Whilst our core curriculum meets the needs of many students, we recognise that some young people require an additional layer of relational, emotional, and developmental support to help them engage meaningfully in learning. Our Base provision is designed for students who, at that point in their journey, are not yet ready to access formal learning within the main site classrooms. This space offers a nurturing, predictable environment with a strong emphasis on learning through play and the development of social and emotional skills. Through this approach, we aim to foster curiosity, independence, communication, social connection, and emotional regulation in a way that feels safe, accessible, and developmentally appropriate.
We understand that The Base curriculum and approach may (depending on the current needs of the cohort) look different from a conventional model. This is intentional. For some students, a differentiated, relationship‑centred approach is essential to move from experiences of frustration or perceived failure towards a culture of success, confidence, and belonging. Students may access The Base at any stage of their Sky journey, particularly during times of increased anxiety, overwhelm or emotional distress, ensuring they have a supportive space to regulate and reconnect with learning.
Our Base curriculum prioritises individualised support rooted in wellbeing, strengths, and interests. We recognise and celebrate each student’s unique profile, communication style and successes—no matter how small—helping them build a positive sense of identity as learners and as young people.
Where appropriate, The Base curriculum is further strengthened through access to internal interventions such as ELSA, Outdoor Education and Land‑Based Learning. We may also work collaboratively with external agencies such as REACH Youth, AEC and Quantock Education to ensure a holistic, joined‑up package of support that meets each student’s needs.
The INTENT of our Base curriculum is to provide students with structured, accessible, and meaningful learning experiences that honour their individuality and promote a sense of safety and belonging. Our activities are designed to nurture key skills such as resilience, responsibility, and respect, but also to strengthen students’ confidence, emotional regulation, and self‑understanding. By supporting each young person to feel grounded, valued, and ready to learn, we aim to empower them to reconnect with education and move towards accessing the full curriculum available on the main site.
We are committed to knowing our students well. Through positive, trusting relationships, we seek to understand each young person’s strengths, interests, communication styles, and support needs. This relational approach enables us to offer a personalised curriculum that is responsive, inclusive, and aligned with their developmental and sensory needs.
We aim to reduce barriers to attendance, engagement, and relationship‑building by creating a predictable, nurturing environment where students feel secure and understood. By meeting their basic physical and emotional needs consistently and compassionately, we support students to develop a strong sense of belonging and to experience school as a safe space where they can grow.
The skills developed through The Base curriculum equip our students to thrive as learners and as young people. These experiences help them build confidence, develop self‑advocacy and independence skills, and feel prepared for positive transitions—whether that is returning to the main site or moving onto an appropriate, meaningful and sustainable post‑16 destination.
The curriculum is IMPLEMENTED by a dedicated and highly skilled team who intentionally create an inclusive, nurturing environment where every student has the opportunity to feel successful. Staff in The Base use trauma‑informed and neurodiversity‑affirming approaches such as co‑regulation, attunement, emotional safety, and predictable routines. With support, where appropriate, from internal specialists and approved external agencies, activities are chosen to respond to each student’s individual SEMH profile, informed by EHCP outcomes and Boxall assessments, and to provide a wide range of meaningful experiences.
Students work in small, relationally focused groups with a high staff‑to‑student ratio, ensuring they receive the connection, guidance, and regulation support they need to engage positively in learning. They are offered activities that develop key skills required for a confident and successful transition—whether returning to the main site or moving on to their next steps. These activities promote skills such as understanding and meeting expectations, following instructions with support, using appropriate communication (including online), staying safe, building attendance and punctuality habits, and developing readiness for future pathways.
Students attend regularly:
Students feel safe, welcomed, and connected to trusted adults, leading to improved attendance and punctuality as school becomes a predictable and supportive part of their routine.
Students feel and are safe:
Through co‑regulation, attuned adult support, and clear, predictable routines, students develop the skills needed to keep themselves and others physically and emotionally safe. They increasingly show confidence in using taught regulation strategies and seeking support when needed.
Sessions feel calm, purposeful, and regulating:
A culture of learning emerges naturally through curiosity, exploration, and supportive relationships, creating an environment where students can engage without fear of failure.
Students’ behaviour reflects increased safety and connection:
As students feel better understood and more emotionally regulated, their behaviour demonstrates a greater sense of security and trust. They participate more willingly, re‑engage with learning, and show openness to trying new tasks and experiences.
Confidence and self‑advocacy grow:
Through relational support and success-focused experiences, students develop a stronger belief in their abilities. They show increased readiness to attempt new challenges, communicate their needs, and share vulnerabilities within a safe and attuned environment.
Health and wellbeing improve:
Students’ foundational wellbeing needs—including nutrition, sleep, movement, relationships, and emotional safety—are recognised and supported. As these needs are met more consistently, students show improved capacity for learning, focus, and regulation.
Barriers to learning reduce:
With consistent relational support, regulation opportunities, and personalised approaches, students become increasingly ready to transition back to the main site or to a positive post‑16 pathway.
Students build positive, sustainable relationships:
Students develop the relational, communication, and social-emotional skills needed to form healthy, trusting, and respectful relationships with both peers and adults. They show increased confidence in navigating social situations, resolving conflict, and sustaining connections.
