At EMA, we are committed to creating environments where every young person feels safe, understood and able to thrive. George’s journey, along with feedback from his parent, highlights the positive impact of a personalised, compassionate approach tailored to his complex needs.
A Setting Designed for Individual Needs
Our Gillingham campus offers a vibrant yet calm environment for learning and development for those with SEND and PMLD. A key factor in helping George settle has been the confidence and care shown by EMA staff. His parent described it as:
“Very unique, very calm and quiet, very tranquil. Just what George needs. All the staff seem very conscientious and knowledgeable.” – George’s Mum
Creating a space where George feels comfortable and secure has been fundamental to his progress.
“EMA provide a safe space for George, where he can be out of the home, and it’s ok to be George.” – George’s Mum
Building Understanding and Trust
A strong emphasis has been placed on developing a deep understanding of George as an individual. Staff have built a positive relationship with him, recognising his unique communication style and personal preferences.
“The staff have very quickly grasped a good understanding of George and all his quirks.” – Mum
“George is supported through a highly personalised, consistent and sensory-led approach. His learning environment is structured and predictable, enabling him to feel safe and supported throughout the day.” – Sarah, EMA Tutor
Communication is embedded in all aspects of his learning. Staff respond sensitively to George’s non-verbal communication – including eye movement, facial expressions and vocalisations – while providing regular opportunities for choice-making and self-expression.
Engaging Through Sensory Learning
George accesses learning through meaningful and diverse sensory experiences that support engagement, attention and emotional regulation.
“Staff adapt their support responsively, meeting his needs moment by moment and celebrating progress in small but significant steps. This approach has helped George to feel more confident and engaged.” – Sarah, EMA Tutor
Since joining EMA, George has embraced his Discovery Class and is beginning to interact more with peers across the campus. He is also developing strategies to regulate himself and can now engage in learning for longer periods. For his family, these changes have been especially meaningful.
“George has settled really well and seems really happy attending college. When he arrives home it’s like he’s saying, ‘yay, I’ve been somewhere and done something.’” – George’s Mum
Recently, George has shown brilliant engagement with sensory cooking – exploring different ingredients, sprinkling flour and kneading dough. These activities help George to develop his ability to express himself creatively through a range of sensory and imaginative experiences. Another session involved creating ‘rainbow plates’ using fruit and vegetables to explore taste and smell, with a goal of designing a colourful layout for a plate. This allowed George to practise problem-solving by ensuring different coloured foods were included – and one of his goals is to complete sessions like this with minimal to no prompting from his learning support workers. We know he’s on the right track!
In other sessions, such as literacy and music, George uses a variety of resources and games to develop his focus and gain enjoyment from his learning, whether it’s by discovering different sounds, exploring stories, painting, and mark making. He has also independently chosen to help tidy the pop-up café space after lunch, getting to grips with the hoover – a huge step forward in his independence!
All of what George takes part in at college aims to support the development of his attention, communication and social skills, independence, and self-regulation within the learning environment and we will celebrate each goal as he continues to hit them.
A Fresh Perspective and New Opportunities
A key part of George’s journey has been the opportunity to move forward from previous challenges he faced. Staff have taken a positive and open-minded approach, exploring new strategies and communication methods.
“EMA are willing [and] trying to unpick some of the negative things from his previous setting, i.e. segregation, and trying different forms of communication.” – Mum
This new perspective has made a significant difference:
“EMA have seen George with a fresh pair of eyes and a positive approach, willing to try new things and encourage George to thrive and learn new skills.”– Mum
George’s progress over the last few months has been incredibly encouraging, and his family’s confidence in our staff at Gillingham continues to grow. The feedback we’ve had from Mum has been wonderful to hear, and we are proud to support George on his journey as we look forward to continuing to help him develop, engage, and thrive in a way that is meaningful to him.
For more details on the EMA campus in Gillingham, North Dorset, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Our next OPEN DAY takes place on Thursday 30th April, but if you’re unable to make this date, tours are available all year round.
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