An anxious mind cannot learn…….

At Luccombe Hub we prioritise all our learners’ Mental Health

Most of our learners at Luccombe join us having experienced unhappiness within their educational life, often being told they have failed, they have a lack of belonging and a sense that ‘school’ and learning just isn’t for them. At Luccombe we use a learner led approach and find, once they feel safe within their environment, built bonds with facilitators and peers, their resilience and self-esteem increase. Children start to feel a sense of control over their educational life, freedom to build on successes and not focusing on what they can’t do but rather, can do. Learning can once again become a part of their daily life.

For this to succeed it involves working alongside our own facilitators, teachers, CAMHS, Social Services, therapists, the Local Authority and other professionals and agencies, to ensure that the Mental Health of our learners is always priority, and our focus is on the children’s emotional, physical, spiritual, and mental well-being.

Our aspiration for our learners is that they are all able to work towards, and able to access a fulltime Curriculum and all that The Centre has to offer, without causing anxiety or stress to the learner.

For many learners who have been out of education for some considerable time or been excluded from previous schools the transition to Luccombe can be slow as children’s anxiety levels can be high. We consider these initial transitions to be the most important element of the learner’s journey to ensure a positive foundation at Luccombe

All our learners initially start on our Care and Connect Pathway, we help learners build bonds and trust with those who will be supporting them, to recognise and discuss their feelings, safe in the knowledge they will not be judged; to voice their anxieties and frustrations, recognise their own emotions and what triggers their change in mood and how to manage their feelings appropriately. Assessments do not take place during the transition time or times of high anxiety other than through games, conversations, and observations from which the Support Packages are developed to support the learner’s Mental Health and appropriate Pathways to support both their Mental Health and academic achievements.

This transition time varies depending on the anxiety levels of the learner and maybe reverted to in some circumstances. Our Mental Health Curriculum remains the focus for all the learners at Luccombe and within this we recognise, as a school we may give permission for learners to have days absent due to their mental health these decisions are taken in conjunction with staff and each decision is made on an individual case basis with the long-term improvement in Mental Health at the forefront of our mind. It is further embedded through our Thrive Practice, counselling and therapeutic interventions. Learner’s transition at their own pace into a more academic Curriculum Pathway as they recognise, they feel safe in their environment, build resilience, self-esteem and confidence which goes hand in hand with improving overall well-being and positive academic outcomes.