Best Practice

Understanding and supporting SEMH pupils

Safeguarding Inclusion Pupil wellbeing Mental health SEMH
Drawing on the outstanding work of Adelaide School, a special provision in Cheshire catering for pupils aged nine and upwards, Sarah Barlow offers advice to mainstream schools on supporting students who face social, emotional and mental health challenges

I moved to Adelaide, an outstanding SEMH (social, emotional, mental health) special school, 10 years ago. Concerned that I did not have a “special” skill-set, I set out on a learning journey to discover the secrets behind working with these challenging individuals.

In truth, so many of the key elements to working with these pupils are the core principles of all teaching. However, we do need to reflect on some of the things we do...

Relationships are at the core of all we do in SEMH education. As opposed to discipline, caring and respecting is what changes the behaviour of pupils.

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