The Nest

In line with our school’s Christian vision and commitment to inclusion, The Nest is our dedicated in-school provision for pupils who require a highly personalised approach to learning.

Within The Nest, pupils develop their individual skills in a calm, nurturing and carefully structured environment. They remain valued members of their home classes and the wider St Michael’s family, accessing learning and wider school experiences alongside their peers wherever appropriate.

We have developed a personalised curriculum that responds to pupils’ developmental needs, individual strengths and areas for growth. Learning within The Nest is also linked, where appropriate, to the topics and curriculum being taught in pupils’ home classes.

Through high expectations and carefully tailored support, pupils are helped to develop their communication, independence, confidence, emotional regulation and readiness to learn. This enables them to make meaningful academic, social and emotional progress from their individual starting points.

The Nest reflects our belief that every child is fearfully and wonderfully made and should experience a strong sense of belonging and the opportunity to flourish.

The Nest Classroom

The Nest classroom is calm, welcoming and carefully organised to support pupils’ individual needs. Visual prompts, clearly defined learning areas, accessible resources and structured workspaces help pupils to understand routines, regulate their emotions and develop greater independence.

The environment is adapted regularly in response to pupils’ needs and next steps, while providing the consistency and predictability that help them to feel safe, secure and ready to learn.

The Nest Curriculum

The Nest curriculum is carefully personalised to meet pupils’ individual developmental, communication, sensory, social and emotional needs. It builds from each pupil’s starting points and focuses on the small, meaningful steps needed to support progress, independence and readiness to learn.

Where appropriate, learning is linked to the curriculum, topics and experiences taking place in pupils’ home classes. This helps pupils to remain connected to their peers and the wider life of the school while accessing teaching at a level that is appropriate for them.

Skills are revisited regularly and applied in different contexts so that pupils can retain, generalise and build upon their learning over time.