Help & support within school
St James "Pupil and Family Support Team" has a number of interventions to support our children. The team is managed by Mrs Bounds, ALNCo.
- Mrs Hobbs, Mrs Morgan and Miss Hunt run the literacy and numeracy interventions such as Rainbow Readers and Time to Talk.
- Mrs Hobbs and Miss Hatcher run the interventions in our Social Inclusion Room - The SNUG - such as Friendship Group, Self-esteem Group, Student Assistance Programme and Nurture Group
Rainbow Readers
Developed in New Zealand, the Rainbow Reading programme is designed to present the children with books (carefully matched to their reading ability) with a wide variety of topics, styles, authors and illustrations to make reading interesting while skills are improved. Each book in the programme has a specially recorded audio CD which the children listen to as they read. This, along with a variety of activities matched to each book provides effective support and makes the Rainbow Readers enjoyable and non-threatening.
Time To Talk
Time to Talk is designed to teach and develop oral language and social interaction skills with younger children. 40 sessions that take place three times a week, Time to Talk will helps develop the rules of interaction with the help of Ginger Bear, who features in all the activities!
Socially Speaking
Socially Speaking is a social skills programme that lasts a whole school year and is divided into three units: let's communicate, let's be friends, and let's practice. As pupils progress through the programme, their self-esteem will increase, their listening skills and expressive language abilities will improve.
Student Assistance Programme (SAP)
A support group – run by specially trained Additional Practitioners. 1 hour, once a week.
“What’s said in group, stays in group.”
Aims are:
To reduce feelings of isolation & loneliness
To provide a sense of connectedness with self and others
To practise and receive support for healthy living skills
To identify self-defeating behaviours
To receive nurturing affirmations for growth
To increase self-awareness and self-esteem
To provide validation, support & encouragement
To reduce feelings of shame
To learn how to form healthy relationships
To provide a trusting environment for growth
To learn how to care for self, others and let others care for them
Specialist Teaching
Our CCBC Specialist Literacy Teacher Mrs Helen Robinson takes x4 45 minute sessions a week in the Autumn/Spring terms when children are withdrawn from class to work on reading and comprehension in a small group.
"Nurture Group"
Aims to raise the self-esteem of children who struggle with some aspects of school. It develops children's social and emotional skills to help them respond to the demands of the class room. Nurture Group provides activities that are engaging and show the children that they have useful skills. They experience warmth and acceptance, so they feel liked and valued.
Self-Esteem & Self-Awareness Group
All children need self-esteem to feel good about themselves, their world and the contributions they can make to it. It's their armour against the challenges of the world. Children must believe they have the talents to achieve. More important than achievement, self-esteem is crucial to a child's happiness. Only when they are comfortable with themselves and believe they are capable of success, will children truly feel fulfilled. The group work on 8 topics: This is me, People in my life, The way I look, What am I like? My qualities and strengths, Things that make me feel good, The way I feel and I am great!
Friendship Group
The importance of good social skills cannot be overestimated. We all need these skills in order to communicate effectively, to listen to others, to express ourselves, to be taken seriously, to learn and to make friends. Making and maintaining friendships contributes to quality of life. Our relationships can define us and how we feel about ourselves. Some children do not develop these skills naturally and need help. The activities in this group help to teach good social skills to support children develop their friendships.
Social Skills Group
This group develops awareness of body language, speaking and listening in conversations, assertiveness skills and working in a group situation.
"HUB" Group
A weekly group of only 6 children at a time that takes place over in the ICC for peace and quiet, privacy and to have a little break form school! The group is run by experienced Youth Workers Deb and Dave, who also run groups in our community in the evenings. While taking part in art & craft activities, the children have the opportunity to chat and discuss anything on their minds.