At The Orchard School, pupil support is not a department - it’s a whole-school approach. We understand that behaviour is communication, and that every young person needs to feel safe, understood and regulated before they can learn. That’s why we provide targeted, relational support through a dedicated Pupil Support Team, alongside interventions embedded in every classroom.
Our model is flexible, trauma-informed and shaped by the needs of each pupil - always aligned with their EHCP and delivered through The Orchard Way.
Our Pupil Support Team Includes:
Pupil Support Leader: Overseeing therapeutic support, intervention planning and team coordination
Community Support Partners: Delivering targeted regulation support, restorative conversations and key adult provision
Intervention Support Staff: Providing 1:1 or small group sessions linked to emotional literacy, anxiety, anger, identity and social skills
Therapeutic Leads / External Specialists: Supporting counselling, art therapy, speech & language or occupational therapy (where EHCP specifies)
How We Support Pupils:
Key Adult Relationships: Trusted adults provide co-regulation, emotional coaching and stability
Regulation & Wellbeing Spaces: Safe, calm environments available throughout the day to support self-regulation
Therapeutic Thinking Strategies: Used consistently by all staff to reduce anxiety and prevent escalation
4Rs Model (Regulate – Relate – Reason – Repair): Guiding every response to behaviour and crisis
Intervention Timetables: Targeted blocks of support for social skills, emotional awareness, zones of regulation, or specific areas of need
Transitions & Reintegration Support: Carefully managed support for pupils moving between phases, classes or returning from time out of school
Why It Works:
Consistent, predictable support reduces anxiety and builds trust
Pupil-centred, EHCP-led provision ensures relevance and impact
Strong relationships drive co-regulation and emotional recovery
Families are part of the process - helping sustain progress beyond the school gate