Summary - This is an example of how a centre based pupil training programme, drawing upon 10 secondary schools, supports pupils to retain their mainstream school place and also meet their attainment targets, through enhancing their self management skills in a range of contexts.  

Introduction

In November 2004, The Herschel Pupil Training Centre was set up to address the specific need of pupils at risk of losing their places in mainstream schools due to their disruptive behaviour. Ten Slough Secondary Schools are involved in the Programme which addressed pupils with long term needs that mainstream schools could not accommodate within the constraints of the National Curriculum.

The Programme utilises local partnerships, voluntary groups and local educational resources, including teachers, sports resources and pupil mentors from Herschel Grammar School, with other schools in the programme providing support staff that benefit from the experience of the programmes innovative approaches to behaviour management.

The Pupil Training programme -

Aims

The programme aims to support pupils in:

·        retaining their mainstream school place

·        and meeting their attainment targets.

These are achieved through enhancing their self management skills in a range of contexts. Pupils take part in a comprehensive programme of self-management, focusing on creating a supportive, challenging environment within which to develop self esteem through personal awareness, self management and by learning personal and interpersonal skills and abilities.

Focus

This includes:

·        work in understanding their developing emotional needs;

·        strategies to address issues such as anger, excitement, wining and losing;

·        and the management of self as an individual and within teams.

Activities

These include:

·        understanding gender;

·        management of personal risk; and

·        looking at personal effectiveness in dealing with difficult or unpredictable situations.

Management of the Programme

The programme is managed by a full time centre manager and various support staff who have an extensive experience of educational welfare and the challenges these pupils and their teachers face and work extensively to support the pupils on their return to school.  

The centre manager is responsible for the management of relationships with the local authority multi-professional agencies and voluntary service providers together with the head teachers and senior LEA staff that support the programme. An agreement was arrived at setting out the criteria for referral, together with best practise for the reintegration of pupils back into mainstream schooling. Each participating school has identified a member of staff to act as coordinator with the manager of the training programme, in some cases this is the school SENCO, in others a member of staff working alongside the school SENCO

Success and future development within the local context

Slough has amongst the lowest rate of permanent exclusion and fixed term exclusions in the country and the Herschel Pupil Training programme sets out to support this agenda. In the academic year 2003 to 2004 75% of exclusions in Slough were from key stage 3. In the current academic year this has fallen to 15 %.

In addition to supporting the inclusion polices of the authority the Herschel Pupil Training centre sets out to trail new strategies that can be shared and replicated in schools and within the alternative education provision. In the coming year the programme expects to deliver further in-school support services in addition to helping Slough pupils who are at risk of failing to meet their educational potential.    

Contact details

For further information, please contact Pat Beilby-Smith: pat.beilbysmith@slough.gov.uk

Tel: 01753 787648.