Interventions

Emotional Health & Wellbeing Support on Offer

Walk ’n’ Talk– This involves learners having the opportunity, when needed, to go for a walk with a TA/Trusted adult and chat about anything that may be bothering them or something they are struggling with. It provides a 1-1 opportunity to focus attention on them in a relaxed way, allowing them to ‘offload’.

Sensory Room Access - We have developed a calming sensory room with beanbags, lights, bubble lamps, bouncy bags and soft furnishings to allow learners a safe and secure space to go to when they are overwhelmed or heightened

Language Links– This is an academic testing intervention with explores learners understanding of language. Following a screening test, learners are provided, if necessary, with a bespoke plan to support their  development and understanding of language in order to support them in understanding instructions, reading text, communicating their needs and accessing learning.

Lego Therapy– Learners work in groups to take on the role of instructor, finder and builder to work together following step-by-step instructions to build a lego creation. This encourages positive interaction and communication skills as well as allowing learners the chance to work with others that they may not work with usually.

Dog Therapy– This is provided by the Baxter Project. A very popular therapeutic animal assisted intervention where learners have a 1-hour session of walking a therapy dog and offering them high quality engagement designed to promote positive change.

Cardiff City Achieve Mentoring Programme– Mentoring programme  delivered by Cardiff City FC developing, learners' communication, resilience and understanding of healthy lifestyles and positive choices.

Anger Management– This is a small group intervention delivered by a trained TA. This intervention explores the learner’s perception of anger, how it presents both internally to them and externally to others. It explores triggers to becoming angry and strategies learners can use to manage anger when it does occur. It also provides guidance of strategies/actions that learners can take to avoid anger becoming such a significant part of their day.

Thrive– We have a number of Thrive trained practitioners within provisions. These staff complete a screening profile on the learner based on how they present emotionally. The screening identifies gaps in their  development of emotions and provides activities that staff can complete with these learners to build these gaps and improve their ability to regulate/develop resilience/relationships with others.

Talk About– Talkabout is a small group intervention where learners complete a screening assessment and the assessment identifies areas that the learner requires support strategies in order to develop their capacity to regulate their emotions. This can range from self-esteem to anger or social skills. It is a weekly session where learners complete practical tasks and discussions about these topics. It allows learners to develop their self-expression, build rapport and relationships with staff and make new friends.

Fidget Toys– Learners are provided with a range of fidget toys to support their anxiety/concentration, e.g. squishy toys, pop-its or spinners. These help learners to regulate and remain focussed on tasks for longer, allowing them to achieve maximum potential.

Emotional Health & Wellbeing Team Support– We are very fortunate to have a Local Authority EHW specialist teacher based within CWCHS 5 days per fortnight. The specialist teacher provides general guidance for staff in supporting the wellbeing of learners and will complete individual intervention with those needing it where appropriate. In addition, an EHW TA is also on site 1 day/wk completing wellbeing interventions with learners.

Resilience – This is a small group intervention delivered by a trained TA. This intervention supports learners in building confidence, self-image and supports them coping with changes and challenges that they may face. This can be anything from exam stress to friendship fallouts.

School Counsellor- This is an individual programme of support with a trained external counsellor. Learners meet confidentially with a counsellor weekly for a 10 session block.

School of Hard Knocks-This is a 3-year academic/wellbeing programme where learners develop life skills and regulation skills through the vehicle of rugby. Learners work both in the classroom sessions an outside on the pitch to develop confidence in their own abilities as well as developing skills to work with others and overcome challenges.

Academic Support on Offer

Literacy Intervention- This is a small group intervention with a trained TA. Learners are withdrawn for specific lessons each week to complete an ICT based programme to develop their literacy skills of reading, comprehension and spelling. This is a 6-week programme where it is reviewed and next steps established.

Numeracy Intervention- This is a small group intervention with a trained TA. Learners are withdrawn from specific lessons each week to complete a bespoke maths programme in order to address gaps in their learning and allow them to better access maths lesson content.

Accelerate Programme (Y7/8)- This programme provides a primary approach to literacy-based subjects. Within this provision, specialist staff along with trained TAs provide a highly differentiated and supported approach to learning content in order to support learners who have been identified as having low literacy levels. Learners complete the following subjects in accelerate and benefit from smaller class sizes: Maths, English, Science, Humanities, Welsh and Languages. For all other lessons, learners are in their mainstream classes. Learners are regularly assessed within Accelerate in order to identify learners who are ready to exit the intervention into a full-time mainstream class.