The Forest - Internal Alternate Provision

Our Internal Alternate Provision is a carefully designed, inclusive and nurturing environment that provides a bespoke curriculum and flexible timetable tailored to meet individual pupils’ Social, Emotional and Mental Health and Cognition and Learning needs. The curriculum is rooted in ambition, emotional development, and access to the full breadth of learning opportunities, ensuring that every child is supported to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.

We recognise that our learners require a more personalised approach to their school day. As such, children may attend the provision in the morning, afternoon, or full-time, depending on our holistic assessment approach to identify their specific need. The provision is designed around key EHCP outcomes, and learning is scaffolded to ensure pupils make progress across all areas of development. Entry and exit criteria are carefully designed to ensure that children receive the support they need at the right time, with their progress closely monitored to enable reintegration into the wider school setting as soon as they are ready.

Our curriculum is both nurture-focused and academically rich, built around the core strands of the National Curriculum and delivered through ‘Entry’ and ‘Enhanced’ pathways to support pupils from Year 1 to Year 6. It is dynamic and ever-evolving, shaped by children’s interests, strengths and needs, and adapted regularly to maintain engagement, build confidence, and support progress.

To complement classroom learning, pupils access high-quality enrichment experiences, including half-termly trips, visits or in-school curriculum enhancement days that bring learning to life and help develop cultural capital. In addition, children in the Forest provision are discreetly taught emotion coaching strategies, supporting emotional literacy, self-regulation and resilience.

Importantly, children in the Forest provision remain an integral part of our school community. They are included in daily collective worship, enjoy lunch and breaktimes alongside their peers, and are celebrated and praised for their journey to excellence and for their demonstration of our school values, just like any other child. Their contributions, progress, and personal growth are recognised and valued equally across the school.

Our aim is for every child in the Forest provision to experience success, feel valued, and develop the confidence and skills they need to access future learning and life beyond the classroom.

Our Forest Teacher is Miss Caitlin Burton and our SENDco is Miss Megan Ellis.