Relational Care School

At our school, we understand that every child experiences ups and downs – it’s a natural part of growing up and learning. That’s why we’ve created the Relational Care Team, a dedicated group of staff who provide extra care and attention to support students’ mental health and social-emotional development.

What we do

Our Relational Care Team works closely with students to:

Provide additional help and support for children who may be experiencing difficulties at school.
Run small group sessions (8–10 children) in a nurturing, homely environment.
Help children develop essential skills in a safe and supportive space.
Promote self-esteem, confidence, and positive social-emotional growth.
Reinforce classroom learning and reintegrate students as happier, more confident learners.

We believe in giving each student the care and support they need to thrive — no matter what challenges they may face.

What will they learn?

Each session is thoughtfully designed to help children grow personally and socially. Activities include:

StaRRs sessions: During a staRRs group session, the children follow a set routine, commencing with a short relaxation and mindfulness activity, and then an opportunity to share how they are feeling and why. The children also complete a fun activity, sometimes independently or as part of a team to support their confidence, resilience and self-esteem.
Circle of Friends: The group consists of 8-10 children. Over time they develop connections and their own support group. The group work together to formulate their own “friendship contract” which stipulates the ground rules of the group. Circle of Friends helps the group explore what a good friend looks like, how they perceive themselves as a friend and overtime, how others see them. Children also learn about their own circle of support and how to deal with situations that can put friendships into question. An activity is also completed to accompany their values documented in the friendship contract.
Regulate & Recover: Regulate & Recover equips children with a variety of breathing and mindfulness techniques to regulate themselves. The children learn how different emotions can make them feel both physically and mentally. Anxiety and anger are covered in depth; children begin to understand how other emotions can be hidden under the surface to develop their emotional literacy. Upon completion of this intervention, the children are able to articulate what ‘Fight, Flight and Freeze’ is and how they can use the strategies learnt, to return to a state of ‘Rest & Digest’.
Commando Jo’s: At the start of this intervention, the children work together to agree a list of team values that they must follow for each mission. At the end of a mission, the children evaluate what team values they used, what went well and what they would have done differently. The children also produce their own mantra which they recall and recite each session. So far, we have had “never give up!” and “no boy or girl left behind!“
Yoga & Mindfulness: During this intervention, the children learn how to ‘just be’ and live in the moment. The children are taught a series of different yoga techniques, and as they progress, they develop their own yoga sessions.
Time to Talk: This intervention is aimed at children who are in Key Stage 1 and supports children in developing their communication skills and social interaction skills. Some of the skills taught are eye contact, turn taking, sharing, feelings, giving and following instructions, basic emotional literacy, listening, attention and play skills. The session will take place once per week for 30 minutes.
Sensory Circuits: For consistency and familiarity, the same routine is usually completed each week. However, there are occasions where the routine is adapted to go with the mood of the children, for instance less focus on alerting, but more in the area of calming. It is important that sensory circuit activities are always completed in order, alerting, organising and calming.
Forest Heroes: A variety of activities are offered, and of course, we always finish with a cup of hot chocolate whilst discussing what we had enjoyed in the session.
‘Drop in’ session: A staRRs drop in is usually a one to one with a child who needs individual support for a variety of reasons such as bereavement, transitions, difficulties in class or at home. A drop in may be at the request of a parent, carer or member of staff who feel the child may require an individual check in to identify if further support is needed.

Our Goal

To create a positive, inclusive environment where every student feels supported, valued, and ready to succeed — both in and out of the classroom.