Sensory Circuits
What is a Sensory Circuit?
A sensory circuit is a form of sensory integration intervention. It involves a sequence of physical activities that are designed to alert, organise and calm the child. The sensory circuit aims to facilitate sensory processing to help children regulate and organise their senses in order to achieve the ‘just right’ or optimum level of alertness required for effective learning. The circuit should be an active, physical and fun activity that children enjoy doing.
Sensory circuits are a great way to both energise and settle children so they can focus and engage better in the classroom. Many children can benefit from attending a sensory circuit, even for a short period of time. The activities can also be utilised at different times of the day as part of a sensory diet to help the child regulate.
Sensory circuits are designed to start with alerting activities, move to an organising phase and then finally to a calming phase. Doing the activities in the recommended order is vital. The right order results in a well-regulated, happy child. The wrong order may well result in a dysregulated, upset or irritable child and have the opposite effect.
We hold a session of sensory circuits in the morning before school – starting at 8.30am till 8.50am.
Approximately 10 – 15 minutes.
We have fortnightly Inclusion Team Reviews (ITR), where we identify children that we believe would benefit from such an intervention.
Please make contact with your child’s class teacher so that your child can be added to the list of children discussed at the next ITR.
Circle of Friends
What is Circle of Friends?
The ‘Circle of Friends’ intervention is aimed primarily at improving the inclusion of children with challenging behaviour, SEN or personal concerns within mainstream schools. It works by gathering the student’s peers in a circle of friendly support to help the young person with their problem solving.
We hold sessions of Circle of Friends at times that are the least disruptive to our children, so either before school starts, just before lunch or just before the end of the day.
Approximately 20 – 30 minutes.
We have fortnightly Inclusion Team Reviews (ITR), where we identify children that we believe would benefit from such an intervention.
Please make contact with your child’s class teacher so that your child can be added to the list of children discussed at the next ITR.
Drawing and Talking
What is Drawing and Talking Therapy?
Drawing and Talking is a therapeutic intervention for children and adults. It is designed as a short-term proactive intervention intended to complement, rather than replace, the work of Specialist Mental Health Services.
Through a 12-week cycle of sessions this non-intrusive tool allows children and young people to bring what they need to their sessions. Utilising drawing as a way to help them express their feelings differently in ordinary verbal language. The Drawing and Talking therapeutic approach allows individuals to discover and communicate emotions through a non-directed technique. This is what sets Drawing and Talking apart from existing solution-focused and cognitive based therapies and interventions.
We hold sessions of Drawing and Talking at times that are the least disruptive to our children, so either before school starts, just before lunch or just before the end of the day.
Approximately 30 minutes.
We have fortnightly Inclusion Team Reviews (ITR), where we identify children that we believe would benefit from such an intervention.
Please make contact with your child’s class teacher so that your child can be added to the list of children discussed at the next ITR.
Lego Therapy
What is Lego Therapy?
LEGO-Based Therapy is a social development program that uses LEGO activities to support the development of a wide range of social skills within a group setting.
While initially developed for children with autism, LEGO-Based Therapy has since been found to benefit children with a variety of communication and social developmental difficulties.
We hold sessions of Lego Therapy at times that are the least disruptive to our children, so either before school starts, just before lunch or just before the end of the day.
Approximately 10 – 20 minutes.
We have fortnightly Inclusion Team Reviews (ITR), where we identify children that we believe would benefit from such an intervention.
Please make contact with your child’s class teacher so that your child can be added to the list of children discussed at the next ITR.
Lola – Our Dog Mentor
What is the Dog Mentor Programme?
The Dog Mentor Programme has built upon the benefits of the human-animal bond by providing children positive experiences with dogs that can help them educationally, developmentally, emotionally and socially.
Over the past 8 years, implementation of The Dog Mentor Programme in Primary and Secondary schools across the UK has proven to have significant impact on many children’s lives.
These positive impacts follow the premise that improving communication within schools will improve behaviour.
We are currently training Lola to be involved in every part of school life. Lola is still a puppy but gradually as she gets older and wiser she will be spending every day within a different class room or year group.
