Pastoral & Nurture
We believe every pupil is able to improve their resilience and confidence with the support of all staff. We focus on praise for actions, behaviours, relationships and work completed.
SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator)
Our SENCO works on the strategic development of the schools special educational needs (SEN) provision and oversight of the day to day operation of that policy with the aim of raising SEN pupil achievement. Their key areas of responsibilities include:
- Ensuring that the school carries out its statutory responsibilities regarding all pupils with an Education Health Care Plan
- Supporting all staff in understanding the needs of SEN pupils
- Monitoring progress towards targets for pupils with SEN
- Liaising with staff, parents/carers, external agencies and other schools to co-ordinate their contribution, provide maximum support and ensure continuity of provision
- Co-ordinating all annual reviews and reviews of Individual Education Plans (IEP), my support plans, EHCP where appropriate and attend/chair where necessary
- Contributing to the pastoral welfare of pupils as it relates to their holistic needs and case management responsibilities
Pastoral System
The pastoral system is acknowledged as an important strength of Brian Jackson College. The school’s counselling services is designed to complement the strengths of the pastoral system by offering additional personal support to the pupils that may benefit from the opportunity to work with a counsellor. The counselling service provides a confidential service to pupils with social, emotional or behavioural concerns. Counselling supports our young people to focus on processing their current concerns to benefit their wellbeing.
In addition, counselling can help address and explore specific problems, supporting students with making choices, helping to develop coping strategies, and working through feelings of inner conflict as well as helping to improve relationships with others. Counselling enables young people to gain a better understanding of themselves, and the situations facing them, and to develop strategies to cope with change.
The school counsellor uses appropriate integrated approaches and techniques for this age group. Sessions allow young people to use these mediums to work through feelings and assert self-control, in the same way that an adult would use talking with a counsellor to work through concerns. The school counsellor holds counselling qualifications and is a member of the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) and adheres to their codes of ethics and practice. If you feel that your child would benefit from receiving counselling or need more information, please contact the school.
Nurture/enrichment specific sessions
These sessions will usually take place at appropriate times during the day and will be tailor-made to the individual pupil’s needs.
Mindful care will be taken with regards to settling back into class after the therapy/enrichment sessions with a transition activity planned.
At Brian Jackson College we pride ourselves on our nurturing ethos, we adopt and incorporate a nurturing attitude across the board and consider our pupils holistically, tailoring support to the unique and individual needs of the pupils.
Boxall Profiling and NURture Principles
We use Boxall profiling which is a tool to monitor and assess the social, emotional and behavioural development of our pupils.
- The Boxall profile gives shape and awareness to the barriers that prevent pupils from progressing in education and on their readiness to learn and accept academic engagement.
- We use this information to structure support in a way that is suitable for the holistic growth of our pupils, using target sheets, individual behaviour plans, praise and rewards to motivate and encourage.
- We commit to following nurture principles which can be evidenced in the staff commitment to developing and promoting secure attachments.
- In support of the social emotional wellbeing of our pupils we promote and use reflective and restorative practises, Our Nurture Manager facilitates restorative conferences and our staff take lead and model restorative and reflective practise to our pupils which minimises further incidents and commits to a ‘clean slate’ attitude where pupils are welcomed back and recognised for their recovery abilities.
- We have a member of staff at each college site who are trained and training in counselling as a therapeutic service with the support and encouragement of the college.
- This layer of expertise also supports our offer to support the mental health of our pupils and particularly as the waiting lists for many young people’s services can be very long, we are able to provide a level of intensive support and nurture for our young people strengthening and promoting positive mental health and social emotional health.
- Nurture Managers will consult Boxall recommendations for guidance amongst other relative resources that follow nurture principles.
EHCP (Education Health and Care Plan)
This is a bespoke arrangement which works by bringing together the school, pupils, parents/carers, outside agencies, and young people who hold an EHCP, and who have complex emotional and social and behavioural needs, to put together the best package of provision available
We will work together with the pupil to:
- Help them develop their emotional regulation skills to recognise their trigger points and be able to use a range of strategies to avoid conflict situations
- Support academic attainment and identify and support appropriate personalised pathways
- Meet the outcomes that are identified within a pupil’s EHCP
Other support
The specialist staff that support the pupils at Brian Jackson College to ensure they receive the most appropriate, relevant and personalised support are:
- Educational psychologist
- Specialist teachers
- Key workers/mentors
- Trained Learning and Behaviour Support Workers
EAL (English Additional Language)
The future development of all pupils is always at the forefront of our plans. We ensure that all pupils are enabled to have access to a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum.
English is best learnt through the curriculum and EAL pupils are encouraged to play a full part in all learning.
We undertake a series of written and oral tests to help identify where we can provide additional support for pupils with EAL.
This bespoke collaborative approach helps to create a plan of action to rapidly support them in their learning.
