Introduction

The vast majority of learners who attend Venture Academy have experienced trauma and have had a wide range of previous learning experiences. Many of them have also had negative experiences of school and/or multiple placements, which has led them to have:

• Significant periods of time out of school
• Negative views about school result in them having significant barriers to learning and a lack of ambition.
• Complex social and emotional needs which have impacted on their mental health and well-being

Our Educational Philosophy

Our educational philosophy is aligned to our core values:

• Compassion - We focus on the positives
• Ambition - We challenge ourselves (pupils, families, staff and schools)
• Partnership - We are better when we work together

'Why crush behaviours when you can grow them with love?'

Paul Dix 2017

It is also based on our belief that our young people excel when they are happy and feel accepted for who they are. We are ambitious for and on behalf of our young people and are committed to ensuring that all our young people receive a high quality education.

Venture Academy aims to equip pupils with the skills and knowledge to develop key learning and life skills that prepare them ready for life.  We aim to create:

• Successful learners who enjoy learning make at least good progress.
• Confident individuals who are able to live safe, healthy and fulfilling lives.
• Responsible citizens who can make a positive contribution to society.

'Metacognition and self-regulation approaches to teaching support pupils to think about their own learning more explicitly, often by teaching them specific strategies for planning, monitoring, and evaluating their learning'

Our Compassionate Curriculum

 

We know that to succeed young people need our compassion and we ensure that we maintain compassion (and avoid compassion fatigue) by providing excellent training and support to staff and by using a whole school approach.

Our Compassion Model

How we teach - Compassionate Teaching Principles

1. Always empower, never disempower
2. Provide unconditional positive regard
3. Maintain high expectations
4. Check assumptions, observe and question
5. Be a relationship coach
6. Provide guided opportunities for helpful participation
7. Use person centred strategies

What we teach - A Compassionate Curriculum

Strategy 1: Safety, connection and assurance of wellbeing

Strategy 2: Emotional and Behavioural self regulation academic success

These principles foster positive relationships between pupils and staff and support our young people to be more resilient. 

Our Compassionate School Policy is founded on these underlying principles:

• We are non-judgemental and have unconditional positive regard for young people.
• We are compassionate towards young people and the staff who support them.
• Our approaches are child-centred and personalised.
• We use a scientific approach to understanding why the person behaves in the way that they do (function).
• Support is well planned, implemented and monitored.
• Our interventions are evidenced-based. We collect hard and soft data and use it to inform how we support young people, as well as information from professionals and others.
• We use strategies that are proactive and reactive and those that promote resilience for young people.

We believe that a pupil who is motivated, encouraged and made to feel worthwhile, and given the appropriate specialist support, will thrive.