T: +44 (0)208 856 0115

The Learning Support Unit (LSU)

The Learning Support Unit aims to provide a safe, secure environment to support learning and personal development for disengaged students.
Carl Rogers, the famous American Psychologist and Philosopher wrote:
If I accept the other person as something fixed, already diagnosed and classified, already shaped by his past, then I am doing my part to confirm this limited hypothesis. If I accept him as a process of becoming, then I am doing what I can to confirm or make real his potentialities.
Students are referred to the Learning Support Unit via the Head of Year or a member of the Senior Leadership Team. Each half term a multi disciplinary meeting takes place to discuss the support required for students raised. Parents are contacted and invited to discuss the needs of the student and agree targets with the student whilst in the Learning Support Unit. Students will be placed in to one of the following strands.
  1. Intensive attenders - for students with complex needs, who will spend a half term (6 weeks) in the LSU for 1 period per day developing strategies to overcome their barriers to learning. Weekly reports will be generated.
  2. Sessional attenders - for students with identified well-being needs that will benefit from specific group interventions such as Anxiety, Self Esteem and Anger. These users will be allocated set times in the LSU group space and interventions will take place for one hour a week over 6 weeks.
  3. Special Arrangement attenders – for students that require a bespoke   1:1 intervention which can support a variety of concerns for example low attendance, returning from a period of medical absence, a recent period of challenging behaviour, an unsettled period at home, etc.
  4. Drop In attenders – for students highlighted by their head of year as requiring a space to check in and receive assistance with difficult circumstances that effect wellbeing and can impact on a student’s ability to get through the school day.
Reintegration will be discussed with the student and parent at the initial meeting so it is clear that we are working towards full-time mainstream reintegration. Once the initial agreed programme has been completed a follow up will take place to review the support and plan for the next steps.

​If you require further assistance from the Learning Support Unit please contact:

Lisa Sproat, Head of Learning Support Unit
lsproat@thomastallis.org.uk
T: 020 8856 01156 ext 3032