Students arrive at The Bridge with a variety of needs. If these needs are not addressed as part of an holistic approach they will struggle to engage in their learning and make the academic progress of which they are capable.
We have a dedicated support team of LSA’s who are experienced in supporting children who may have social, emotional or mental Health needs. The LSA team support students in class with behaviour and learning. LSA's also work with students on 1:1 programmes for literacy and numeracy. Students who require extra support are assigned to a specific LSA who becomes their mentor. They discuss behaviour trackers and check in with students to see how they are getting on regularly.
All students have access to some form of counselling. Class teachers, LSA’s and parents can all refer students to the various counselling services we provide. We have staff trained in ELSA and FEIPs.
ELSA’s are Emotional Literacy Support Assistants. They are teaching assistants who have received specific additional training from educational psychologists from whom they receive on going supervision following training. Their role is to support children and young people in school to understand and regulate their own emotions whilst also respecting the feelings of those around them. ELSA support is not behaviour management. It's about increasing pupils' self-awareness and helping them develop more successful coping strategies, which is proactive rather than reactive work.
FEIPS is pupil led focused work, problem solving the issues which they carry into school with them with a specially trained member of staff.
FEIPS allows pupils the time to talk over and discover ways of resolving or coming to terms with the problems which are creating barriers to learning. Often problems can’t be resolved but giving the pupil space to sort out the jumble of emotions which they carry in their minds, creates space for learning. Sometimes it can take more than a session for the pupil to feel that they have sufficiently dealt with their problem.
The main purpose is not to fix but to facilitate exploration of the pupil’s emotions.
The discovery, identification and differentiation of emotions are key to helping pupils deal with what is happening to them.
We have a No Limits counsellor working with our students for timetabled sessions each week. Students can be referred to No Limits counselling by teaching staff, LSA and parents. The counselling takes place during the school day and the counsellor provides a confidential counselling session for the students.
Our staff training is linked to the Attachment Aware Schools programme to provide staff with the training and information they need in order to work with student with SEMH issues.
A therapeutic focus group meets every half term to discuss the impact of the therapeutic work students take part in. The group also highlights students who would benefit from further intervention.There is an ongoing CPD staff training programme linked to the Attachment aware schools programme to provide staff with the training and information they need in order to work with student with SEMH difficulties. The school is also taking part in the ASEED accreditation for emotional wellbeing.
A therapeutic focus group meets half termly to discuss the impact of the therapeutic work going on with the students. The group also highlight students who would benefit from an intervention.
Part of attachment aware school and ACSEED
Mental health hub
A mental health hub group meets termly to discuss the needs of the students involving a variety of different agencies who work with our students including CAMHs, No Limits, Young Carers, transform and the police. This draws on the expertise of all the agencies involved with our students to provide strategies and information about how best to ensure their needs are catered for.