Park School is an alternative provision in Bolton for pupils whose physical or mental health prevents them from accessing mainstream education.
The invaluable work of staff at Park School Teaching Service has been recognised recently by the nurtureuk and the school has now been awarded the prestigious Marjorie Boxall Quality Mark Award for its Bridge Nurture Provision. The school as a whole strives to be a nurturing school with the core principle being ‘academic achievement in a nurturing environment’. To earn this award, the staff have endeavoured to meet the educational and emotional needs of every pupil at Park School and it is fitting that this award illustrates the hard work and dedication of staff.
“My youngest daughter has severe social anxiety issues which became worse as she transitioned to high school. Throughout year 7 and into year 8 she became more and more withdrawn and eventually we couldn't get her into school at all. We spent hours sat outside her school or with the pastoral care lead exploring different avenues that might make school more bearable but unfortunately the situation worsened.
“After missing several months of school [my daughter] was then accepted as a student in the Bridge last September. We were sceptical when we came for a short visit with [her] but we became tentatively hopeful when we were greeted by such welcoming yet professional staff. The overwhelming sense of calmness and security was very reassuring and [my daughter] quietly agreed to start attending for one morning a week.
“When her first day came I drove her to school but she was afraid to leave the car…Fast forward to this week where [my daughter] is now transitioning upstairs to Park School attending four days per week and using taxi transport alone for every journey which has also enabled me to go back to full time work.
The school strives to ensure that pupils are not left to manage their often difficult circumstances, but are encouraged to narrow the gap created by poor mental health. Staff not only focus on the pupils once in school on a daily basis, but ensure that pupils arrive safely and calmly through school transport or parent/carer transport. Pupils are personally welcomed into the building and escorted out by pastoral staff to ease the anxiety of attending an educational setting.
Every effort is made to engage pupils, be it from their home, through one-to-one sessions, while in hospital or small group teaching. Through having a pupil-centred approach to learning, each child is provided with an individualised timetable adapted to meet their specific needs.
The Bridge nurture provision of Park School operates through recognising that all pupils learning cannot be based on academic attainment alone, it is developmental. From the completed Boxall profile, staff recognise the pupil’s area of need, this develops into a Personal Learning Plan that becomes the main focus of the pupil’s development within the nurture setting. Each pupil is treated very much as an individual and any plan is centred around their individual need and their personal progress, however gradual, is celebrated.
All pupils within The Bridge suffer from anxiety, so it is vital that the environment that they enter is calm, organised and inviting. There are individualised timetables, pictorial timetables and clear routine. As well as academic lessons, pupils are encouraged to eat together at the table and enjoy their social time. Further activities include group enrichment activities such as cooking, Lego therapy and Art.
Adults within the nurture room are consistent and reliable; if pupils feel anxious or wish to leave the nurture room for time out, there is the ‘Bubble’ de-escalation room that provides a relaxing environment in which pupils can discuss any concerns on a 1-1 basis or simply calm down if they need to.
Park School and The Bridge is a ‘safe space’ that welcomes all pupils and excludes none. Promotion of acceptance can be identified through posters around school, pupils work in PSHE and Wellbeing on issues around race, gender and sexuality and the schools main ethos that we ‘all belong’.
The Bridge promotes all forms of communication through group work, mood cards that help express pupils’ emotions and feelings and written work. All pupils are involved in the PSHE lessons that have a clear focus on social and emotional wellbeing.
All pupils are encouraged to sit together and engage with each other. Although it is initially difficult for some, the clear structure begins to develop pupils’ communication and social skills. An extension of this is work through group play, social games and expressive art.
All staff at Park School follow the nurture group principles and therefore recognise that any form of behaviour communicates a child’s feelings and difficulties. All staff are involved in parent/carer meetings, complete regular home visits and ensure the strong link between home and school.
The initial process of pupils coming into The Bridge provision is through a learning mentor starting to build the relationship within the child’s home. This could take weeks before the pupil feels comfortable enough to take the huge step of coming into The Bridge. Once they attend, the pupils have a part-time timetable that allows them to access The Bridge and engage in a variety of lessons, while still supported fully by staff on a one-to-one basis.
“To say that we are immensely proud to receive this award really is an understatement!” said Kiran Peart, deputy academy lead and head of The Bridge Nurture Provision at Park School.