Pupil Voice
At Phoenix Arch, pupil voice is an integral part of daily school life and a key driver of school improvement. We place a strong emphasis on ensuring pupils are supported to express preferences, make choices and influence their environment in ways that are meaningful and accessible to them.
Pupil voice is gathered through a range of approaches including Class Charters, Passports to Learning, structured choice-making, visual supports, Makaton, Zones of Regulation check-ins and one-to-one conversations with trusted adults. These approaches are carefully adapted to meet pupils’ communication needs and are embedded across all curriculum pathways.
Listening to our pupils has led to tangible changes within the school environment. Following pupil feedback, we developed the lunch hall to feel more like a café by introducing round tables, jugs and napkins, alongside improvements to the servery. Pupils reported feeling calmer and more comfortable during lunchtime as a result. Pupils also expressed a desire for quiet, flexible spaces outside the classroom. In response, we created the Olive Room, providing a calm, supportive environment for independent work, regulation or one-to-one learning. This space is now regularly used to support emotional regulation, focus and independence.
Through these processes, pupil voice at Phoenix Arch goes beyond consultation; it actively shapes decision-making, supports the development of independence and self-advocacy, and ensures pupils feel valued, heard and respected within the school community.
Skills for Life
School trips at Phoenix Arch play a vital role in helping pupils develop essential life skills. Carefully planned visits give children opportunities to practise communication, independence and regulation in real-life settings, while building confidence and resilience beyond the classroom. Trips are closely linked to pupils’ EHCP outcomes and curriculum pathways, enabling pupils to apply their learning in meaningful ways and gradually develop the skills needed to access their community and prepare for adulthood.
Merits
Alongside our positive reward system, Phoenix Arch has a firmly embedded approach to emotional regulation through the Zones of Regulation. Pupils are supported to recognise, understand and communicate their feelings using a shared, consistent language across the school. Staff explicitly teach pupils strategies to help regulate their emotions and behaviour, linking these to real-life situations throughout the day. By combining specific praise, clear expectations and regulation strategies, pupils learn to make positive choices, develop self-awareness and gradually build the skills needed to manage their emotions independently.
At specific times of the day, pupils can use their merits on self-chosen activities. Each merit is worth 1 minute.
Environment
We work hard to ensure our environment meets the needs of all our pupils and actively supports self-regulation and wellbeing. A range of carefully designed spaces are available to help pupils manage their emotions, sensory needs and levels of alertness throughout the day. These include the Sensory Room, which provides calming and regulating sensory input; the Olive Room, which offers a quiet, low-stimulus space for pupils who need time away from the classroom; and an outdoor classroom, where pupils can regulate through fresh air, movement and practical learning. These spaces allow pupils to work independently, access one-to-one support and take purposeful movement breaks, helping them return to learning feeling calmer, more focused and ready to engage.
Enrichment
The enrichment offer at Phoenix Arch is a central and highly valued part of school life, carefully designed to support pupils’ learning, wellbeing and life skills. Children regularly take part in a wide range of curriculum-linked trips and experiences, including visits to local parks, community venues, museums, theatres, places of worship, zoos, farms and residential settings. These opportunities help pupils practise communication, independence, regulation and social skills in real-life contexts, while building confidence and curiosity about the world around them.
Enrichment is further strengthened through music, performance and creative experiences, such as whole-school concerts, choir sessions, choir workshops using Makaton, instrumental learning and themed showcases. Pupils also benefit from outdoor learning, forest school-style activities, sports events, trampoline therapy and specialist workshops, all of which support physical development, resilience and teamwork. Together, these experiences ensure that learning at Phoenix Arch extends well beyond the classroom, providing pupils with rich, meaningful opportunities to develop the skills they need for life and to truly belong, achieve and thrive.