Information for Schools

Educational Diversity

LINK Provision KS3-4

2022 - 24

Educational Diversity Link (placement with reintegration) for young people in need of short term intervention that leads to positive behaviour change.

Background

The model of delivery will be based around a 12 week intervention programme. The intervention programme provides early intervention for learners who are experiencing difficulties within mainstream settings and supporting colleagues in exploring whether there are any underlying causes behind these difficulties.

The aim is to provide a stimulating learning environment with emphasis on developing resilience, raising self-esteem, getting back on track with academic progress and embedding independent learning.  There is an expectation that the young people are supported on placement visits from relevant staff within their referring school.  This will ensure engagement from their mainstream school and provide opportunity for strategies to be shared amongst professionals.

The provision is for KS2&3 students only, with three programmes running throughout the academic year. There will be a maximum of 8 students in each group.

Objectives

• To support, and empower young people, to remain and succeed within mainstream education.
• To provide young people who are ready to make positive behaviour change with key strategies to help them take more responsibility for their actions.
• To develop resilience, raise self-esteem and encourage independent learning.
• Ensure that all young people make progress academically, alongside their social, emotional, and mental health needs.
• To identify any unmet learning needs such as SLCN and provide recommendations for primary & secondary colleagues that will help address barriers to learning.
• To support successful re-integrations back into mainstream provision.
• To work with primary & secondary colleagues to identify strategies to support their students upon return to mainstream.
• To support mediation between the young person and school where relevant, using restorative approaches.

Curriculum

A key area to consider as part of the placements is ensuring referred students do not fall behind with their core academic learning. To reduce this potential risk, the core subject (English/ literacy, maths/ numeracy and science) content will be delivered in accordance to individual student needs.

The Link curriculum will be supplemented with specialist support using the following:

• Know How - NLP, CBT - child focused, emotional wellbeing and mindfulness. Celebrating their successes, team building and promoting diversity. This will be developed and will be bespoke to the students, aiming to help them better understand themselves and their behaviour.
• Project based learning, will include employability and aspirational work.
• Enrichment opportunities.

The curriculum is underpinned by the six Principles of Nurture:

• Children’s learning is understood developmentally
• The classroom offers a safe base.
• Nurture is important for the development of self-esteem.
• Language is understood as a vital means of communication.
• All behaviour is communication.
• Transitions are significant in the lives of children

School day

• KS2- 08.45- 14.15, providing 25 guided learning hours.
• KS3- 09:00 - 14:30, providing 25 guided learning hours.

Assessments

If the referring school chooses, additional support with regards to assessments can be provided. These may include SLCN screener, PASS and NGRT that may be useful, with a view to help better understand the students’ needs.

Reports

A written report will be provided at the end of each placement and will include a range of information, data and strategies to help support the students as they transition back to their base school.

Reviews

All learners referred will have their place at the short stay programme reviewed:

• Review meetings will take place at regular points- at 7 weeks a review meeting will take place before reintegration starts. Review reports will go to schools at 6 weeks and at the end of the 12 week period.
• At the 7 week review meeting those attending will agree to the plans for re-integration
• The review meetings must be attended by representatives from the school, Educational Diversity, the parent/carer, the child (or the voice of the child is represented), and other relevant professionals (for example: health, SEND, Children Social Care, police).
• The review meetings are to discuss the child’s social & emotional,  behavioural and academic progress and the strategies that are working well.

The referral and access protocol

The referral and access protocol seeks to ensure that learners are admitted to the Link programme quickly, efficiently and equitably across all Blackpool schools and that placements are reviewed regularly with an agreement that learners return to their schools at the end of the 12 week intervention.

The aims of the protocol are:

• To ensure that a Blackpool learner that is in need of making positive behaviour change are identified and supported quickly to maximise inclusion and attendance.
• To minimise the time that learners spend out of school.
• To involve key agencies in the decision process as to how best to support and place individual learners
• To be fair and transparent
• To have the engagement and confidence of all schools and agencies.

Admission Criteria

The criteria for referring Blackpool learners for consideration of a 12 week placement within the Link programme due to their presenting behaviour are:

• Learners referred through the Link referral panel from mainstream colleagues in consultation with agencies involved with the individual

Principles

The protocol is based on the following agreed principle:

• All admissions for specialist support at the Link programme will be temporary, with an agreement to return full-time to mainstream education at the end of the 12 week placement.

Procedure

Where a school identifies a learner that it believes needs specialist educational support due to their presenting behaviours, it should, in liaison with parents and external agencies involved, complete the relevant referral forms for consideration by the Link Referral Panel.

Referrals will be considered monthly by the Link Referral panel. Learners accepted onto the Link programme will start at the set times with the rest of the cohort. The panel will consist of:

• Secondary Headteacher representative
• Primary Headteacher representative
• Local Authority Admissions Team
• Our Children Education Team
• Local Authority Senior SEND Manager
• CAMHS Team representative
• Headteacher Educational Diversity
• Assistant Headteacher Educational Diversity
• Head of Schools’ Standards, Safeguarding and Inclusion (Chair)                             

The panel will meet monthly to evaluate referrals of learners who have been referred by the above process.  The panel will consider each referral and make a decision which will be based on a majority vote.  In the case of a split decision, the Chair will make the final decision.

 

Panel meetings for 2023:

• 21st March 2023 for after Easter start (sufficient time to allow for induction meetings)
• 4th July 2023 for September start

The panel will aim to only admit 1 learner per school to avoid multiple learners from 1 school within a cohort.

There will be no second decision making process by the school’s admission authority or headteacher, as the decision of the panel is binding.

 

To refer a KS2 student please complete the form KS2LINKReferral

DEADLINE: 17th March 2023, 30th June 2023

 

To refer a KS3 student please complete the form KS3LINKReferral

DEADLINE: 17th March 2023, 30th June 2023

Home, Hospital Education Service

Part of our service supports young people with medical or emotional needs who are referred by medical professionals and CAMHS practitioners. This is within our Home, Hospital Education Service based at our Athena site on Whitegate Drive. The young people are referred via the Home, Hospital Education Service (Athena) multi agency panel of professionals who give consideration as to whether the young person’s needs can be best met at Athena or whether additional support could be given to retain them within their mainstream setting.

 

The Management of Actual or Potential Aggression (MAPA) Training

The Management of Actual or Potential Aggression (MAPA) training is one of the behaviour management training options available for Departmental staff. It provides strategies and skills to safely respond to anxious, hostile or violent behaviour. The aim of MAPA is to prevent behaviour escalation through non-physical interventions. Participants are taught verbal and non-verbal strategies to prevent the development of a crisis situation.

Type of Training	How it is delivered	Duration	Cost
Pivotal MAPA - Refresher Blended Learning Course.	Online learning To be completed prior to the virtual classroom session.   Face to face session To be completed after online course.	2.5h online learning AND 3.5h face to face session	£125pp
Pivotal MAPA - Full Blended learning course	Online learning To be completed prior to the virtual classroom session. Face to face session To be completed after online course.	2.5h online learning AND 1 day face to face session	£175pp