The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) defines the purpose of a unit such as Crofton as a ‘school-based centre for students who are disaffected, at risk of exclusion or vulnerable because of family or social issues. A unit like this provides short-term teaching and support programmes tailored to the needs of students who need help in improving their behaviour, attendance or attitude to learning.

.

Following a reorganisation I am Crofton’s Unit Manager and responsible for the smooth running of the unit. I am assisted by 2 teaching assistants, Mrs Jan Soffe (Internal Exclusion) and Mrs G McCauley (tracking students/reintegration).  We are able to accommodate up to 14 students at one time and have 7 teaching staff covering the following sessions at Crofton:

 

Teacher:	No of Sessions:
Mr David Hawkins	5
Ms Tina Adams	2
Mr Ollie Harris	1
Mr Richards Vaas	1
Mrs Liz Green	1
Mrs Caroline Roberts	1
Mr Steve Cocker(Mentoring)	1
Total sessions:	12

 

1. Premises

The unit is located in a a row of terraced houses in Bronshill Road, very close to the main Westlands site.  It accommodates not only the school’s unit but Torbay Council’s, Social Service’s Cluster Team East.

The cluster team and Westlands share the kitchen facilities and meeting room downstairs.  Upstairs Westlands exclusively use 3 “class” rooms, a small meeting room and office. Students internally excluded have the use of one class room, whilst students who are here for planned intervention and pastoral support use the other two.

All classrooms have enough desks and chairs to accommodate the students comfortably and have 2 PC workstations in the two larger classrooms and 1 in the smaller room.  We have a good selection of resources available to the students so they are able to access the curriculum as they would be able to in the main school.

We also regularly use the kitchen facilities for cooking/life skills with the students.

 

 

3. Internal Exclusion

 

Aim

Where possible we want to try and avoid externally excluding a student (sending them home).

Objective

Students are given time to reflect on their actions and identify the needs of others involved as well as themselves by talking with members of staff at Crofton. Students are expected to complete their normal timetabled studies.

Outcome

Students should leave Crofton with a better understanding of how their actions/behaviour have affected other people and take ownership following self-evaluation and setting themselves  3 SMART Targets (Specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound).
Once back into school, following a reintegration meeting students are tracked in their lessons to support both the student and the member of staff by suggesting strategies to help facilitate a successful return.

Students before leaving Crofton are asked to complete a questionnaire about their experience in internal exclusion. The majority of students strongly agree that staff are supportive and help them to prepare for returning to the main school as well as giving them more than enough work to do whilst internally excluded!

 

4. Planned Intervention

 

Aim
Our aim is: to keep students in school and working while issues concerning them are managed, and to help reintegrate them back into mainstream lessons as quickly as possible.

Objective

To intervene when a student’s behaviour in a particular lesson has become critical and all other interventions such as parking, phone calls home, detention etc have been exhausted.

Working with the student for a minimum of 3 weeks at Crofton by not only concentrating on their curriculum entitlement, but also strategies aimed at modifying and improving their behaviour so that re-integration into mainstream lessons can be successfully achieved.
 
Outcome

Again like Internal Exclusion – students should leave Crofton equipped with 3 SMART targets and the ability to manage successfully in lessons.
Teaching staff are able to welcome the student back to a new start and made aware of the targets set and advised on any strategies that will ease the reintegration. Students are supported by Crofton’s T.A. for the first two weeks. If problems are still occurring then the student will continue to be supported and alternative intervention sought if needed.

 

5. Anger Management

Since September 2009 I have been providing a programme of Anger Management with students on a 1:1 basis.

Managing anger is just the tip of the iceberg, the primary problem is how we manage our thoughts, emotions and feelings. We are currently working on alongside TAMHS (Targeted Mental Health in Schools) a three-year pathfinder programme aimed at supporting the development of innovative models of therapeutic and holistic mental health support in schools for children and young people aged 5 -13 . We are currently working on providing a programme for students on Emotions and Feelings (this will be available for all students). We will be incorporating many aspects of the secondary SEAL programme and will deliver to small groups and on a 1:1 basis.

6. Behaviour for Learning

Is an emotional literacy programme used for students who are internally excluded, referred for planned intervention or managing anger.
Firstly it looks at completing a lesson audit and continues by looking at the ‘here and now’ and what the students wishes are for the future. It moves on to looking at tips on achieving goals and how to help students get motivated. It also looks at managing our emotions and feelings, multiple intelligence and reflection.