Abbot's Way is proud of its specialist, animated environment which enables our students to learn to feel safe and to trust. This nurtures and fosters self belief and self esteem
Abbot's Way has a real family feel, and is a school where it is truly the case that “every child matters”.
Our collaborative, holistic approach ensures that our team understands what makes each young person tick and so can help them to feel able to speak up, to feel supported and to settle. We focus on understanding our students' unique personalities and gifts - building positive relationships is at the heart of our ethos.
Tutor teams co-ordinate every student’s life at Abbot’s Way as an individual, and assure high quality pastoral support, ensuring that students feel secure and confident.
Crucially, ongoing communication is maintained between our Learning team, Therapy team and parents. Tutor teams are the first point of communication for parents and other staff, in relation to each child. They lead a strong, communicative pastoral network to underpin our students’ safety, welfare and wellbeing.
Our pastoral programme is flexible and bespoke, contributing to our young peoples' progress and outcomes across 4 areas which necessarily interlock with one another and with all other aspects of our Learn To Thrive curriculum model:
Cognition and Learning
Students reflect on themselves as a learner and their individual learning profile, recognising and celebrating their strengths. Think about their pathway their progress across the curriculum
How do they learn best?
What helps give them clarity over their attainment and next steps?
Sensory and Physical
Activities and time in Tutor provides an environment in which students feel relaxed, safe and ready to engage with their day. They are able to learn to self-regulate through movement, interaction with our Tutor staff and peers, or by just simply being.
Carefully gauged levels of rest and fitness across the weekly sessions encourage a calm attitude to learning and social time.
Communication and Interaction
Students spend time both directed and otherwise, developing their awareness of different communication methods and learning to interact effectively in a range of age specific scenarios.
Tutor time lends itself to activities which focus on a particular aspect of spoken and written language, together with non verbal forms of communication.
Social, Emotional and Wellbeing
Tutor time supports an awareness of 'brain health' - both in terms of evaluating one's own and others' feelings and learning how to develop and sustain a positive sense of self.
Young people acquire strategies to define and evaluate their feelings and therefore recognise when self esteem and wellbeing need extra support.
Peer relationships and friendships are fostered and nurtured, encouraging developing communication skills and empathy.
