At SMMIS we care about your child’s wellbeing. With that in mind we ensure that students have access a variety of support networks. We have an onsite School Counsellor, a strong Inclusion Team that provides learning support and English is taught as a Second or Additional Language. We have a nurse on site each day and offer a hot nutritious meal to our entire SMMIS community. Our day starts with a traditional prayer service or mindfulness to ensure our students start the day in a calm and relaxed way. We know that a mindful brain is a healthier brain. Research has shown that a mindfulness practice have extraordinary protective benefits for mental health especially during critical early adolescent years which is of increasing importance, particularly in our post-pandemic future.
At SMMIS we welcome students into our well-established English as a Second or Additional Language (ESAL) Programme. Our aim is always to ensure the social and emotional wellbeing of your child, as well as inculcating independence and resilience in pursuit of mastery of the English language. We work as a team to foster happy and successful learners. The expert teaching offered by our specialist ESAL team, in partnership with you and with our class teachers, enables students on the programme to benefit from the excellent learning opportunities taking place in all of our classrooms every day, as quickly as possible. The ESAL programme empowers learners to communicate confidently and effectively, and to develop the critical skills needed for 21st century adulthood. It promotes active learning, develops thinking skills and encourages intellectual engagement. We use the Council of Europe’s Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), which is used around the world to map learners’ progression in English, to measure students’ progress. An English Proficiency test is taken as part of the admissions process. Based on this assessment, your child will nominally be considered either a Beginner or an Intermediate learner and a bespoke package of support aligned with the Cambridge International Primary, and Lower and Upper Secondary curricula will be put in place. Our programme develops a solid foundation for the further study of English either as a First Language, which is our goal, or as a second or additional language. Parents receive regular progress reports from our ESAL specialist teachers and are encouraged to attend our Parent Teacher Conferences to meet face to face. (Please note there is a chargeable fee for this service).
At SMMIS we believe that it is our pastoral duty to support and enhance the wellbeing of each and every child. Our nurturing and caring environment allows for children to feel safe and well supported, however, we recognise that there are times when students may require assistance from a school counsellor. We therefore ensure all students have access to free and confidential counselling services. Our school counsellor works closely with class teachers and the leadership team to ensure that students’ emotional and social needs are fully supported. Personal Social and Health Education is also part of our curriculum and we have a trained Nurse on site each day.
At SMMIS we pride ourselves in having a small, yet very successful, Inclusion Department who work tirelessly in support of students with moderate additional needs. We take an inclusive and holistic approach in everything we do, and every child is respected and valued as an individual. Our small class sizes enable most students to be supported effectively in the general classroom setting, while some students will need small group or individual support from the Inclusion team. We are unable to support the learning of students with more complex needs.
Each day our chef and his team of professional staff prepare freshly made, delicious home cooked food for all of our students. A kosher hot meat or vegetarian meal is provided each day. At SMMIS we ensure a high standard of hygiene throughout our kitchen and food preparation areas, in line with NEA and SFA guidelines. Our highly trained staff attend Health and Safety and Food Hygiene courses regularly in line with Government directives.
Each child at SMMIS, is invited to develop a personal mindfulness practice, focusing on supporting students wellbeing. Every morning students participate in yoga, meditation or traditional Jewish prayer. We believe that a mindful brain is a healthier brain, and these practices give our students choice about how to perceive the world around us - with eyes focused on loving kindness and compassion for the self and others. Research has shown these practices have extraordinary protective benefits (Dr Lisa Miller, The Awakened Brain) for mental health especially during critical early adolescent years which is of increasing importance, particularly in our post-pandemic future. They help us find a language and a way to co-exist which transcends division and embraces a collective pursuit for meaning, value, connection and hope. Meaningful principles and practices help our students develop and bring these tools forward throughout their lifetime.
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