Registration no : 2606467
School Services
Recent evidence suggests that there are large numbers of students with behavioural or emotional disorders in schools who are struggling with their overall education and attainment. These children are often missing school and are more likely to be excluded/expelled. It is therefore unsurprising that persistent mental health problems lead to students with significantly greater difficulties in learning than the majority of their peers.
The Apricot Centre believes that the most effective approach to promoting positive behaviour, social development, and self-esteem in schools is to offer one-to-one and small-group sessions for young people to help identify coping strategies. There is evidence that once a young person has learned to regulate their emotions, increased attendance and attainment soon follows.
In 2016, over 5,000 young people told Young Minds that their top two concerns were school stress and access to help in school. The Apricot Centre aims to tackle this by working within school communities to deliver programmes of support that utilise therapeutic interventions and measurable approaches. Our interventions are designed to meet the needs of your student body and can be implemented on a one-to-one basis or small-group basis.
Our programmes for young people include but are not limited to:
Stress Management for anxious students and refusers
Developing Healthy Relationships (students at risk of CSE)
Coping in Class - for students who struggle to manage their emotions and behaviour
Improving self-esteem and resilience
Providing mentoring services for young people in need of extra support but not necessarily therapeutic interventions
Part-time activities on a farm - help to dissipate stress and anxiety for young people at risk of exclusion. This enables young people to learn to manage their emotions and re-enter and thrive in a school environment
We can offer the following for your students:
Individual or group sessions
Group work (6-10 per group) on a 6,8, and 10-week basis
Open-ended or time-limited individual one-to-one mentoring for students, minimum of 8 weeks extended to open ended non time limited
Mentoring either in school or on our farm in Dartington
Alternative education provision - full-time or part-time with therapeutic mentoring.
Primary Schools
Secondary Schools
Farm Club
Staff Wellbeing
We offer wellbeing sessions for staff members. These programmes are holistic in their nature and provide staff with a toolkit of long-term, stress management techniques. Staff may need help with:
Understanding their reactions to stress
Coping with stress
Developing strategies for looking after themselves effectively
Staff who nurture themselves and look after their wellbeing are better focused and emotive practitioners who are able to remain motivated in stressful environments.
All staff training can be booked to incorporate your school timetable and staff training days.
The Apricot Centre works with each school on an individual basis to ensure our training and interventions are tailored to your community. To do this we offer the following:
Free initial telephone consultation to discuss your school needs
Free presentation outlining what the Apricot Centre can offer you based on your requirements and desired outcomes
Free staff taster session of what could be offered to students in your school
To discuss your needs further or for more information, contact Rachel via email or 07540445851
Registration no : 2606467
Alternative Provision
At the Apricot Centre we work with Primary and Secondary School aged children who are not able to attend school for a number of reasons, we match them to a skilled and experienced mentor, who works alongside the child and the family to devise a plan of focused activities in line with their emotional and behavioural needs.
We use a therapeutic approach to help develop young people's existing inner resources to help them in the future, either in their everyday family, school or personal life.
Mentoring can be delivered at our safe and friendly farm, either outdoors in nature or in our custom built pod. Our sessions are designed to give children a space to explore their emotions and feelings creatively giving them a toolbox to help them when they return to their mainstream education or alternative provision.
We believe in working with the whole family to help the young person succeed in developing the skills to be able to be happy and settled in their lives and will regularly meet with the caregiver either at the farm or in the family home to offer support to both the family and the young person.
Our programme runs for 12 weeks at the farm and the timetable is based on the individual child's needs. We are also able to provide weekly mentoring at the farm or in school.
If you would like to refer a young person to our mentoring service please contact Rachel for more information.