The impact of tailored tuition on SEMH students
Education should be about nurturing individuals into well-rounded, resilient members of society. By providing personalised support, mentoring and flexible learning options, students are empowered to overcome challenges and achieve both academic and personal success.
Let’s take a closer look at the impact of personalised academic support, the challenges of implementing it and how OCEM tackles these obstacles.
The need for personalised academic support
99% of children with SEMH diagnoses don’t achieve national average academic progress, with one in two undergoing permanent exclusion.
It’s difficult for SEMH students to navigate conventional education settings. As you’ve probably witnessed, they often struggle to form relationships with peers and teachers and operate in ‘normal’ circumstances due to socialisation gaps and requirements for extra support. This leads to feelings of stress, anger and anxiety that can be hard to regulate, which in turn, ignites more behavioural issues.
Research suggests that these children are significantly more likely to:
Leave school with few qualifications
Face unemployment
Develop drug problems and become homeless
Become involved in criminal behaviour
Be more vulnerable to sexual and emotional exploitation
Every child should have the right to access quality education that meets their individual needs. All students deserve the opportunity to thrive academically, socially and emotionally.
Challenges and considerations in personalised tuition
Implementing personalised tuition faces hurdles such as allocating resources, teacher training and ensuring scalability.
These programmes demand significant investment in funds, staff and materials—potentially stretching tight budgets. Additionally, teachers might need specialised training to meet diverse learning needs and to tailor their teaching methods effectively. Beyond the focus on SEMH children, it's crucial to acknowledge the impact on broader student groups and teacher workloads.
OCEM addresses these challenges with bespoke learning and wellbeing programmes, demonstrating the value of tailored approaches, rigorous safeguarding and transparency in enhancing educational outcomes.
OCEM's approach
At OCEM, our resources are tailored to address SEMH challenges by providing a consistent, supportive presence in student’s lives. We prioritise flexibility, student-centeredness and a focus on individual needs. Each child's unique requirements, including their current attendance rate, boundaries to learning and life experiences are carefully considered to design a programme that suits them.
As Maslow’s famous Hierarchy of needs demonstrates, children’s basic needs must be met before they have the energy, emotional security and confidence to prioritise their education. That’s how we get great results. Our approach comes from a genuine concern and care for our students. Working alongside them to grant them control over their learning, facilitating a partnership built on trust and respect.
Furthermore, our tutors are extensively trained and fully qualified to ensure proper safeguarding. Creating a supportive environment where children can thrive in their learning.
Through our education and wellbeing programmes, we contribute to the overall wellbeing and development of SEMH students. Our programmes include:
Mentoring and mental health recovery: The thrive programme is a 12-week assessment focused on psychoeducation and core curriculum needs in line with objectives outlined by the referring agency
Flexible tuition for ‘Looked After’ children: Our specialised team liaises with virtual schools, offering support to “Looked After” children (those being supported by their Local Authority) and young people across London and the Home Counties
1:1 face-to-face tuition: Our face-to-face tuition is an alternative to mainstream schooling for those with SEMH, focusing on mentoring and improving core curriculum skills
Live learning online: Our online curriculum is developed alongside our partner organisation — an Ofsted-rated outstanding SEMH school based in East London
Centre-based or group-based 1:1 tuition: To support students with SEMH in gaining nationally recognised accreditation, including the Functional Skills and Arts Awards
Holiday respite: We provide educational activities during the holidays to keep young people with SEMH engaged and challenged in interesting ways to benefit their learning
Learn more about our approach.
Make an impact with us
Embracing the unique journeys of SEMH students underscores our collective responsibility towards an inclusive, understanding education system. Through our comprehensive approach, OCEM has illustrated that success is achievable with the right support.
As we continue to pave these paths, join us in making a difference. For guidance, support and collaboration, contact OCEM.
Together, we can unlock every child's full potential.