Cedars

Cedar Primary Support Base, Woollam Crescent.  AL3 6EJ.

Cedars is a purpose built centre, opened in the summer of 2019, which lies at our Woollam Crescent, Links Academy site in St Albans. We provide 2 terms of education for young people aged 5-11 years old with SEMH needs, or who could be permanently excluded or at risk of permanent exclusion from their school. We offer a broad and balanced curriculum, within a supportive, nurturing environment.  All students are known and valued as individuals and are helped to achieve their potential.

The characteristics that we aim to develop in our students are those of respect, resilience and responsibility, which are the values of our Character School ethos, whilst still aiming for them to fulfil their potential academically. We help them to overcome their barriers to learning and to support them in their next educational steps.

At Cedars we aim to establish and maintain an environment where children feel secure, are encouraged to talk, and are heard when they have a worry or concern. Safeguarding is of paramount importance at Cedars, and feeling safe and secure are the most important aspects of the centre. Cedars ensures students know that there are adults in the school whom they can approach if they are worried.

The staff ratio at Cedars is very high, allowing us to help all the students as much as they need, while always being mindful to develop their independence to allow a successful transition back to their mainstream school.

The Cedars PSB Application Deadline and Panel Meeting Dates: 

  • Application Deadline: 7th June 2024
  • Panel Meeting: 20th June 2024
  • Application Deadline: Friday 8 November 2024
  • Panel Meeting: Thursday 14 November 2024
  • Application Deadline: Friday 28 February 2025
  • Panel Meeting: Thursday 13 March 2025
  • Application Deadline: Friday 6 June 2025
  • Panel Meeting: Thursday 19 June 2025

All referrals for Cedars Primary Support Base must be fully completed and sent to: Referrals@linksacademy.herts.sch.uk

Schools Roles and Responsibilities

Information to support schools who are working in partnership with us.

We provide this information to you so that you are clear of the expectations of your school when working with us. This document should be read in conjunction with the Cedars Short Term Education Placement Agreement.

Area Action
Attendance: Mainstream school to contact Cedars to check daily attendance. If absent, Cedars will contact parent/carer if approved. If we require extra support we may ask you to also assist, but initially we will do this.
Attainment: A word document will be sent via Schoolsfx every two weeks with a paragraph updating you on their progress or any concerns. Half term meetings take place with yourselves and a parent/carer (if there is a TAF open we can do this at the same time).  At this meeting we ask the school if they have any concerns and update in front of family about progress. This is also an opportunity for the family to discuss how the young person is behaving at home and request any support if needed or to say if they can recognise change.
Safeguarding: Everyone is responsible for safeguarding. We will record and follow up any concerns keeping you informed at each step. Whilst the pupil is attending Cedars we ask for you to transfer the CPOMS to Mark Fuller, he is the lead DSL.  Mark is based at Hixberry, Ronya is also DSL and monitors all Cedars children in partnership with Mark. We do ask schools to be responsible for the young person between 1.30 pm until the end of the school day, but again this is a team effort and discussion and open dialogue between Cedars and the home school is most important.
Support Needed: We do set work for children to complete in the afternoons once departed from Cedars but it is not compulsory, by the time they have gone home at 1.30 pm, the young people are exhausted. Cedars is intense and challenges the young person to alter and modify the behaviours that consequently led them to our alternative provision.
Visits: We ask schools to visit the young person on a weekly basis. This visit is usually around 15 minutes. It is vital that the young person maintains relationships with their mainstream school.   Young people tend to really like showing off their work etc. We are happy to arrange a mutually convenient time for visits.
Transition: We work in partnership with mainstream schools to devise an individual transition programme for each young person. This usually starts half a term before the child is due to return to their mainstream school which is discussed in the penultimate review.

 If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Cedars Outreach Referral Forms

Cedars Primary Support Base offers Tier 3 Outreach Support tailored to an individual child in the DSPL7 area, who present with significant behavioural needs or are at risk of permanent exclusion.

Cedars Outreach usually requires the school to have previously received Tier 1 or 2 support for the young person but this is subject to a case assessment.

Referrals to the Cedars Outreach Team can be made by completing the Single Service Request and Assessment and Progress forms. Please see forms below.

All referrals for targeted Cedars Outreach support must be fully completed, including a parent’s/carer’s signature and sent to: Referrals@linksacademy.herts.sch.uk

To contact our Cedars Outreach Team:

 

Outreach Referral Forms

Cedars PSB Referral Forms