too invasive, this approach gently encourages pupils to express themselves in a less threatening activity and build on their emotional intelligence. This could be through cookery, painting, creative writing or even drumming!
3 . Boxing Clever
This intervention aims to encourage self esteem and aspiration for pupils scoring high on the SDQ scales for hyperactivity and behaviour difficulties. It helps to motivate pupils away from anti-social, anti- learning behaviour and to learn the importance of discipline and control of movement in the sport.
4 . SLT Drop in
This intervention is available for pupils every morning, an open door policy from the Senior Leadership team.
Understanding the roots of behaviour enhances our capacity to respond in ways which seek to make a difference to the vulnerable child rather than just control their behaviour.
If a child comes from a background where attachment is not good or disordered they are very often frightened, lonely children who cannot navigate their way through life let alone school, with all its rules…
If that child then walks through our doors with messages given by caregivers that are confused or bullying, or difficult, or neglectful, they will not be as ready to learn as they need to be. They may arrive one day as bright as a button, or oppositional, or defiant, or very challenging.
Children with attachment difficulties find it very hard to trust and to believe you mean what you say. For some of our pupils we are the centre of their lives. For some of our pupils sometimes, we are the only still point in the storm.