Support for Emotional & Social Development

All of our pupils, regardless of their learning needs are given a high level of pastoral and social support from the moment they enter school right through to when they leave. We recognise that pupils with SEND may well have emotional and social development needs, which will require support in school. The emotional health and wellbeing of all our pupils is very important to us. We have a robust Child Protection Policy in place, reviewed annually. We have a robust Behaviour Policy in place with regular reviews and amendments made, often with consultation with pupils and parents/carers.

The Head Teacher, Deputy Head Teacher and all staff continually monitor the emotional health and wellbeing of all our pupils through discussions and pupil voice surveys. Ribbon Academy is fortunate enough to offer a wide variety of support for all pupils, particularly those who are encountering emotional, social and behavioural difficulties.

These include:

    • Place to Be (P2B), Place to Talk (P2T), Educational Psychology Service (EPS), Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) and other agencies.
    • Social skills, self-esteem, emotional wellbeing and anger management group work can be run by experienced teaching assistants. For some children individual programmes of support for social skills are more appropriate.
    • Pupils who find lunchtimes a struggle are able to join a Lunchtime Club. Fun games and activities are made available to help provide the pupils with social skills to enable them to form friendships.
    • Within classrooms class teachers develop very close relationships with each child to ensure that they are happy, secure and ready to learn on a daily basis.
    • As a Rights Respecting School, we place the UNCRC (United Conventions of the Rights of a Child) at the heart of its planning, policies and practice. The school has a Rights Respecting Ethos, where children are empowered to become active citizens and learners.

We have dedicated spaces in school where children can work in a confidential environment and all members of our school community understand that access to these spaces is timetabled. We see support for emotional and social development as a key focus of our work.

Place2Be provides a dedicated mental health professional, who is an integral part of the school team. Sue Hardy, School Project Manager, helps our school community to cope with challenges by supporting pupils, families and school staff through a variety of ways:

    • Place2Talk – pupils book appointments with a Place2Be counsellor to talk about problems and worries
    • One-to-one counselling – weekly counselling using talking, creative work and play to support pupils who are struggling
    • Group work – therapeutic groups exploring issues like friendship, self-esteem, transition and bullying
    • Parent counselling – weekly therapeutic support from Parent Counsellors to help families cope with challenges
    • Guidance, training and safeguarding advice for staff – our mental health professionals share their expertise on issues such as managing and understanding Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

‘Ribbon monitor the progress and well-being of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities carefully. Expectations for these pupils are high. As a result, they make generally good progress from their starting points.’

OFSTED COMMENTS

‘Early Years leaders and staff are expert in using their knowledge of what children can and cannot yet do to sharpen their planning and focus their teaching.’

OFSTED COMMENTS

‘School and staff should be commended for their quick shift and quality of what’s being communicated with the children.’

PARENT COMMENTS

‘The governing body knows the school and the local community very well.’

OFSTED COMMENTS

‘All support and communication is brilliant’

PARENT COMMENTS

‘Staff and the governing body take safeguarding responsibilities very seriously. There is a culture of safeguarding at the school.’

OFSTED COMMENTS

‘The quality of teaching across all subjects continues to improve.’

OFSTED COMMENTS

‘Ribbon are doing a fantastic job.’

PARENT COMMENTS

‘Pupils are taking more responsibility for their own learning as they move through Key Stage 1.’

OFSTED COMMENTS

‘We are so grateful to all the effort the teachers are putting in.’

PARENT COMMENTS

‘The learning environment, both inside and out, is stimulating and attractive. Staff are skilled in ensuring that children develop their independence as learners who enjoy exploring the world.’

OFSTED COMMENTS

‘The teaching of phonics is a strength.’

OFSTED COMMENTS

‘School are there when needed whether it’s for support or a chat. They are constantly checking how kids are getting on.’

PARENT COMMENTS

‘Children settle well when they enter Ribbon Early Years, communication between home and school is good.’

OFSTED COMMENTS

‘There is clear evidence that you and your staff’s ongoing work to improve the depth of pupils’ mathematical understanding across the school is working.’

OFSTED COMMENTS

‘Parents are
confident that their children are happy, safe and well taught.’

OFSTED COMMENTS

‘My son loves the interaction with his teachers. Thank you all so very much for your hard work and dedication.’

PARENT COMMENTS

‘School have done a fantastic job in all areas.’

PARENT COMMENTS

‘Children get off to a flying start at school. They are happy and safe and increasingly independent, and
yet aware of others.’

OFSTED COMMENTS

‘Communication systems between classroom and
additional support staff are good and mean that these pupils have access to the
full range of the curriculum suited to their needs.’

OFSTED COMMENTS

‘Disadvantaged and most-able children are making particularly good
progress.’

OFSTED COMMENTS