The Enhanced Provision offers full time school placements for children with Complex Autistic Spectrum Conditions (CASC) and or Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD). The small school setting provides an ASD friendly environment which is ‘decluttered’ with the minimum of visual distractions.
The base is ‘socially communicating friendly’ and the needs of the individual children are met as fully as possible.
Children are placed in small classes of 8-10 pupils. Staffing consists of a teacher, a HLTA and 2 TA’s.
Staff are experienced and trained in working with children with social communication difficulties. They use a range of strategies to enable the individual children to develop their speech, language and communication skills.
These approaches include,
- Now/Next and depending on the level of the child objects of reference or relevant photographs/ visuals will be used.
- PECS
- Sabotage
- Intensive Interaction Sessions
- Bucket Therapy
The staff also deliver a highly sensory based curriculum. They are experienced and trained in managing children who present with sensory processing difficulties.
Generally, children engage in learning though an early years/play- based curriculum.
Each child’s progress is measured termly via the Engagement Model. The child’s progress is also completed for the Annual Reviews and at the end of each academic year.
All staff communicate regularly and hold ongoing discussions regarding the progress of each child.
The curriculum is delivered individually or in small groups with 1:1 support. The lessons include:
- Early- years based activities.
- Music sessions delivered by ‘In Harmony’
- Physical Education lessons which LFC coaches teach.
- Sessions to develop the social and emotional skills of the children.
The child-centred approach contributes positively to the mental health and well-being of each child.
The staff use a TEAM approach to managing the individual needs of each child.
The school’s deputy head leads the SEND team and liaises with the SENDCo., Hive teachers and TAs to ensure the staff receive any necessary training.
To ensure good working practices and to enable the staff to deliver the latest procedures efficiently they work closely with other special schools. The staff have worked alongside Milstead on several projects, most recently in developing the Engagement Model approach to use in school.
The staff liaise closely with any involved professionals and they will follow recommendations.
The teachers communicate regularly on Seesaw with parents which ensures close working relationships with home and school. The teachers will also send any appropriate resources home.
If a child requires an individualised programme to develop targeted areas of their development such as speech and language or sensory processing skills the school can fund appropriate intervention.
Since opening in September 2019 all children have made steps of progress. However, a small group of children have made significant level progress in all areas of their development which has resulted in them being transferred to the ‘Hub’ which provides a more academic curriculum. The transition to this setting enables the children to access more learning opportunities in small groups and with 1:1 targeted support.
Due to Covid regulations we have maintained ‘bubbles’ otherwise these children would have participated in appropriate mainstream activities. Therefore, these practices demonstrate that as a mainstream school we are able to facilitate the appropriate inclusion of children when it is relevant and conducive to the child’s individual development.
