Compass Belton Academy is a long-term specialist education and mental health provision catering for 25 young people ranging from Key Stage 1 to the end of Key Stage 3. All of our pupils have an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP) with a primary need of Social, Emotional and Mental Health difficulties. Our pupils will also have had some form of mental health intervention prior to them accessing provision here with us at Compass. Young people that access our provision are generally those that mainstream school and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) support are not sufficient to support their needs. The education and mental health needs of our young people are often that they may otherwise be placed in a residential setting or inpatient mental health unit, thereby breaking their attachments with their family and the local community.

We have a dedicated staff team including both education staff and an integrated and onsite Therapy Team. We have a strong focus on core subjects and work hard to bridge gaps young people may have in their learning after potentially struggling to access education for some time. We also have a focus on supporting relationships and attachments with members of staff and also their peers, staff work hard to role model appropriate behaviours for our young people to develop their social skills.

The Therapy Team is a multi-disciplinary team that supports all staff in delivering a holistic therapeutic provision by not only providing regular training to staff but by being integrating in the school community. All our young people will be offered weekly individual and group therapy sessions included within their 25 hour a week education offer. We are a child and family focused provision with a wide-ranging offer for all families that is differentiated to the needs of the individuals. We will actively involve family alongside the young person in offering support, this may include offers such as family therapy or clinical support.

We work with wide ranging vulnerabilities and difficulties that may not be a young persons fault but they’re experience has had an impact on their life and therefore behaviour. At present, we do not support those young people with an Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis. Staff at Compass are trained in Norfolk STEPS, a de-escalation and behaviour management training that supports safety, containment and consistency. Within this, staff are trained to use Restrictive Physical Intervention, for those young people that can show difficult or dangerous behaviours. Our primary method of managing behaviour is that of de-escalation, utilising methods such as mentalisation and mindfulness alongside developing strong attachments with our young people.

We hope that you find our school safe and containing for your child and look forward to working alongside you for the best possible outcomes for our young people.