We spoke to Laurence Field, CEO of Gateways, about the child-centred approach his setting has put in place to improve attendance and engagement.
- Pupils attending Gateways have an average attendance rate of 91%, compared with a prior average of 25% in mainstream schools
- 90% of its pupils were unable to sit formal exams before attending Gateways
- The setting has a 91% average pass rate for GCSEs, functional skills and BTEC qualifications
Although Gateways supports pupils who find mainstream settings challenging, Laurence and his team believe their strategies can help pupils in mainstream schools as well.
Read on to find out what Gateways does and how you might apply its strategies in your own school or alternative provision setting.
Use pupil voice to identify pupil needs
Gateways believes that every young person should have the same opportunity to progress and thrive, regardless of the challenges they face.
This is the core of the child-centred approach, which is about meeting the individual needs of each pupil by listening to what they need and adapting the approach accordingly.
To gather pupil voice, Gateways uses:
- Pupil focus groups, which empower pupils to voice their suggestions and ideas because they know their voices can be heard. For example, the school asks for pupil feedback on any new initiatives
- Suggestion boxes, so pupils can provide confidential feedback
- Surveys, collecting pupil preference regularly to make sure provision meets their needs. For example, surveys about food in the café, and what academic courses the setting should provide
- Pupil involvement in staff recruitment
Pupils are given space and encouragement to share their opinions in their own time, anonymously if they prefer, to help them communicate with teachers even if they tend to mistrust adults.
The setting also operates an open door policy, with pupils encouraged to ‘pop in’ to the staff office and share their needs whenever they want.
Use our guidance to see how you can develop pupil voice in your school, including principles, strategies and resources, and find out how to constructively engage with pupil voice to effect positive change in your school.
Find everything you need to create your survey with our statement bank and survey templates.
Understand your pupils' needs before they arrive in your setting
Before they start at Gateways, staff ask pupils a series of questions to understand what makes them ‘tick’. This includes asking what their passions are, how they best respond in a learning environment and what their triggers are.
Gateways uses this information to match pupils with individual teachers from their team. For example, if a pupil prefers learning creatively then staff will match them with a teacher with a creative teaching style, who uses art and music in their lessons.
However, in a setting with larger class sizes, you can use the information to help class teachers adapt their teaching for each pupil, as well as to help them develop positive relationships with pupils. Read more about this below.
Encourage staff to develop positive relationships with pupils
Gateways’ approach relies on building an expectation of mutual respect between pupils and staff.
Laurence encourages his teachers to be flexible, meeting the pupils where they’re at. For example, if a child isn’t having the most positive day, teachers are expected to redirect the lesson, and engage with the pupil in a positive way.
Find practical tips to help your staff adapt their language when a pupil is having a challenging day in our article about trauma-informed practice.
Share this advice with your teachers to help them develop positive relationships with their pupils
Empower your staff to embrace innovation and explore new ideas
Gateways does this by fostering a culture where trying new things is encouraged. Staff who try out new ideas can share their ideas and experiences with their colleagues, to explore what worked and what didn’t. They use reflective practice in staff meetings, celebrating mistakes as opportunities for improvement.
This means their staff have a sense of ownership over how they teach, and often go above and beyond in their roles.
Support your staff to develop and practise reflective practice through targeted CPD, and encourage them to visit other schools to bring innovative ideas and best practice back to see if they work in your context.
Tailor support services to each pupil's individual needs
Consider providing different kinds of support. For example, some pupils will benefit from regular mentoring, while others need firm and kind encouragement to achieve specific tasks.
Using their on-site café, staff at Gateways engage with pupils over a hot drink, or in the school’s outdoor space, as well as in dedicated pastoral support rooms.
Gateways also invests in external therapists, such as art therapy and psychotherapy. Although this is a significant cost, Laurence believes therapy is essential for many pupils to raise their confidence and help them attend school and engage with it.
If cost is a barrier to this in your setting, you could still consider upskilling existing members of staff to senior mental health leads, who can implement your whole-school approach to mental health and monitor pupil mental wellbeing.
Promote pupil independence
Gateways’ approach is based on a foundation of trust and pupil independence. It has seen this independence improve pupil self-esteem, making them more confident and likely to attend and participate in classes.
For example, pupils are encouraged to work independently through offering study spaces, like a sixth form-style common room, even though many pupils are younger than sixth form age.
Consider providing GCSE pupils with independent study areas if they have free periods.
Also, unlike traditional mealtimes, Gateways offers a café and food bar where pupils can freely access food and drinks throughout the day. If this isn't practical in your setting, you could try working with your school catering team to offer a 'tuck shop' where pupils can access healthy snacks at breaktimes and free periods.
Gateways also empowers pupils to take a sense of ownership over their environments, allowing them to personalise their lockers and classrooms, and involving them in decision-making, where their independence helps them feel at ease.
Give pupils a chance to be involved in school life and decision-making
Having responsibility and feeling like you matter promotes positive mental health. Involving pupils in school life gives them a sense of purpose and agency, and helps them feel they’re a part of the community.
You could appoint, or arrange elections for:
- Wellbeing ambassadors or a wellbeing committee
- Playtime leaders
- Eco-groups or climate ambassadors
- Librarians
- Translators that help new pupils with English as an additional language
- Student council
Pick your battles and celebrate small wins
Gateways offers part-time provision, allowing pupils to work up to full attendance, depending on their individual needs. The staff have noticed that pupils who initially attend only for a few hours a week build up their resilience and gradually attend for more hours.
Laurence emphasised that Gateways recognises and celebrates pupils for their efforts to attend, even if they are late, as he believes that each step forward is significant, and that coming into school for an hour is better than not attending at all.
If a pupil who struggles with attendance arrives late, staff celebrate their presence rather than reprimand them, to create a sense of safety, belonging and acceptance.
For pupils who are struggling with attendance, you could consider a reduced timetable or flexi-schooling arrangement to help them build up their resilience.
Use our guidance to understand how to support pupils struggling with their mental health to attend school, and what to do when they feel like they can’t.
Read our other case study on how a setting improved attendance in a similar way, through a culture of belonging.