Pupil Support
At The White House School, we have built a blended approach to behaviour, emotional regulation and wellbeing. This helps us personalise support around the needs of each pupil.
Personalised
Support
Pupil support at The White House School is built around consistency, relationships and individual need.
We support pupils through predictable routines, emotionally available adults, low-arousal approaches and close partnership with families and professionals. This helps pupils feel safe, understood and ready to learn.
How we support pupils
Creating a predictable, low anxiety environment
- Consistent routines and transitions
- Clear expectations and boundaries
- Reducing sensory overload
- Providing advanced warning of changes
SPELL Framework
SPELL stands for Structure, Positive approaches and expectations, Empathy, Low arousal and Links.
Structure
Structure makes the world more predictable, accessible and safer. We use visual information and structured environments to support pupils.
Positive approaches and expectations
We build self-confidence and self-esteem by recognising pupils’ strengths, interests and abilities.
Empathy
We try to understand each pupil’s point of view, including what motivates, interests or worries them.
Low arousal
Calm, ordered approaches and environments help reduce anxiety and support concentration.
Links
Pupils, parents, carers and professionals are seen as partners. Clear communication helps support feel joined up.
Teaching and supporting emotional regulation
‘Every adult is an emotionally available adult’
Emotional regulation isn’t something pupils “just know”, it’s learned and practised with skilled adult support.
By modelling co-regulation and teaching pupils how to manage their feelings, we significantly reduce anxiety and escalation.
- Explicitly teaching regulation strategies so that pupils learn how to recognise and manage early signs of dysregulation with a personalised toolkit of regulation strategies.
- Embedding sensory and movement breaks
- Using calm, positive and low arousal communication
Building trusted relationships, sense of belonging, good self esteem and social skills.
“Every interaction is an intervention.”
Relational practice is the foundation of our approach. Adults know pupils well and support them to become the best version of themselves and achieve their potential.
Social skills and friendship
Pupils are supported to develop social skills through weekly social skills sessions, friendship skills work and therapeutic intervention when needed.
Repairing relationships after incidents
We place a strong focus on dignity and trust when supporting pupils through dysregulated times. Every incident is followed by pupil reflection and staff debrief, so we can listen to the voice of the child and use this to inform our practice and provision.
PRICE and trauma-informed practice
The White House School is a PRICE-trained school.
Trauma-informed practice is at the heart of our approach. We believe that all behaviour is communication and, if pupils could do better, they would.
It is our role as adults to be their calm, bring them calm and help them feel safe.
Trauma-informed practice can be seen throughout our positive behaviour support, relationships, use of language, attendance support, classroom environment, adaptive teaching, staff training, self-esteem work and the way we listen to pupil voice.
All staff are trained in the PACE approach: Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy.
We use a tiered structure to meet the individualised needs of all our pupils. This begins with the right support in school, therapeutic offer and quality relationships with our external partners.
Safeguarding and pupil wellbeing
Safeguarding sits at the heart of pupil support at The White House School. Our staff work closely with pupils, families and external professionals to help children feel safe, heard and understood.
Discovery Pathway
Safeguarding
“Pupils learn how to manage their emotions through mindfulness lessons. Consequently, pupils are reflective and thoughtful.”