Circles Success Stories

Isacc started Circles Farm at the end of year 9, during the summer term. The referral which was provided to us did not include a wealth of detail, which was helpful in one way as it allowed staff to have no preconceived opinions of Isacc, however also limited staff in understanding how and why Isacc had struggled with mainstream education.

It was stated that Isacc had ASD and had a hearing impairment. Isacc begun his placement with us, attending the farm three days per week. On the other days, a tutor was put in place at home. Isacc engaged well during this first summer term, with small groups and staff free. He worked well in the Animal Care group and created a rapport with another learner, Bob, which helped him settle.

With the BTEC qualifications completed for the year, the summer term was quite relaxed. Isacc presented anxiety that would appear in the way he engaged with both learners and staff, coming across quite rude in the way in he spoke, especially when sharing his knowledge about subjects and questioning why others did not have this knowledge or interest. Others became frustrated at Isacc when he asked them to repeat themselves, or to face him when the spoke so he could lip read. As Isacc told people to do this without justification, the more others became frustrated at him, the more his anxiety would increase, and he would thus interact like this repeatedly.

In September when the academic year began, Isacc returned to the farm presenting the same issues, but continued with an appetite to learn and engage. It soon became apparent that Isacc preferred routine, which would corelate to his ASD. On each day he attended, Isacc would be in a different group – Monday in Bushcraft, Tuesday in Art and Friday at the Allotment. When in these groups with the same learners each day and week, Isacc began to settle and his attitude and engagement would remain calm.

Although this would sometimes change due to his preference, when it did change not on his terms, he would be frustrated and introvert into himself, not able to understand the change and why certain decisions were made.

Isacc’s friend Bob left Circles which led to a period of instability for Isacc in regards to his negative attitude and interactions with others. After the Christmas break, staff made an effort to sit down with Isacc to complete an ILP and to discuss any issues going on and what strategies and techniques could be used to benefit him and to make some progress.

Not only had Isacc’s medication been changed but he was problems trouble at home, in addition to his self confidence being knocked. Staff reassured him that he could speak to any one of us at any time, especially at the start of the day to see how his mood was, in addition to taking some time out if needed, to prevent the frustration mentioned above.

Gradually, with a routine in place to the best of our ability, staff to talk to and techniques in dealing with personal issues to prevent them overshadowing his day, Isacc began to enjoy his days again. Isacc has adapted to changes. It is apparent working in smaller groups, with ‘softer’ learners is a strategy that works best for Isacc, however as he has been pushed further due to his capability, he can function in larger groups, although this still does affect the hearing aid he uses.

As Isacc has opened up more to others, especially in regard to his hearing where staff have supported him, they have become less frustrated at him and more understanding.

Although Isacc’s previous experience in education was not mentioned on his referral, from himself and his mum, it was gathered that he did not have a positive relationship with his previous school. When mentioned at Circles, Isacc would panic and shut down; when school visits were made by staff to the farm, Isacc would let it affect his entire day negatively.

Due to the continued support of staff and open conversations with Isacc about education, Isacc has gradually started to understand that these visits are systematic and a requirement. This has led to positive visits from not only his social worker but also a teacher from his previous school, therefore not allowing these visits to determine his day, allowing for a more positive attitude which reflected in work ethic and engagement with others.

Leah was referred to Circles due to her behaviour within her mainstream school, struggling with a full week, often displaying aggression and violence towards others.

Leah started attending Circles one day per week. She struggled at first to settle in, both with her behaviour and sociability. She was hostile to other learners, in particular females and new starters and arrived with a negative work ethic and attitude which would also affect other learners in the group.

Her language was bad and she did not alter her behaviour around younger learners, or those with different SEND needs to her. The larger the group, the less attention Leah could receive, the more she resisted to engaging in tasks and became hostile to both learners and staff. Leah moved around different areas of the farm and although proved she was a capable and intelligent leaner, she did not find a particular area in which she felt comfortable.

Leah returned to Circles after the lockdown with a more positive and friendly attitude and thus her time at Circles was increased to two days per week. She would spread her sessions between the Construction group and Art group and worked in the kitchen.

She began forming good friendships with a variety of learners, including females, and showed a more caring and gentler side to her personality. This positive change allowed Leah to begin working on her BTEC Level 1 in Vocational Studies in which she has undertaken units in Painting, Small Animal Care and Woodwork. Leah is also working towards her Home Cooking Skills qualification.

Towards the end of the academic year, Leah was moved into a different foster house. Leah felt comfortable enough to discuss this with staff and did not let this change affect her attitude and behaviour; her communication skills improved, allowing for her to express her needs and feelings in an alternative manner to aggression and violence.

Due to ongoing issues, Leah was excluded permanently from her mainstream school before the Summer Holidays. A placement was then set up for her at a PRU.

This setting, so far, has suited Leah’s needs due to working in smaller groups in lessons and being a less stressful and competitive setting. Although Leah can still be easily led in regards to her behaviour when she follows the actions and attitudes of others, her journey has been exceptional and she has a bright future ahead of her.

