Here at Thomas Gainsborough School, we pride ourselves on having outstanding student support facilities that run hand-in-hand with excellent academic programmes to ensure that students get the best possible experience from their time at TGS.
Our 2017 Ofsted report recognised that the personal development, behaviour and welfare of pupils at TGS is outstanding, and that leaders in this area of the school take care to identify matters which concern pupils at the school, so that barriers to learning can be removed, and pupils feel confident, happy, and safe.
We recognise that at times, students need additional support to enable them to access lessons, whether that is support in working through personal issues, or academic support to ensure that all students reach their full potential. The Student Support team work cohesively to remove barriers to learning and ensure that students feel supported and confident to be different. We actively promote resilience and positive emotional wellbeing across the school, and as a result, pupils are confident that any welfare issues are dealt with swiftly.
We have a team of skilled Learning Support Assistants who work with targeted students on improving their literacy and numeracy skills through bespoke small group interventions to enable them to improve their key skills and better access the curriculum. Students are identified by the progress they made in Key Stage 2 and are monitored and tested to ensure that the intervention is successful in boosting the crucial literacy and numeracy skills needed to ensure success in the wider curriculum. The team ensure that students with special educational needs or disabilities are well catered for, and these students make accelerated progress across the curriculum.
Our team of Learning Mentors, based in Student Support, also works on removing barriers to learning by supporting students with a wide variety of pastoral issues. The team run a range of specific interventions targeted at students with particular needs, such as low self-esteem, students who need support in developing their resilience, students who have experienced bereavement, students needing the support of the School Nursing Team, or students who need support in recognising and reducing risk taking behaviours. We work with a variety of outside agencies that often come into school to work with specific students and offer advice to the team to support with particular needs. Supporting wellbeing is a priority and Mrs Wilby as mental health lead, works closely with the Learning Mentor Team to ensure trauma approaches are utilised and emotional needs are met.
The work of the Student Support Team ensures that where possible, students are supported to be in lessons, and making the most of their learning opportunities, and the highly positive working environment offered at Thomas Gainsborough School.
Receiving the nationally recognised IQM (Inclusion Quality Mark) Award in May 2022 and subsequently being designated as a 'Centre of Excellence' underpins the key pastoral support and inclusive learning nature of the school that is supported by these key teams of staff.