Brambles

Children attending this setting must have an EHCP with Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs (SEMH) as their primary area of need. For some children, their needs may stem from early childhood experiences such as trauma or insecure attachment, while for others, their difficulties may be linked to neurodiversity.

Children joining Brambles will typically:

• have been through ACE’s (Adverse Childhood Experiences)
• have found mainstream provision extremely challenging and require learning in a separate, specialist SEMH environment.
• present with significant anxiety related to their SEMH needs
• need ongoing support to build, develop and sustain positive relationships
• have required frequent small‑group teaching and/or personalised support from specialists previously

The Local Authority will consult with the school during a 15-day consultation window which is sent from PLANCOs (Plan coordinators).

When considering whether The Brambles can meet need for a child, we take into account our current cohort as well as the child being consulted to ensure that we can provide an appropriate peer group and safe environment for the cohort as a whole.

During the 15-day consultation period between school and the Local Authority, Peter Morris (Class Teacher) will contact the child’s current setting, visit them at their setting, invite parents to view The Brambles.

Consults are then sent back to the Local Authority and placement within The Brambles is decided by the Higher Needs Panel.

Parents/carers are welcome to visit and have the opportunity to meet staff and ask any questions if their child has an EHCP and SEMH as their primary area of need even if a consult hasn’t been sent.

Please note that we do not offer visits for children until a place has been offered as we do not believe it is in the child’s best interests to visit a setting they may not attend.

We recommend this is planned for during the school day so that visitors can meet our current cohort and see our provision in action.

Please click here to contact us to arrange a visit.

Once Brambles is named as the placement on a child’s EHCP, we begin a carefully planned, gradual transition (approximately 6 weeks) which is bespoke to the child.

This ensures that the child settles well and forms positive relationships with staff and pupils in the setting.

Brambles sits in a quieter, separate area of the school site located to the right at the end of the drive.

It remains an integral part of Paddox Primary School and maintains a strong connection with the wider school community.

Each child has a main site class link and is individually supported to access appropriate parts of mainstream provision where appropriate.

Brambles operates slightly shorter hours than the main school, with children attending from 9am to 230pm (245pm in the future).

Below is a general outline of how our day works.

9am: Children arrive

915am: Task time

1010am: Morning snack and break

1030am: Task time

11am: Reward time

1115am: Task time

12pm: Lunch time

1230pm: Play time P E

1pm: Task time

2pm: Reward time

230pm: Home time

On certain days we adapt our timetable to include forest school, gardening, food technology, Friday assembly but mostly follow the same structure for familiarity and routine for our children.

We keep tasks/lessons short whilst following the National Curriculum appropriate for each child’s stage, rather than age, meaning that children are provided and supported with work appropriate to their current learning journey.

Our daily tasks will usually include reading/phonics, handwriting/fine motor, maths and additional tasks such as story, turn taking games SEMH, crafts, food technology, PSHE, PE, computing, art, topic, design and technology, science, forest school and gardening.

Children can choose to bring their own packed lunch or order a school lunch from the menu available on the school website.

All children will need a filled drink bottle with water or squash in for each day.

We are a nut conscious school so asked packed lunches do not contain nuts and are healthy choices such as sandwiches, fruit and a snack.

We encourage children to wear the same uniform as the main site classes at Paddox but do not enforce this as we are aware that it can cause uncomfortable sensory feelings for children. We ask that if the children are wearing their own clothes, they have a jumper, coat, trainers and bring a pair of wellies to keep in school.

Click here to read more about school uniform.

Miss Victoria O’Dell – Headteacher (Designated Safeguarding Lead)

Mr Peter Morris – Lead Class Teacher, Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead

Miss Emily Wakelin – Class Teacher

Mrs Jenny Butlin – Teaching Assistant

Miss Ayesha Patel – Teaching Assistant

Mrs Salina Wakelin – Teaching Assistant

Please click here to meet all the team at Paddox Primary School.

Our star classroom is our space which is more focused around provision style play. Children have their own working space, a continued and enhanced provision area, Zones to track emotions, visual timetable, book corner, own toilet and a calm space.

Our Sunshine classroom has a similar layout to our Star room where children have their own working space, Zones to track emotions, visual timetable, book corner, own toilet and a calm space. However, our provision area is enhanced through the children interested which have included a Monstarium to house their Kennex monsters, craft stations for developing fine motor and creativity and an aeroplane was even built in this space!

Our soft room is used by children for a break out space away from the classroom as well as often a den making room. It has soft items in to support regulation and develop play lead creativity.

This room also has soft item in but is used for when children need peripatetic stimulation in order to release emotions safely. Children can ask to go in here or can be guided with a supporting adult with a restorative conversation to ensure they are ready to return to the class.

This room is used by our Play Therapist on a Thursday (at present) but also an as additional learning space or meeting room on other days.

We also have our own kitchen which is used to prepare snack and lunch, our food tech lessons happen in here and sometimes just as an additional quiet space.

We have a large middle space that connects all of our rooms and has a book corner at one side of it. This space is used for outside of classroom learning, indoor PE and a space to move around more, often as a gymnastics space!

We have our own outdoor spaces which is accessible from both classrooms. We have play equipment, tyres, bikes and even a garden including a bird restaurant!