October 07, 2022

Lionheart open SEMH unit in Leicestershire

We were delighted to officially open the doors of Endeavour, with students welcoming the Lionheart executive team to a celebratory lunch on 29th September.

Having opened at the beginning of September, Endeavour is a 15-place specialist day provision, based at The Cedars Academy, welcoming students, aged between 11 and 16, with social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) difficulties. 

The school places an equal emphasis on the educational, social, and psychological development of their students. Endeavour is a small therapeutic unit that focuses on offering rewarding experiences and functional life skills for their young people to achieve their absolute best.  

All students at Endeavour have an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and are grouped into classes with close regard to their chronological age, their social needs and their personal maturity. The main needs of pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEN) at the school are social, emotional and mental health difficulties and Autistic Spectrum Disorder. 

At Endeavour, students are provided with a broad and balanced curriculum, and we are delighted to see the exceptional progress they have made in the classroom during their first few weeks, with subject specialist staff from The Cedars Academy also teaching lessons at the unit. 

The curriculum is adapted to meet the needs of pupils with bespoke packages so that students feel included, safe, and secure. Pupils have access to a range of suitable qualifications and experiences that will allow them to choose their own outcomes.  

Each week, the students and staff at Endeavour attend sessions at the Leicester Outdoor Pursuits Centre to develop their SEMH skills, which they are able to incorporate back in the classroom. During these sessions, students are challenged to develop the following key skills: 

  • Teamwork 
  • Listening 
  • Speaking 
  • Aiming High 
  • Leadership 
  • Problem solving 
  • Creativity 
  • Staying positive 

Having worked with the Local Authority to open this new unit for Leicestershire, we are delighted to be able to support young people with SEMH needs in this specialist provision within our Trust family of schools.