Belong School Gloucestershire works with students from the whole of the Gloucestershire local authority, all of whom have Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP) for Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH).We have developed a rich, bespoke curriculum which will enable our students to thrive in their next phase pf education, employment, or training. In addition, to truly engender a sense of belonging, we work on skills to enable them to become independent and valued members of the community, both at school and beyond. We have concentrated on instilling them with confidence in their ability to communicate as their skills progress, and to build resilience as they explore and experience the wide range of activities and opportunities on offer to them here.

Students are given opportunities to develop independence but have access to a high level of individualised scaffolding and support. For students who struggle to regulate in a formal academic setting we work with them in a range of environments such as the community and their homes, offering the same high-quality education package but in a setting that promotes engagement and learning. We aim to craft each student’s curriculum to match their interests, needs and aspirations. Our curriculum is designed to identify and address gaps in their knowledge, improve their communication, self-regulation and independent problem solving.

Depending upon their provision, students are taught individually or in small groups in a range of suitable learning environments. Regardless of whether a student is taught at school, home or the community, they will have access to the full range of subjects, specialist teachers and opportunities. Timetables are dictated by student engagement and interests as well as their EHCP intervention requirements, whilst some students phase into full time as part of their transition, we will always offer a full and tailored timetable of learning .English, maths, extensive reading and exposure to enhanced literacy is a core offer for all students at Belong. We move from high support to low support over time, being both challenging and supportive to enable the student to feel confident, whilst making rapid and sustainable progress.

All students have additional timetabled literacy, numeracy and reading tuition regardless of stage of learning with programmes delivered to students adapted to their stage of development. For emerging readers, our primary trained specialists deliver specific interventions such including Fresh Start Phonics. Students with a low reading age have access to age appropriate reading material which enables them to truly develop a love of reading.

Supporting the delivery of our curriculum are highly trained and highly skilled staff, including a post 16 Coordinator, skilled Learning Coaches trained in a range of SEMH and behavioural approaches and our qualified teaching staff, comprising both primary and secondary teaching specialists. The school benefits from a qualified SENCO, trainee SENCO and a SEMH lead, a bespoke chef, our forest school leader, music and boxing therapists and a skilled pastoral and safeguarding team.

We believe that every child should be given the opportunity to experience life and lessons beyond the classroom walls as a regular part of growing up. These experiences expand the horizons of young people, opening their eyes to the wonders of areas such as art, heritage, culture, adventure and the natural world. Learning outside the classroom is about raising young people’s achievement through an organised, powerful approach to learning in which direct experience is of prime importance.

We ensure that more young people have access to these life changing educational experiences by providing support on the ground, facilitating the sharing of best practice and promoting the benefits of LOTC in raising attainment and aspirations, reducing truancy and re-motivating those who are disengaged from their education. Meaningful learning occurs through acquiring skills through real life hands-on activities. This is not only about what we learn, but most importantly, how and where we learn. It is about improving young people’s understanding, skills, values, personal and social development and can act as a vehicle to develop young people’s capacity and motivation to learn.

There is a wealth of evidence which clearly demonstrates the benefits for young people’s learning and personal development outside the classroom. Real-world learning brings the benefits of formal and informal education together and reinforces what good educationalists have always known: that the most meaningful learning occurs through acquiring knowledge and skills through real-life, practical or hands-on activities. All students at Belong School Gloucestershire have Learning Outside the Classroom (LOTC) activities built into their timetables. Our highly personalised provisions mean that these span a range of activities for each student depending upon the areas for development identified for that student. 

Relationship and Sex Education (RSE) is taught within the personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education curriculum. Biological aspects of RSE are taught within the science curriculum, and other aspects are included in religious education (RE) at KS3.

RSE is also a core part of our provision, tailored to meet the need of the individual and forms an essential part of their learning. Students also receive stand-alone sex education sessions delivered by a trained health professional.

RSE focuses on giving young people the information they need to help them develop healthy, nurturing relationships of all kinds including Families, respectful relationships (including friendships), online content and media, being safe and Intimate and sexual relationships, including sexual health.

All areas of learning are taught within the context of family life taking care to ensure that there is no stigmatisation of children based on their home circumstances (families can include single parent families, LGBT parents, families headed by grandparents, adoptive parents, foster parents/carers amongst other structures) along with reflecting sensitively that some children may have a different structure of support around them (for example: looked after children or young carers).

To find out more about Belong School Devon’s approach to RSE, please see our Relationship and Sex Education policy using the link below.