Special educational needs school nominated for wellbeing award

ALP Sittingbourne is more than just a school. They focus on personalised education and curriculums tailored to individual needs, fostering positive relationships and trust. Rightly so, they have been nominated for the Kent Mental Wellbeing Awards. Neive Wright from the awards team investigated.

ALP Sittingbourne is a specialist independent school for students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), offering a unique approach to education. The school provides small classes and one-to-one learning with individually tailored curriculums, recognizing the importance of building routines, relationships, respect, and trust to achieve successful teaching and learning. ALP works closely with parents, carers, and external agencies to serve the best interests of its students.

In the past year alone, the school has earned numerous awards and recognitions, including the Mayor’s Junior Civic Award, the Woodland Trust Platinum Award, and the Medway Parent and Carers Forum SEND Award.

ALP’s mission is to deliver exceptional SEND-focused education by equipping learners with the necessary tools to make significant academic, social, and personal progress. In doing so, the school ensures that students experience good mental health, build self-confidence, and achieve qualifications—often for the first time—while participating in community events.

The dedicated team at ALP works tirelessly to create a positive learning environment, carefully planning ahead whilst also taking things one day at a time to meet each student’s individual needs. By offering an interest-led curriculum that ranges from beauty to religious studies, they ensure every student has ample opportunity to succeed. The school celebrates its students’ achievements and guides them towards their short- and long-term goals.

Independent SEND advisors have named ALP Sittingbourne the top SEND school for parent choice, a sentiment reflected in the oversubscribed open events and frequent parent request consultations. Additionally, they has been named a Jigsaw Flagship School.

Jigsaw is the the mindful approach to PSHE (Personal, Social, Health Education), it systematically develops children’s inner worlds, empowering them as unique individuals enjoying positive relationships with self and others, and thereby becoming self-regulating effective learners with agency.

Mental health is a priority at ALP Sittingbourne—not only for students but also their parents and staff. This commitment is demonstrated through a wide range of support services, including pet therapy, speech and language therapy, counselling, and among others.

The ample outdoor activities are recognised as a particularly important aspect of the school. At ‘The Lodge’, an outdoor provision, the pupils care for animals and partake in Forest School and Woodcraft. There is also an outdoor pool where students benefit from regular swimming and water-safety lessons. Research suggests both physical activity and outdoor learning can aid in a plethora of ways, building confidence and social skills, whilst improving self-esteem and confidence. At the same time, providing a new and challenging environment that stimulates cognitive function.

Ofsted, the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills, noted: “Many begin their time at the school with negative perceptions of school and learning. Leaders and staff at ALP Sittingbourne work hard to undo these perceptions and to build positive and trusted relationships… Pupils feel they are heard for the first time by the adults who work with them.”

To find out more about ALP Sittingbourne, visit https://www.alpsittingbourne.co.uk

The Kent Mental Wellbeing awards is an annual event designed to showcase the people, organisations and initiatives that help us cope with life. The event’s three themes are: kindness and compassion; wellbeing; mental health.

Whether it is in school, business, community or family, so many of us have been lucky to have people and organisations with ideas, tips and tactics to help us cope. It is time to celebrate those mental health and well-being champions in our community and share this best practice.

The awards will be staged in October by the mental health charity Mind in Bexley and East Kent in collaboration with a range of wellbeing and mental health organisations.

Nominations can be linked to a simple act of kindness that lifted the spirits, a business that has improved staff wellbeing, through to a targeted initiative delivered by a charity or statutory organisation to support a mental health issue.

The event is sponsored by Kent County Council, Kent Community Foundation, ADM Computing, GrainLNG – National Grid, Medway Council, Optyma Security, Wave Community Bank, Cactus Graphics and CommunityAid.

Submit nominations at www.kentmentalwellbeingawards.org.uk

For awards news follow @KentMWAwards on Facebook and X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.