At Gors, children’s well-being is at the heart of everything we do.
We recognise that every child is unique and that, at times, some children may find aspects of the school day challenging for a variety of reasons. When this happens, children may benefit from additional emotional or social support to help them feel settled, safe, and ready to learn.

To support this, children can access our Haven throughout the school day—a calm, nurturing space where they can take time to regulate and receive appropriate support. In addition, our Retreat provision is available during lunchtimes, offering a quieter, supportive environment to help children manage the demands of the day and return to learning feeling confident and supported.

The Haven

The Haven is primarily a self-referral support provision, offering children a safe space to step away from the everyday pressures and concerns they may experience both in and out of school. Appointments are arranged collaboratively between the pupil, their class teacher, and the pupil support practitioner based in the Haven. This allows pupils the opportunity to speak confidentially with a trusted adult about anything that may be worrying them.

During sessions, there is no pressure for pupils to talk. The Haven provides a calm, non-threatening environment where children are encouraged to relax—often sitting on beanbags—and chat informally about everyday life. If and when a pupil feels ready to share their concerns, they are supported to do so at their own pace.

The welcoming and relaxed nature of the Haven helps to distinguish it from the classroom or school offices, creating a space where children feel safe, listened to, and valued.

In addition, the Haven is open during playtimes and lunchtimes for any children who wish to self-refer or talk with a trusted adult, ensuring support is available when children need it most.

The Retreat

The Retreat is designed to support pupils who find lunchtimes challenging and may struggle with the unstructured nature of these periods. It provides a calm, supportive environment to help children manage their emotions and develop strategies to cope successfully during lunchtime.

The Retreat is not used as a sanction for undesirable behaviour. Pupils should only attend if it is agreed, through restorative discussion, that accessing the Retreat would help them to calm, regulate, and feel supported. Children are encouraged to understand why attending may be beneficial rather than it being a reactive or punitive response.

There are two routes of entry into the Retreat: self‑referral or staff referral. For staff referrals, class teachers will let the eaching Assistant supervising the Retreat know. If a pupil does not attend as planned, the Teaching Assistant will inform the class teacher.

If, during lunchtime, staff feel that a child on the playground would benefit from attending the Retreat, the child must be escorted by a member of staff. This should always follow a restorative conversation and should never be used as a punishment.

During lunchtimes, the Teaching Assistant provides a range of carefully chosen activities for children to select from, including jigsaws, board games, knitting, reading, drawing, and construction activities. Children are encouraged to choose an activity that interests them and, where appropriate, to work alongside other pupils to develop positive social interactions.

The Teaching Assistant supporting the provision will also spend time talking with the children about the reasons they are accessing the Retreat and whether there is anything additional that staff can do to support them moving forward. These informal conversations help ensure each child feels heard, supported, and ready to return to class feeling calm and confident.

Staff in the Retreat keep a daily record of attendance, including the reason for attending and whether the referral was self‑ or staff‑directed. A daily circle time takes place before the end of lunchtime to ensure children are calm, regulated, and ready to return to learning. Pupils are then escorted back to the yard to line up with their classes at the end of lunchtime.