The challenge of including children with special needs in a mainstream school is boldly addressed in Nurturing the New.
The programme follows a small group of Year 7 pupils at Shoeburyness High, a large community comprehensive in Southend-on-Sea. In a radical move, the school has employed primary-trained teachers to support those children with special needs who find transfer to secondary particularly difficult.
The children are taught in a small group in a single class with a curriculum differentiated to meet their needs. Known as the achievement groups, these dedicated support bases are designed to improve self esteem, learning and behaviour in a nurturing environment until pupils are ready to join the mainstream.
This film explores how nurturing the most vulnerable students puts them on the path to success.