Lola will also be involved in small group and 1:1 support for children struggling with communication or social, emotional and mental health difficulties.
We have fortnightly Inclusion Team Reviews (ITR), where we identify children that we believe would benefit from such an intervention.
Please make contact with your child’s class teacher so that your child can be added to the list of children discussed at the next ITR.
What external support can my child/family get at PWPA?
Early Help – provides services that can be accessed at a time and place that suits families to help them to do well, stay safe and resolve problems at the earliest possible opportunity, before they become more serious.
Dandelion Time – a nature-based charity that gives early support to children who’ve suffered from traumatic experiences such as domestic abuse and neglect. We help them overcome their emotional and behavioural issues to build self-esteem and confidence, and cope better at home, at school and in life.
Two Bridges – the behaviour support provision for West Kent Area.
Salus Intensive Mentoring Programme – through HeadStart Kent and Reconnect, Salus are able to offer an Intensive Mentoring Service to children and young people. The aim of the programme is to improve the emotional health and well-being and build the resilience of children and young people.
Equine Therapy – equine assisted therapy is a holistic, experiential and highly specialised form of therapy that involves working in collaboration with a horse, your therapist and an expert horse handler. During sessions, you don’t actually ride the horse. Instead, you carry out tasks such as feeding, grooming and leading the horse.
Challenger Troop – our programmes are designed to challenge and stretch participants emotionally, physically, socially and intellectually in a safe structured environment.
Pastoral Care at PWPA
What are we doing to provide effective pastoral care for all our children?
As the level increases, the assessment will be ‘stepped-up‘.
As the level decreases, the review will be ‘stepped-down‘.
Level 4
Child and/or family with high level of complex needs or in need of protection or care
Level 3 (statutory threshold)
Child and/or family whose welfare or development is significantly impaired without intervention
Level 2
Children with additional needs that can be met through the provision of early help
Level 1
Children with no additional needs, whose health and development needs can be met by universal services
Who is involved in pastoral care at PWPA?
First and foremost… you are.
You see the children in your class everyday… you see them arrive, sit at a desk, play, eat, learn and go home…
Who else is involved?
- Charlotte Gunning (Pastoral Lead)
- Sarah Thorne (SENCO)
- Victoria Robinson (SEN assistant)
- Simon Page (VP and Behaviour Lead)
Level 1 – Universal
Class teacher / TAs
Teachers and LSAs to support all children in class.
- All children to be assessed on the Leuven scale in July by their class teacher and results recorded by CGU
- Friendship issues to be explored with class teacher and LSAs
- Body image/Puberty/Personal hygiene and healthy relationships and routines to be explored through PSHE
- Online safety and being a good friend (kind and respectful) to be explored through PSHE and throughout all curriculum
- Any concerns that children are still requiring additional support should be referred for level 2 support
Level 2 – Additional Need
Class teacher / TAs
- Parents to be called in for a meeting to discuss additional needs that have been identified by class teacher and LSA – Pastoral support plan to be drawn up by class teacher.
- Any interventions carried out will require an intervention sheet that will need completing by LSA after each intervention to track any missed sessions or lack of child’s engagement.
- Interventions can include Lego therapy/Circle of Friends/Drawing and Talking in school run by Pastoral LSA (KS1 and KS2)
- Any concerns that children are still requiring additional support should be referred to CGU for level 3 support
Level 3 – Intensive Support
Class teacher / pastoral lead / early help / external support agencies
- Children will have their pastoral support plan reviewed by CGU and parent/carer and look at why interventions have not worked and additional support that needs to be put in place
- Children will be assessed on Boxall Profile by CGU
- Children will access ELSA/Play Therapy in school
- Parents will be encouraged to access Early Help or Parenting programme/support with CGU if deemed appropriate
- Children that have not made progress after a term of review will be referred for level 4 support by CGU
Level 4 – Referral to CSWS or CAMHS
DSL / DDSL / CAMHS / CSSW
- Should a child remain a concern after interventions have taken place and a pastoral support plan has been reviewed, a referral will be made for Children’s Social services or Mental Health Services.