Working at Social Arts for Education

Our School

Social Arts for Education was originally set up in 2012 as a small study centre for children who were unable to cope in mainstream school due to bullying. Over the intervening seven years, it has grown and developed as a provision, and is now an independent special day school, providing a specialised education and nurturing learning environment for children with social, emotional and mental health difficulties.

Ethos

The school is comprised of three main rooms and is small enough for anxious children to navigate easily. Teachers deliver multiple subjects which allows them to get to know children better. Classes, on average, have about six students, with one or two teaching staff. There is no uniform and teachers are called by their first names. Although the school could be classed as more 'relaxed' than others, we do have high expectations of our students and attendance and behaviour are taken seriously with disciplinary consequences for those that do not share our views. Students come here to recover and learn, however, we need them to follow our rules to allow us to help them do that.

Pupil profile

Children come to SAFE with a variety of needs, but the overriding reason that placements are offered is that a child has suffered from continual or severe bullying. Many of the children on SAFE's roll have autism and other social conditions. We therefore work very hard to provide an environment that is friendly, calm, safe with firm rules about conduct and behaviour. Although the majority of our students will work towards GCSE level qualifications, some may find a more vocational route suits them better.

Staff at SAFE work well together and support each other whenever possible. Well-being is at the forefront of SAFE's ethos and as well as keeping students happy and healthy, management understand that looking after staff in the same way is essential.