A CENTRE has been launched for children who struggle in mainstream education.
The Element is a new facility developed by the Holy Family Catholic Multi Academy Trust to support vulnerable children with targeted interventions and creative methods.
The facility currently supports secondary school students, but there are plans to open a primary school centre.
The team at The Element, with over 25 years of combined experience in mainstream and alternative education, believe in a culture of inclusion and restorative practices.
Learning and support packages are developed in collaboration with families, schools, and agencies to create a positive and supportive environment for students to learn and thrive.
These approaches are designed to improve attendance, learning, and wellbeing, aiming to increase positive experiences, opportunities, and outcomes.
The Element's curriculum adopts a thematic approach where learners can focus on developing creative learning habits.
Work placements are established to meet individual students' interests, goals, and ambitions.
The centre also features a large circular room with a 360-degree interactive projection for students to experience new environments.
There is an in-house hairdressing salon where students can develop practical skills in the health and beauty industry.
The Element is the first-ever UK trust to implement rhythmic movement therapy (RMTi).
This method addresses the root cause of difficulties rather than creating strategies to deal with them.
It supports the maturity of the central nervous system and reflex integration and helps identify how the brain responds to stimuli.
Earlier this year, the team at The Element launched a pilot programme to assess the effectiveness of RMTi.
The results showed an average increase of 35 per cent across all areas measured.
All students also have access to counselling sessions to discuss feelings, thoughts, and experiences in a safe and supportive environment.
Paul McColgan, director of inclusion for the trust, said: "We are delighted that The Element is now fully open and operational, supporting young people who face barriers to mainstream education.
"The Element is home to students from all backgrounds, and we are committed to delivering an innovative, inspiring, and transformative curriculum that meets their individual needs."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here