William Brookes School Social, Emotional & Mental Health

1. William Brookes School Social, Emotional & Mental Health This policy should be read alongside the Equal Opportunities Policy and the Accessibility Plan.

2. William Brookes endeavours to identify, monitor and put interventions into place to foster student support in the 4 areas of need: Communication and Interaction; Cognition and Learning Difficulties; Social, emotional and mental health; Sensory and/or physical development.

3. How do teachers know what needs pupils have? It is really important that the class teacher has all the information at their fingertips. When they open their register, a column shows next to the child’s name stating whether they have any SEN. It shows T for ‘teacher support,’ K for ‘SEN Support’ and S or ECHP for the highest levels of support. Individual teachers are then expected to cross reference this with the SEN list and the one-page profile, which have more detailed descriptions of a student’s needs.

4. T This shows part of a (fictional) SEN list. In addition, staff will know what provision (e.g. spelling groups, social groups, small-group maths) is available for that child from Sept 2014 to June 2015, which is when our timetable changes.

5. How we adapt our curriculum and learning environment to include students with support needs in the area of social, emotional and mental health: • We can provide a ‘meet and greet’ for students who are anxious; • We can provide 1:1 meetings with a counsellor; • We can provide Anger management sessions; • We provide a 6th form mentoring scheme; • We can provide a Key worker from the Behaviour Support Base; • Use of PASS to provide targeted interventions; • Temporarily-reducing timetables; • A ‘Volcano’ card can be given to allow students to choose to seek support in the Behaviour Support Base; • Use of the EHAF/ CAF processes.

6. How do we foster the development of social and emotional skills? • BSR staff mediate in student disagreements; • Concerns about bullying should be reported to form tutors or BSR staff and will be followed up within 24 hours; • Problems on the buses should be reported to BSR staff; • Games Club at lunchtimes fosters social skills in a supervised area; • BSR staff run social skills groups, including making and maintaining friendships.

7. How we identify and assess support needs • In the New Code of Practice, it states: • “6.16 Schools should assess each pupil’s current skills and levels of attainment on entry, building on information from previous settings and key stages where appropriate.” • Information from primary schools is seen as paramount when organising support for new Yr 7 pupils, but students adapt to secondary schools at different rates and it is necessary to keep flexibility in teaching arrangements until past Christmas.

8. We also ask our staff and parents to contact us if they feel that something is preventing a student reach their potential.Students can also self-refer. • SENCO – Lesley Ravenscroft, lravenscroft@williambrookes.com • We can liaise with our Primary Mental Health Worker to start the diagnostic process for conditions such as ASD/ ADHD/ Tourettes /OCD etc.

9. How we review support needs • Teachers are asked to make sure that students make progress appropriate for themusing 4 matrix and tutors, especially are tasked with watching a student’s ‘flight path.’

10. How we ensure access to our facilities for all of our students: • Our key tenet is that students are included in mainstream lessons wherever possible; we do not operate ‘unit’ provision. Other schools do offer such provision in our local area. • All students are encouraged to attend clubs at lunch and after school and, if necessary, assistants will attend with them to help them settle in. Transport arrangements, such as taxis, can be arranged for students with statements or EHCPs if they wish to stay after school. • Differentiated auditions can be arranged for students wishing to take part in school productions.

11. What training has been provided for our staff? Loss & Bereavement Anxiety Self harm Anger management Social stories Attachment disorder Resilience (SUMO)

12. From which external agencies do we seek advice? Educational Psychologist Woodlands Outreach EnHance DIVERT CAMHS Targeted Youth Service Shropshire Youth Future Focus Early Help Team School Nurse Woodlands Outreach Education Welfare Relateen Red Cross Gender Matters

13. Complaints. We hope that you can discuss issues with the SENCO and come to a mutually-satisfactory conclusion, lravenscroft@williambrookes.com However, in the event of a dispute that cannot be thus satisfied, please follow the link from our website to the school complaints procedure.

14. There are organisations that will help parents make their way through the ‘local offer’ and School SEN Information Reports. • Parent Partnership is a great service. Their web page is at • http://www.parentpartnership-shropshireandtelford.org.uk/ • Their telephone number is 01952 457176. • Their email is info@pps-shropshireandtelford.org.uk. • “We are here to give you help so that you can feel much more confident in being able to take an active role in making sure your child’s educational needs are being met.” (from their website)