When Johnny first attended Circles he was very quiet and kept himself to himself. He did not like interacting with other learners, whether they were older or younger than him. However, he showed a real interest in the practical subjects, especially construction and engineering.

Johnny engaged really well with the boat building project and whilst working on this I was able to get to know him better, talk to him about a wide spectrum of subjects and delve deeper into why he was so withdrawn.

Johnny explained that he had been on the periphery of organised crime before coming to Circles and his attendance here had coincided with a desire to disengage with this part of his life. He found some of the conversations the other learners were having about their involvement in crime frustrating and at the same time was trying to forge a new identity for himself that was distanced from this nefarious lifestyle.

Along with other members of staff I was able to build Johnny’s confidence in the group, facilitate new friendships and also difficult conversations, where Johnny was able to share his lived experience in a safe space. This not only educated his peers on the negative element of drug dealing and gang life but galvanised Johnny’s position as a leader and influencer in the group.

He went on to use this position positively, calling out bullying and helping others that were younger or less confident than himself. His engagement in the activities also improved as did his literacy, something he had struggled with before.

When it came to nominating a student to receive a Jack Petchey award Johnny was a unanimous choice among both staff and students. I had the pleasure of telephoning his mum to let her know how well he is doing and to pass on the news that he had been awarded the Jack Petchey.

She said that her relationship with Johnny had improved greatly in the last few months and she put much of this down to his attendance at the farm. She explained that when Johnny arrives home from school and she asks how his day went, she is confronted with monosyllabic grunts before he runs up to his room to play computer games. However, when he comes back from Circles, she ‘can’t shut him up’, he is so keen to talk about what he has been doing, how his day has gone and how much he enjoys it here.

I don’t think there is much higher testament to the work we do here than that. Johnny has become a well-liked a well-respected part of Circles and we look forward to helping him build on such strong foundations this term.

Gertrude started at Circles Farm at the end of 2019, having been referred under Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) reasons, with an ECHP in place.

Gertrude had not been tested or diagnosed with any neurodivergent disabilities. On Gertrude’s referral it stated that she had started to withdraw into herself around Y9, becoming reluctant to engage in learning within a group setting and often seeking her own space when upset. If having her own space wasn’t an option, she could sometimes become aggressively volatile, especially if frustrated or a perceived slight or confrontation with another learner or staff member occurred.

However, the school soon noted that when they utilised horticultural / farm therapy that they had limited access to, Gertrude became more relaxed and at ease. Gertrude was referred to Circles for 3 days a week. She was placed within the Animal Care and Art groups on her first day, where she demonstrated a calm approach when handling the animals, as well as enjoying drawing and building a camp fire.

It was noted on her first day report that although she would respond to questions from other learners when spoken to, she preferred to keep to herself and ate alone at break and lunch times. As the group she was placed in became smaller throughout the day, through the natural movement of the other learners, Gertrude visibly became more comfortable and open with another learner, initiating conversations herself.

Throughout the rest of Y9 and Y10, it was evident that this pattern was consistent, with larger groups, or even contact with unfamiliar learners, causing Gertrude to withdraw from the group and tasks set. If there were any disagreements or too much stimulus, she would often walk away to be by herself. This could often disrupt the group’s dynamic and lead to a shift in focus for everyone. On any occasion where physical contact with another learner took place, whether that be accidental or in jest, Gertrude would become highly upset and emotional, leading to angry outbursts and threats of physical violence to the perceived perpetrator.

On one occasion Gertrude had to be actively restrained by staff until she had calmed down, after attempting to attack another learner after they played a physical prank on her. Although Gertrude faced many social challenges within education, her attendance has remained consistently high. This consistency led to Gertrude developing strong relationships with staff and also a confidence to begin to approach them to inform of any negative feelings or frustrations as they happen. This gave both Gertrude and staff the opportunity to discuss options to either alleviate or manage these emotions by offering 10 minutes alone in safe space (which was often in the woodland area) or even changing to an alternative group where she would feel more comfortable, before the situation became untenable.

Gertrude liked to be kept busy, so changing groups was often a positive move. This communication was a huge leap forward in Gertrude’s ability to communicate and navigate uncomfortable social situations. It enabled her to deal with her frustrations in a positive way, with minimal disruption to the rest of the group. This growing emotional maturity was clearly being nurtured by 2-way communication and the freedom for the learner to be able to make her own decisions in a positive manner.

Gertrude has always been fiercely intelligent, with a knowledge of politics and world events that belie her age, and she sports a fantastic sense of humour. Towards the end of Y10, Gertrude had started to develop a small friendship group with learners that had similar interests and social challenges, that she came to look forward in seeing. These friendships continued to develop over the course of Y10 and Y11, enabling Gertrude to become more involved in the group tasks set each day, furthering her ability to engage in work for sustained periods.