Inclusion is a culture where every child feels valued as an individual. Equity is at the forefront of Hampton’s provision, with every curriculum experience underpinned by our core values of Kindness, Reflection, Resilience and Aspiration. At Hampton, we recognise that children are unique in their needs and circumstances and every behaviour displayed is a form of communication.

We provide a truly child-centred approach to education, where each pupil’s social, emotional, and academic needs are met within a supportive and inclusive environment. Woodland Class is an integral part of this ethos, offering a specialist provision designed to meet the needs of children requiring additional support, while still maintaining access to whole-school experiences such as after-school activities, trips, and clubs.

Woodland Class Provision

Woodland Class is not a local authority-maintained provision, but part of Hampton’s own specialist support structure. Placement in Woodland Class is not guaranteed for new pupils joining Hampton or transferring from other schools. Spaces are allocated based on professional judgment, with ongoing discussions between Hampton staff to ensure each child receives the right support at the right time.

Due to its limited capacity, placement in Woodland Class is reviewed regularly to ensure pupils continue to benefit from the provision in a way that meets their needs. Some children will dual access their main classroom and Woodland Class, alternating between the two as appropriate. Others may begin in their mainstream class before accessing Woodland if deemed beneficial.

Woodland Class aims to provide: 

• A tailored environment that supports individual learning styles while helping children develop academic and social skills that enable them to engage with their main class.
• Improved learning outcomes, supporting pupils in making progress alongside their peers, gaining confidence, and experiencing success in education.
• Specialist support for children with complex needs, including Communication and Interaction difficulties and Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC), in alignment with Hampton’s SEND profile.
• A broad and ambitious adapted curriculum, ensuring children access learning at an appropriate level through carefully planned dual access between their main classroom and Woodland Class.
• A safe and structured environment featuring sensory spaces and adapted learning areas, allowing pupils to regulate and engage positively.
• Specialist interventions that target independent learning skills, communication, emotional well-being, social skills, and sensory needs, based on individual Personalised Learning Plans (PLP) or Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP).

Woodland Class Principles

Woodland Class follows a nurture-based approach, ensuring that pupils feel safe, valued, and supported in their learning journey.

Each pupil’s access to their main classroom is carefully considered, with discussions between staff, parents, and the pupil to determine what is manageable. Where children experience difficulties in specific settings, these situations are managed sensitively to ensure appropriate support is provided.

The amount of time a pupil spends in their mainstream class is flexible, depending on their emotional well-being, their ability to engage with lessons, and the subjects they respond to most successfully.

Staffing and Organisation in Woodland Class

Woodland Class is managed by a qualified lead teacher (three days per week) and a support teacher (two days per week), supported by four permanent LSAs. Staffing levels are adjusted based on pupil needs, ensuring the right level of support is available.

Children accessing Woodland Class require different levels of adult assistance, depending on their learning profiles and the activity or subject they are participating in.

The Woodland Class timetable is child-focused, ensuring learning remains practical, engaging, and accessible. The curriculum is adapted to incorporate individual EHCP targets alongside whole-school curriculum expectations.

A range of interventions and strategies are used, including:

• Visual learning aids
• Speech and Language support
• Social skills groups
• Emotional literacy development

Children also have access to sensory spaces and soft play areas, supporting self-regulation. They use individual workstations following the TEACCH approach to learning.

Each day begins with a shared breakfast, fostering social interaction, turn-taking, and relationship-building in a calm, structured environment.

Learning throughout the morning is delivered in short chunks to help pupils maintain focus and build stamina. Pupils may work one-to-one with an adult, in pairs, or small groups. Independent learning skills are developed through structured workstations and group learning opportunities.

During lunch, pupils may:

• Eat with peers from their main classroom
• Have lunch in Woodland Class
• Attend Lunchtime Club, a specialist provision supporting pupils with ASC and social communication difficulties

The afternoon follows a therapeutic timetable, incorporating Boxall Profile outcomes and PLP/EHCP targets. Activities may include:

• Forest School sessions
• Lego Therapy
• Board games and drama
• Cooking and baking
• Outdoor learning, sports, and games
• Arts, crafts, and music

Additional Support in Woodland Class

• Liaison with specialist professionals, including Educational Psychologists, STLS, Speech and Language Therapists, and other external experts.
• Access to sensory circuits, helping pupils regulate sensory input.
• Opportunities for play therapy intervention, where appropriate.
• Continuity of support, with key staff from pupils' main classroom working within Woodland Class.
• Regular parent meetings, ensuring strategies are consistent between school and home.
• An open-door policy, allowing parents to seek additional support as needed.
• Access to Hampton’s Wellbeing Team, providing targeted emotional support.

Placement Considerations

Children accessing Woodland Class typically have:

• Learning needs that have not been fully met in a mainstream setting, despite interventions and external professional support.
• Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) or social communication difficulties, impacting language processing, peer relationships, routine changes, and engagement.
• Communication and Interaction needs, requiring structured support to develop verbal and non-verbal communication skills.
• Higher levels of anxiety, stress, or social isolation from peers, affecting their ability to engage in typical classroom settings.
• Sensory sensitivities, necessitating specialist environmental adaptations.
• Social, emotional, or behavioural difficulties, requiring targeted interventions

Assessment and Progress Monitoring

Pupils in Woodland Class are assessed in line with Hampton’s school assessment policy, using:

• National curriculum levels
• Pre-key stage standards
• Boxall Profile assessments
• The Engagement Model framework (if applicable)

Assessments and targets are shared with class teachers and parents regularly, ensuring strong collaboration and a unified approach to progress

Communication with Parents and Carers

Strong parental collaboration is central to our approach. Parents and carers regularly engage with Woodland Class staff, working alongside mainstream class teachers to support continuity in learning.

Class Dojo is used to share updates on pupils’ learning experiences, ensuring that parents remain informed and engaged.