Education Offsite (EOS)
"...the school is committed to their learning by supporting them through difficult times..."
What is EOS?
Education Offsite (EOS) is a teaching practice at West Heath School that offers alternative educational and therapeutic provision for students who are, due to their emotional dysregulation, struggling to be educated within the main school. Due to our children’s adverse childhood experience involving trauma and corresponding developmental and emotional struggles, they might at times lack the resources to enable them to manage and contain their emotions, feelings and behaviours, especially if re-triggered by further significant events (i.e. bereavement, peer conflict, difficult anniversaries). Such dysregulation can then form a barrier to them fully accessing main school education which can further impact their self-esteem, self-worth, and their relationships with staff and peers preventing them from focusing on the more ‘traditional’ way of learning.
At West Heath we understand that all behaviours are communication, underlined by unconscious forces that stem from previous painful experiences. Sometimes, especially during difficult periods, our students have no other means than to show us their pain.
Occasionally therefore, a student may require additional support outside the classroom and EOS can support this by offering several provisions to suit the individual needs through in-house and offsite provisions. Such students can be offered periods of decompression or rest breaks from the main school and the triggers which they are facing at the given time.
At West Heath, we understand that exclusion is a painful process for our students and often a repetition of old traumatic patterns which lead to them feeling unloved, uncared for and rejected. Such interventions are therefore often not effective. EOS is a preventative measure to give students who are finding life hard a space and time to reflect, re-build relationships and engage in rich yet less demanding school days to support their reintegration back to the main school. All decisions on the time spent in EOS is reviewed by the Head of EOS along with the Head of Year and the Therapeutic Head on a regular basis to support any transition back to the main school.
EOS was designed with struggling students at its heart and while their dysregulation is understood as a symptom of their emotional turmoil, it will be challenged, and will not go unnoticed; the school is committed to supporting students and aiding them to find alternative ways of managing their emotions. We see EOS as being a chance that everyone deserves.
The Three Pathways
1. Enhancing the educational experience
The first pathway is a range of alternative provisions accessible to the whole school community with referrals from the Heads of School or a member of the Senior Management Team. If required, Tutors may request additional provision by completing an EOS referral form. This is to enhance the educational experience of the student and to increase learning opportunities in a range of off-site provisions, a student receives a bespoke timetable that not only minimises the effect of exclusion on academic performances but addresses the issues that resulted in a student being dysregulated.
2. Short-term placement
The second pathway is a half term placement in EOS for students who are struggling to engage within the main school educational structure for the reasons highlighted above. Such students might attend EOS full time, some might need such support only during specific periods of the day. Their progression is reviewed regularly to ensure they continue to take the necessary steps to join the main school community.
3. Long-term placement
The third is a is an extension of the time in EOS for students that need it due to their presentation. Within this time, additional support is given to help such complex students to understand their barriers to engagement, while their mental health continues to be supported and nurtured. For these students, a package of educational and therapeutic interventions, onsite and offsite learning, is put in place for long periods of time with some accessing a reduced timetable to support either returning to the main school or supporting them to access more appropriate provision.
What does EOS offer?
On site
Each student accessing EOS on site receives a bespoke timetable and individual learning plan (ILP). The expectation is that each student will study:
- An appropriate level of English and Maths.
- One to One Tuition (EOS/Al Fayed House) where students are offered the flexibility to use Al Fayed House as a safe place in which they can gather their thoughts and complete their work.
- An appropriate West Heath Awareness course dependent on which behaviours/difficulties the student needs to focus on. These courses will be supported by Self Science staff who will help students to understand their neuro diverse needs. These courses are based on the 4Rs- Respect (for example, celebrating diversity, understanding bullying and developing self -respect); Resilience (for example, learning how to cope with challenges); Responsibility (for example, learning how to expand their aspirations and develop long term goals) and Relationships (for example, exploring the difference between healthy and non-healthy relationships, including peer-pressure). This should help students to develop the skills that they need to reintegrate back into the main school community but also to start to learn how to regulate their own emotions.
We also have the flexibility to offer students other courses of interest, to enhance their curriculum and ultimately to give the students a voice, to exercise choice, which promotes their education and wellbeing.
Off site
One to One tuition (Offsite) – With EOS staff. West Heath has designated staff members that offer tuition to our students offsite whether it is at a student’s home or in an informal educational setting such as a library or local resource centre. Work is set by subject teachers and delivered by an EOS Associate Teacher.
External tutoring services – when one to one tuition is not appropriate or a student has a large amount of time dedicated to offsite education, we have an outsourced education agency that delivers core subjects to the students within their home.
Alternative Provisions – a key aspect of EOS is to provide KS3-4 students with an opportunity to gain qualifications that provide a platform for transition into 6th form which may lead to tertiary education. Any student who accesses these courses in the lower key stages also falls under the umbrella of EOS. These include but are not limited to:
Therapeutic Farm – A family run farm, which produces hay across three meadows, grow fruit such as cherries, plums and other fruits, livestock including rare breed sheep, pygmy goats and Chickens.
Equine Therapy – Students will receive 1-1 bespoke sessions; Equine Assisted Learning provides opportunities for students to engage in situations that require interaction with the horse and facilitator to encourage the development of new skills that can be transferred to other life situations.
Skills for Employment – Level 1 Diploma in Multi skills, this course covers all aspects of the building trade such as Plumbing, Carpentry, Woodwork, Painting and Decorating.
Skills Construction Bus – Onsite, this offers a unique experience for all ages to spend a day on the mobile workshop to build a range of projects and to be introduced to a range of “hands on” practical multi skills.
Horse Riding – Weekly sessions for students to attend, learning how to care for the horses and riding them and learning new riding skills. It is an inviting place for students to be able to be independent and build confidence in their own abilities. There is also a chance to take part in a Dressage course.
Trail Blazers – An outdoor provision where forest skills and fishing are used to support learners learn about their environment and themselves.
As with on-site, we also have the flexibility to offer students other courses of interest, to enhance their curriculum and ultimately to give the students a voice, to exercise choice, which promotes their education and wellbeing.
How to refer to EOS
Only a Head of School or a member of SMT can refer a student to EOS for short term and long- term periods. All form tutors can however fill in a request for an additional provision through an EOS form, if they think a tutee would benefit from accessing one of the EOS alternative provisions.