Under the Graduated Approach, all students receive inclusive support for their SEMH needs. This includes:
- a whole-setting PSHE curriculum which supports the social and emotional development of all students
- a whole-setting approach to mental health and wellbeing that is actively promoted by the senior leadership team
- a whole-setting positive behaviour policy which is applied consistently
- whole staff training on trauma informed approaches
- making staff aware of students who may experience barriers to attendance, especially students with SEND, pupil premium and those with a social worker
- making sure students can access written and digital materials to support their health and well-being. For example:
- using restorative practice to build, maintain and repair relationships
- making sure there are a range of different ways for students to share worries and concerns with adults in the setting, such as daily check-ins with a key worker or individual tutorials
- providing a range of opportunities for social and emotional development, for example:
- buddy systems
- peer mentoring
- friendship strategies
- circle time
- using praise, rewards and encouragement throughout the setting
- using whole setting approaches to promote wellbeing and resilience
- supporting students to make positive transitions, for example from one phase or year to another
- making sure a range of social activities and recreation opportunities are available, with supervision and support as required
Some: personalised support
Under the Graduated Approach, some students receive personalised support for their SEMH needs. This includes:
- using individual regulation or behaviour plans, pastoral support plans and risk assessments which are co-produced with students and their families
- training staff to identify triggers using methods such as an antecedent, behaviour, communication, consequences chart
- giving students access to group interventions to develop social and emotional skills and social inclusion (e.g. Emotional Literacy)
- adapting the curriculum to meet the needs of students with adverse childhood experiences, trauma, and attachment needs that provides short term interventions and access to emotionally available adults
- training adults in providing additional regulation support (co-regulation)
- making sure students receive regular and planned support from a key person, such as a key worker, learning mentor, tutor, skilled teacher, or teaching assistant
- giving students access to a calm, safe area that they can go to when feeling overwhelmed or distressed
- making sure staff use pre-agreed and appropriate strategies to prevent and de-escalate conflicts, as detailed in the school’s behaviour policy
- actively developing social interaction skills through structured small group programmes of work, for example Lego therapy
Few: highly personalised support
Under the Graduated Approach, a few students receive highly personalised support for their SEMH needs. This includes:
- adapting teaching and learning opportunities to incorporate highly bespoke support to access learning and, where appropriate, address targets agreed with an external professional
- providing individual or small group support to help the student achieve targets agreed with an external professional
- maintaining regular communication with the family throughout any period of school non-attendance where there are barriers to attendance
- continuing to build positive relationships with the family and letting the student know you are keeping them in mind
- co-producing a realistic, bespoke support and reintegration plan with the student and their parent carers that addresses the barriers to engagement and attendance, which focuses on engagement, supporting learning wherever it occurs best and may use the AV1 robot and hybrid or remote learning options
- seeking appropriate advice from a:
- mental health professional
- early help
- CAMHS
- mental health support team
- medical professional (e.g. paediatrician)
- specialist teacher (SEMH and inclusion service)
- educational psychologist
- virtual school – trauma-informed approaches provider
- Child Development Centre
- academy trust specialist
- other SENCOs (peer-to-peer support)