A SCHOOL for troubled and excluded children in Longbarn has been attracting national attention for its unique approach to education based on neuroscience.

New Horizons on Fallowfield Grove is an alternative provision school offering education to primary and secondary school children up to the age of 16.

Pupils with emotional, social and behavioural difficulties are referred by their school and New Horizons' staff help students to manage their behaviour with the aim of returning them to mainstream education.

Head teacher Karen Thomson said: “There’s a risk of segregation with challenging behaviour.

“It’s about using language to correct that behaviour. There’s a big gap between neuroscience and mental health and education - we want to work within our town to fill that gap.”

The school day usually starts with a ‘nurturing’ activity that encourages children to chat about whatever is on their mind before moving into classes such as maths, English or cooking.

Lunch is also carefully thought out as Karen explained: “Nutrition is a very big part of behaviour – we have lunch at the time it’s best scientifically.

“Teens don’t like to eat when they first get up and prefer to eat at 12.30pm or 1pm but primary school age children do better if they eat earlier. The food is healthy and all freshly made.”

She said afternoon classes focus on creative subjects and teachers spend more time addressing pupils’ behaviour than the curriculum to get the best out of the children.

The increase in children’s mental health problems has hit the headlines recently and staff at the school use teaching techniques based scientific research to improve pupil's behaviour.

“We know that serotonin and dopamine are important so we need to boost their levels. We use voice tone and nurturing activities but what boosts the mood is different for each individual,” Karen said.

“I believe you need to understand psychology to be a teacher because your job is to help children grow and to produce people.”

The school already works with most of the town’s primary and secondary schools but hopes to expand its teacher training in the future.

Karen added: “We are welcoming trainee teachers to spend time with us and we would like to become a support mechanism for mainstream schools.”