Our Vision & Ethos | Lotus Trust

Our Vision

The school aims to provide specialist Social, Emotional and Mental Health educational provision to children, aged 5 – 16, living in Norfolk and west of Suffolk.

Our vision is to provide every pupil with safe, rewarding, personalised education and support to improve their life chances, prepare them for life and the world of work.

Using therapeutic and holistic approaches to learning, our commitment is to develop new and existing skills and abilities, increase knowledge and strengthen understanding. Through personalised therapeutic and intervention strategies, the core skill of resilience is developed in each child, thus enabling them to cope with the pressures of education and life and reach their full academic, social and emotional potential.

Our commitment to our pupils is enhanced through the strong pastoral support and dedicated partnerships we build with our communities, families and other professionals.

Our Mission

Once a referral has been accepted, we meet the pupil, their family and other professionals, if involved, in the comfort of their home or a mutually convenient venue to start to build a strong, supportive relationship between home and school. We work closely with parents and carers as valuable partners in supporting the child’s needs

Once the child joins the school, we begin a 2-week baseline assessment programme, which is built into their normal curriculum, and includes the use of diagnostic and personality assessments to determine the pupil’s current academic levels, strengths, skills, prior knowledge, concerns and aspirations. This data is used to personalise the learning and plot progress made from a realistic starting point.

As part of the SEMH support, we teach daily mindfulness skills to develop confidence and resilience.

Our curriculum is innovative, holistic, therapeutic, creative and relevant and is differentiated and personalised for every pupil. We adopt strong processes for assessment, planning, teaching and review to ensure that each pupil makes maximum progress in learning from their individual starting points.

We deliver high quality, stimulating and dynamic lessons, where all pupils are supported and challenged to make good progress in their learning.

Staff receive weekly training to develop new and existing skills, knowledge and expertise to raise standards and improve pupil outcomes

All pupils offer professional youth life coaching and independent careers advice to raise aspirations, develop work ethics and co-operatively plan post 16 goals. Our academic and alternative therapeutic support is offered by a team of experienced and trained staff to ensure that the pupil’s academic, social and emotional needs are supported and reinforced.

We actively seek, invite, secure and sustain partnerships with families, professionals, businesses, individuals and community groups to support aspirations, share expertise, raise standards and improve outcomes for all pupils and staff.

Our Philosophy

At the heart of The Lotus Trust UK's educational philosophy lies a commitment to mindful, therapeutic, and holistic approaches to learning. This signifies a belief in nurturing the whole child, recognizing the interconnectedness of academic, social, emotional, and mental well-being. The Trust's core aim is to foster the development of both existing and new skills, enhance knowledge acquisition, and, crucially, strengthen the resilience and understanding of its pupils.

This emphasis on resilience is not merely an academic goal but a fundamental skill the Trust seeks to cultivate in every student, enabling them to effectively manage the various pressures of education and life. To achieve this, the Trust places considerable importance on providing robust pastoral support and building strong, collaborative partnerships with families and the wider community.

The Damara School, as the Trust’s first establishment, specifically focuses on delivering specialist Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) educational provision to children and young people aged 5 to 16. The school's overarching vision is to ensure that every pupil benefits from a safe, rewarding, and personalized education and support system, ultimately improving their life opportunities and preparing them for both life and the world of work. The curriculum at The Damara School is intentionally ambitious, designed to spark students' curiosity and encourage a positive attitude towards learning.

Furthermore, the integration of mindfulness strategies into the daily routine underscores the Trust's commitment to building emotional strength and the capacity to navigate challenges effectively.