At Devon School we have a real focus on therapeutic provision and pastoral care. The whole staff team are trained in therapeutic approaches and students have access to pastoral and mental health support on site throughout the day, including access to Mental Health First Aiders.

Students also have the opportunity to engage in a number of different therapeutic interventions. These are tailored to each student and are often focused on areas that they want to work on themselves.

Some of the interventions we offer include:

Zone of Regulation

Zones of Regulation is a widely used programme that aims to teach students how to recognise and communicate their emotions with the help of coloured zones. Once they have learned how to do this, they learn strategies for regulating their emotions and build a ‘toolbox’ that consists of strategies that they have chosen and tested.

Talkabout

Talkabout is a social skills programme that covers a wide variety of skills relating to body language, how we talk, conversation skills, assertiveness, self-awareness, self-esteem and relationships. This programme breaks down these areas and provides detailed teaching to support students in strengthening their social abilities through role play, social stories and case studies.

Congnitive Behavioural Therapy

Students have access to a number of CBT interventions to retrain their thinking to manage things such as anger, depression, anxiety and stress. Students have the opportunity to work through programmes with the support of a qualified member of staff.

Drawing and Talking

Drawing and Talking is an intervention that is used to provide another way to explore and express emotions using drawing. It is particularly useful in the case of students who have experienced trauma.

Wellbeing Art

Students can be offered a wellbeing pathway in their Art lessons which is student-led. This allows them to express themselves using their Art and provides an opportunity for mindfulness and relaxation.

Thrive

All staff use a thrive approach with our students and we also offer thrive sessions in order to  effectively support students’ social and emotional development, ensuring they feel safe, supported and ready to learn.

Points System

At Devon School we run a points system as a way of rewarding positive behaviour and hard work and encouraging students to make positive choices in school.

Students are able to earn 3 points in each of their lessons across different categories:

• Attending their lesson and remaining in the right space
• Engaging with the work set for their lesson
• Showing the school values in their lesson

At any point in the day, staff can award students a House Point for going above and beyond and demonstrating the school values. Students receive a certificate in a celebration assembly every Friday morning and each house point is worth 3 points.

Students are able to use points for a number of things.

Firstly, students who earn at least 80% of their total possible points each half term are invited to go on the end of half term trip, which is chosen in student council meetings.

Students are also able to save up their points and use them to buy items through the school.

Students are also grouped into houses (Bantham, Elberry, Firestone and Hope). Each student’s points contribute to their house’s total and at the end of each term the house with the highest total wins an extra trip that they choose and organise themselves.

Keyworkers

Every student at Devon School is assigned a keyworker when they start. Every Monday morning before lessons start, students meet with their keyworker to reflect on the previous week, set goals for the week ahead and discuss anything they need help with. It’s also an opportunity to keep up with current events, explore fundamental British values and have a positive start to the week.

Keyworkers are the main point of contact between school and home. Every Thursday, keyworkers will send home a weekly report either by email or on the phone to summarise how their student’s week has been. Keyworkers may also call home to discuss specific behaviours, both positive and negative, and co-ordinate approaches and strategies.