A success story from our wellbeing support programmes
Over 1.5 million pupils in England have special educational needs (SEN) - an increase of 87,000 from 2022. Yet, most mainstream schools aren't equipped to manage the full spectrum, particularly SEMH needs. That’s where OCEM comes in.
Our support programmes are designed for children with SEMH. We tailor support strategies to each individual student and come equipped with the facilities and resources to prioritise their needs.
With this in mind, we’d like to tell you about a child who went from complete isolation to developing the social and emotional skills required to return to full-time education.
Navigating individual learning boundaries
This student is a neurodiverse young male with ADHD and ASD from a single-parent family. Although his mother was supportive, she wasn’t sure how to provide the correct educational support for him. He faced overwhelm and permanent exclusion in his then-school placement, so he came to OCEM for preventative tuition.
Our aim was to reintegrate him into a specialist school environment, by pinpointing and implementing the most effective learning and wellbeing approaches tailored to his needs.
The impact of tailored tuition
Through our 1:1 programme, we reinvigorated his desire to get back into education by building educational curiosity, but this didn’t go without our hard work and dedication. It’s often hard for SEMH students to trust people. The first step was building on that and showing him we were there to cater to his needs, not pestering him for educational results.
We started with home visits. For the first couple of weeks, he wouldn’t come downstairs. But with the help of his mother's encouragement, he eventually made an appearance. He soon went from 5 minutes of work per day to an hour, which translated to him leaving the house to go on a walk where he showed us around his area.
The next big step was visiting the local library. The achievement spurred him to work in a group of 2-3 students. This was inevitably awkward at first, but friendships soon blossomed, creating a small ecosystem of support and mutual understanding.
From living room to classroom
Our approach of consistent nurturing and little expectation eventually led to the student securing a specialist school placement in full-time education. It took months of patience and encouragement, but believing in him allowed him to believe in himself.
He soon went from isolation in his bedroom to actively enjoying school. By receiving tailored support for his needs that isn't available in mainstream schools, we saw an improvement in his emotional wellbeing, social skills and overall mental health. No doubt, OCEM set him up for a future of otherwise unavailable opportunities and independence.
This achievement demonstrates the impact we've had on the trajectory of his life and how fulfilling our role as an intermediary between SEMH children and their education and futures.
A proud reflection
OCEM focuses solely on the wellbeing of young people, nurturing them so that they can go back into full-time education.
You can’t fake caring; children quickly pick up on that. Our genuineness quickly fills students with curiosity, making them want to be in education.
Attending every day becomes part of their routine, which naturally results in academic progress. These transformations fill OCEM tutors with pride and motivate them to continue working for these life-changing results.
Explore more of what we do on our services page.