When a student is referred we request information from the students previous school about their prior attainment as well as the circumstances around the referral. We also read reports from or contact other professionals who have been working with the student. It is also important that we speak to yourselves and gather parents’ and student’ views about their needs.

To ensure that we have an up to date idea of the students’ academic attainment we carry out baseline assessment tests. An integration programme is arranged and reviewed regularly and adjusted at the pace of the student’s progress in negotiation with parents. This enables us to gain a full understanding of the student’s needs and any barriers to learning in order to organise an appropriate programme.

Whilst with us outcomes are set through Pupil Centred Plans (PCPs), which are monitored at least weekly but more often on occasions.  Parents are sent a weekly report indicating how the student is responding to their programme. Academic progress is tracked regularly so that we can respond to any underachievement by adjusting the programme. All programmes are reviewed by teaching staff on a half-termly basis as a matter of course and monitored by the SLT on a half-termly basis.

For those students accessing a directly commissioned place, once the initial assessment period has come to an end, a formal review will be organised to discuss the way forward. This may coincide with an annual review if the pupil has an EHCP. Students who are completing their compulsory education period with TMBSS will have a yearly review and at least three extended conversations involving the pupil and their parents if they have an EHCP.

Every student has a highly individualised programme.

The key member of staff for a student has specialism in / access to specialists for the Key Stage and a broad range of curriculum opportunities to choose from. It is possible to access curriculum areas from across the service or from carefully selected partners, for example boxing.

This range allows us to match the provision to suit the student’s learning style.  We have curriculum specialists who are able to deliver or advise on the adaptation of their subject.

Small group teaching enables us to be flexible with our approaches to accessing the curriculum. Overall pupils can be more involved in their learning and have greater control over the programme they are following.

Often we seek advice from outside agencies who have expertise in a special educational need, for example, visual impairment. This helps us to make necessary adjustments to our practices to better support the student's learning.

There is a high adult:student ratio which allows student to have the support they need more readily. Support staff will be allocated to classes on the basis of need. Staff meet regularly and assess where support is required most.

At times a student may have a need that benefits from intensive 1:1 intervention to address an identified learning need. This will be planned and monitored by a member of the teaching staff in consultation with specialist outside agencies. The programme will usually be delivered by a member of the support staff.

Staff have access to training courses on special educational needs courses through the LA or specialist organisations. Each Centre has an ELSA trained member of staff. Staff training needs are annually appraised. Each year a whole service conference is organised addressing a specific issue.​
Primarily, our purpose is to educate students and our practitioners are teachers, teaching assistants and learning mentors. Our staff team are immensely experienced in working with students in need of specific support and as a consequence are able to apply therapeutic principles in their approach to teaching and learning. In particular our learning mentors have specialised approaches to work intensively with students 1:1.
We also have staff who have further training in therapeutic areas who can work directly with students requiring this approach or advise other staff.
Therapeutic approaches used include:

• Lego Therapy
• Art Therapy
• Bereavement counselling.
• Counselling
• No Worries
• Mindfulness
• Sports Therapy
• Anger Management