Specialist provision and specialist schools for primary-school-aged children with an education, health and care plan
Most children with an EHC plan can be supported in a mainstream school in the borough. However, some children identified with particularly complex special educational needs and disabilities may require specialist provision in a mainstream school or a specialist school.
Specialist provision within mainstream schools
Some children and young people with complex special educational needs and disabilities can be taught in specialist provision in a mainstream school, which means they can:
-
maximise their educational potential and integrate into mainstream teaching in a local setting
-
have their teaching and learning needs met appropriately through the support of specialist teachers who will be able to identify effective strategies, equipment, programmes or other interventions to enable the child to make progress towards the desired learning and development outcomes and support their transition into mainstream settings.
There are eight mainstream primary schools in the borough that offer specialist provision. Each school has its own eligibility criteria and you can attend the school’s open day or contact your EHC case officer for more information. If your child meets the eligibility, can you name the school as a preference when you apply. However, there are limited places and a multi-agency panel will decide who can access this provision, based on those with the highest need.
These schools are:
Athelney School
Mainstream primary school with a specialist resource provision for autism.
Age range: Reception to 11 years
Pupils must:
-
have an education, health and care plan
-
have a diagnosis and primary need of ASD
-
have some verbal communication, being able to communicate basic needs
-
have the potential to access the mainstream curriculum
-
be able to benefit from the structured, low-stimulus environment
-
be within the learning range of average ability to moderate learning difficulties.
Specialist support offered:
- two weekly support sessions from a speech and language therapist
- one visit per term from an educational psychologist
- PECS
- TEACCH approach
- positive behaviour management system that is also used in the mainstream school
- staff experienced in working with ASD children
- mainstream 'in-house' cover for teacher release time.
Coopers Lane School
Mainstream primary school with a specialist resource provision for the deaf (total communication).
Age range: Reception to 11 years
Pupils must:
-
have an education, health and care plan
-
have a primary diagnosis of profound deafness
-
need a total communication approach
-
need daily specialist intervention in order to access the curriculum
-
need access to deaf and hearing peers.
Specialist support offered:
-
access to regular Teacher of the Deaf teaching
-
access to regular weekly specialist speech and language therapy
-
maintenance of hearing aids to optimum working levels
-
use of specialist learning resources.
Kelvin Grove School
Mainstream primary school with a specialist resource provision for autism.
Age range: Reception to 11 years
Pupils must:
-
have an education, health care plan
-
have a primary need of ASD diagnosis
-
have the potential to access mainstream lessons and activities
-
be able to communicate basic needs and feelings
-
be in the range of average to moderate learning difficulties
-
demonstrate that they would benefit from and respond to being in a highly structured, low-stimulus environment where ASD strategies are used.
Specialist support offered:
-
one day a week with a speech and language therapist
-
one visit a year from the education psychologist
-
TEACCH approach
-
PECS
-
Makaton
-
visual support
-
positive behaviour management
-
social skills training.
Rushey Green School
Mainstream primary school with a specialist resource provision for the deaf (oral).
Age range: Reception to 11 years
Pupils must:
-
have an education, health and care plan
-
have a primary diagnosis of deafness
-
have been diagnosed educationally – significant permanent hearing loss
-
need a specific communication method, e.g. total communication or oral
-
need daily specialist intervention in order to access the curriculum
-
need access to deaf and hearing peers.
Specialist support offered:
-
access to regular Teacher of the Deaf teaching
-
access to regular weekly specialist speech and language therapy
-
maintenance of hearing aids to optimum working levels
-
provision and use of radio aid where appropriate (e.g. not generally used in Reception class or with children with syndromes e.g. Goldenhar syndrome).
-
specialist learning resources.
Tidemill Academy
Mainstream primary school with specialist provision for children and young people with speech and language difficulties.
Age range: Reception to 11 years
Pupils must:
-
have an education, health and care plan or have an agreement via the SEND multi-agency panel that they can attend
-
have speech and/or language difficulties as their primary need
-
be recognised as having speech and/or language difficulties as a primary need and despite the support that the mainstream school has put in place over a period of time, they continue to be unable to meet their full potential (these children would, according to the previous SEN code of practice, be at School Action Plus)
-
show evidence of a discrepancy between the child’s cognitive ability and their language skills as identified by the educational psychologist and speech and language therapist.
Specialist support offered:
-
specialism in teaching children with specific language difficulties
-
access to a qualified speech and language therapist.
Torridon Primary
Mainstream primary school with a specialist resource provision for autism.
Age range: Reception to 11 years
Pupils must:
-
have an education, health and care plan
-
have a primary diagnosis of autism
-
have some level of speech and be able to demonstrate the potential to access mainstream education
-
have an education, health and care plan
-
have a diagnosis and primary need of ASD
-
have a degree of spoken language
-
have the potential to access full mainstream school activities and lessons.
Specialist support offered:
-
specialism in teaching autistic pupils, assessing their needs and providing support for their learning and inclusion in the mainstream setting
-
Lighthouse staff support Lighthouse pupils in the mainstream and share pupil information
-
visual support through use of symbols and objects (motivators)
-
verbal, gestured and physical support agreed with parents and outlined on behaviour support plans/pupil profiles
-
half a day a week support from a speech and language therapist
-
one visit a year from an educational psychologist
-
TEACCH approach.
Specialist schools and units
There are three specialist primary schools in the borough that meet the needs of children and young people with the most profound needs and disabilities. These are: