Helping pupils in the very last chance saloon
Western Daily Press. Saturday October 25 2008 | By: Jacqueline Dolan
An emotional literacy centre for children who risk permanent exclusion has been opened at a residential special school in Wiltshire.
A few months ago, Tiffany Gibbons was consistently getting into fights at school and was at risk of getting kicked out of mainstream school for good.
Today at a centre for children who risk permanent exclusion, the bright 12-year-old appears to have an exciting future, as she confidently writes words on a white board as she brainstorms with her classmates.
Tiffany is one of 36 children from nine schools in north Wiltshire at risk of permanent exclusion, who are taking part in a pioneering scheme to develop the way children manage their emotions.
The centre at Springfields School, Calne, has been for a matter of weeks, but changes in the children are clear for all to see.
"I had a bad temper and always got into fights with other kids," said Tiffany, who goes to Wootton Bassett School four days a week. "I just don't like school, I find it boring. I only go because of my friends."
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But Tiffany has made huge progress since the centre opened in September, and feels confident enough to audition for the lead role of Dorothy in the school play, The Wizard of Oz.
She is also captain of the school football team, and plays football for Swindon under-14s.
Tiffany, who lives with her mother and two brothers in Swindon, but has never known her father, said: "I'm the only girl at the centre, but the people here are really nice and supportive. We get to talk about our feelings if we've had a hard week."
Tiffany is in a group with six boys who are all picked up from their different schools at 8.30am every Wednesday and dropped off again at the end of the school day at 3.30pm. Springfields takes different groups four days a week.
Wearing T-shirts, black Adidas trousers with white stripes down the legs, and trainers, children in the group sat at their desks fiddling with their brightly coloured plastic drinking cups as they listened to the lesson led by senior care officer Pauline Rounds and Tim Andrew, head of the emotional literacy unit.
"Today we are talking about fears, and the fear of meeting new people," said Mrs Rounds, as she looked every child directly in the eyes. "Sometimes when we meet new people who are different from us, we don't know what they are going to be like. It's never easy to meet new people."
Most of the group are listening intently but a few appear to be only half-listening as a couple of boys giggled, while others slouched in their plastic chairs.
Mrs Rounds asked: "Why are people scared of fights?" One boy shouted out, "Because they'll get battered afterwards," before laughing.
"What do you do when you get angry" asked Mrs Rounds. The group called out answers as Tiffany, "the best speller in the room" wrote their answers on the white board.
Children taking part in the Discovering Me course are the first to benefit from the pioneering approach to problem children.
Once a week they go to the centre to talk about their emotional problems before an afternoon of outdoor activities including canoeing and rock climbing.
All of the children on the course have been excluded for reasons ranging from swearing at teachers to pushing classmates down the stairs, from bullying to being disruptive in class.
The pupils' families are asked to commit to regular family therapy sessions, to help their child fit back into mainstream school and turn their lives around.
Head teacher Trystan Williams commissioned the course in partnership with VisionWorks for Schools, which runs social and emotional learning programmes.
Mr Williams is to receive a national award from Prince Harry for his efforts to help troubled and unruly teenagers, after being named WellChild's Best School Professional.
He will meet Schools Minister Ed Balls next month to discuss the impact Springfields is having on teenagers.
Mr Andrews and Mrs Rounds run the course between them.
"After a while they start to like themselves and start to believe in themselves, and become more relaxed going back into mainstream school," said Mr Andrews.
"These kids are nominated by their school, but they have to be prepared for what they are doing.
"This lot have been here since September and they've really responded. They're more happy and more confident and they've reduced the amount of time spent out of school. We give them a vehicle to express themselves."
Taran Little, 13, wants to be a zoo-keeper because he loves animals, especially his pet rat and his dog.
Taran, who lives with his mother, two brothers and two sisters, said: "I used to get into a lot of trouble and I had learning difficulties. I would have fights, scream at people, mostly because of life." Josh Sparkes is described by Mrs Rounds and Mr Andrews, as a star pupil.
The quiet 12-year-old who wants to be a footballer or cricketer, said: "I was always speaking out in lessons. I like PE but don't like the lessons. I get angry and then disrupt the lessons. I want to improve my learning while I'm here."
Rhys Olsen, who is also 12, has been excluded from school three times. He said: "I kept fighting with kids from school. I don't know why, I just felt really angry, and was sticking up for my friends. Since I've been here I haven't been fighting and feel a lot more calm."
Mrs Rounds said her job was challenging but she wouldn't change it for the world.
She said: "You have to have infinite patience and never take anything personally unless they say good things.
"We started with individuals who had never met and didn't know what the course was about. They've now become a group, and the reports from school are getting better".
