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Dragonflies School Statement of Provision

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Dragonflies School Statement of Provision

Date November 2022

A. School/base Expertise and Capacity

Student numbers: 20

2 classes (AM/PM). Each session runs for 3 hours per day during the term.

Aims and Outcomes

  • To support the development of best possible life outcomes for children through early identification and intervention.

  • To improve social communication and interaction skills, through the provision of a bank of social communication and interaction strategies and experiences.

  • To provide children with the learning tools to access an adapted small steps curriculum

  • To empower parents/carers.  This is achieved through provision of a range of bespoke training modules.  Modules cover:  the EHCNA process and the parental/base roles, issues around the various attributes of social communication difficulties and autism including sensory integration, guidance as to the use of different AACs, understanding and supporting their child’s behaviour and diet, the structured approaches/strategies used in school and how parents/carers can support their own child’s learning and progress through a shared implementation.

  • To ensure children’s smooth transition to an appropriate next placement.

  • To promote a positive attitude towards learning so that pupils enjoy coming to school are motivated and acquire the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in life.

  • To develop confident individuals who are able to live safe, happy and fulfilling lives.

  • To prepare children for their reception year, e.g.  by further development of the child’s: attention and listening skills, increased tolerance towards engaging in adult–led/selected activities/ability to remain seated/ remain engaged with adult directed activities for extended periods/ability to follow a visual timetable/independent transitioning skills/progressed use of AACs such as PECS/allow adult’s to provide assistance such as hand/hand guidance/modelling/increased social engagement with adults and/or peers/willingness to sit as part of a group for snack.

  • To serve as an assessment placement for children with complex language and social communication disorders.

  • To use therapy outcomes within class and home environment and embed them into practice

  • To meet the needs of pupils diagnosed with complex social communication difficulties including Autism Spectrum Disorders.

For children to:

  • Have a preferred method of communication including the use of AACs, for example, PECS

  • Have self-help skills to build independence, for example, dress and undress themselves, use the toilet independently

  • Be able to complete short adult led task (to a maximum of 10 minutes) 

  • To interact with their peers, turn taking, sharing, understand what constitutes appropriate play

  • To have developed their receptive and expressive language/preferred AAC modality in order  to express their wants and needs and to initiate communication

  • To have a level of social communication and understanding which supports integration within the wider community

Curriculum adaptations

The curriculum content and teaching styles are designed to support children presenting with social communication difficulties/autism and other coexisting conditions. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework is modified to meet the learning needs of the children. The base operates a TEACCH style approach to teaching and learning centred around clear boundaries, consistent routines and structured work systems in a relatively distraction-free environment.

An Intensive Interaction approach is adopted where appropriate in order to further develop the children’s interaction and communication skills. The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) is used with children where appropriate to support their language and communication needs. Makaton signing is also used where appropriate.

The curriculum is designed to be small step and differentiated in accordance with group/individual requirements. Sessions are broken down into short activity periods interspersed with movement breaks.  

A range of specialist teaching approaches and interventions are embedded as part of the base’s daily routine. These include:

  • Structured Teaching (TEACCH) 

  • Visual cues and reduced language 

  • Attention Autism

  • Identiplay

  • Communications Temptations

To support children’s sensory integration requirements, a sensory diet is embedded within the daily curriculum.

Recognised relaxation strategies/resources available, including: 

  • Sensory Room

  • TacPac (a multi-sensory communication programme, based on touch and music) 

  • Tatty Bumpkin yoga. 

  • Sensory circuits

  • Music therapy

B. Provision

  • The base is situated in a standalone building adjacent to the main nursery.  It consists of an entrance lobby, a large classroom space, joined toileting area, a sensory room and a bespoke patio.  Children also have shared access to a mainstream nursery playground.

  • Structured small step teaching approaches based on TEACCH principles are implemented.

  • High levels of visual supports are embedded within the base’s routines/structure.  These include First/Then class timetables, individual child timetables, choice boards, ‘wait’ symbols, ‘turn-taking symbols, emotion cards.

  • High levels of adult:child guidance and intervention

  • Explicit teaching of early communication skills including the use of Attention Autism.

  • Explicit implementation of social communication and social interaction strategies such as that of Intensive Interaction.

  • Taught and practised self-help skills

  • Taught and practised social interaction skills

  • Taught and practised social communication skills

  • Taught and practised extended learning opportunities

  • Mainstream interaction opportunities to experience and practise social communication and interaction with nursery aged peers

  • Ongoing review with parents to discuss next steps

  • On-going support and guidance to parents/carers 

  • Develop, commission and deliver training to parents

  •  Requesting EHCNAs on behalf of the cohort 

  • Engage as a part of a multi professional team undertaking assessments for possible ASD diagnoses: Sutton Early Years Social Communication Assessment Team (SEYSCAT) 

  • Ongoing assessment, ASD profiling

  • SaLT/OT targeted support

Therapies Provision

Weekly visits and input from both a highly specialist speech and language therapist (SaLT), speech and language therapy assistant (SaLTA), occupational therapist (OT), occupational therapy assistant (OTA). 

Time allocation:  1 day a week for Specialist SALT input plus 1 day follow through work from SALTA (assistant), 1 day a week of OT input plus 1 day follow through work from OTA (assistant).  

Access to NHS speech and language therapy/occupational therapy provision ceases when a child joins the base.  Specialists use of their overall time allocation divided on an ongoing basis as required for the base; provision includes observations, advice, report writing for EHCNAs, working in partnership with parents.

Preparation for Adult Life

  • Increased independence through developing social, self-care and learning skills.

  • Increased emotional and sensory regulation.

  • Preparation for transfer to appropriate next setting.

  • Developing independence through self –help skills, such as toileting, dressing and general hygiene

  • Developing children’s receptive and expressive language/preferred AAC modality to express their wants and needs and to initiate communication

  • To have strategies that support the management of emotional regulation

Enrichment / social activities

  • Joining with mainstream nursery classes to access planned enrichment activities including visits from external music providers/animal zoo

  • Celebrating peers birthdays

Support staffing (per week per class, on average)

1 F/T Specialist Teacher in Charge/SENDCo

Teacher in Charge runs the base team, plans curriculum content, ensures activities are of an appropriate level, well-structured and of an appropriate duration.  Ensures opportunities available for children to learn and progress across different platforms including, social engagement and play as well as through more formal teaching. 

Teacher in Charge writes/submits EHCNAs for each child, produces IEPs termly, is a part of multi-professional ASD assessment team (SEYSCAT), writes associated reports, overviews observation and assessment processes, attends professional meetings, leads on the Dragonflies admissions, liaises with external professionals as part of the EHCNA process, supports undergraduate/post graduate work experience students, designs and delivers base INSET training.

Support Staff

115. 5 hours support staffing: 3 full time equivalent TAs (plus two days cover for class teacher – 12 hours)

Support staff role includes:

Implementing a range of specialist interventions/strategies such as:

  • TEACCH approach

  • Attention Autism

  • Appropriate and consistent use of visuals

  • Modelling of tasks

  • Providing differentiated visual cues and reduced language 

  • Undertaking small steps differentiated tasks with children

  • Implementing PECS/Intensive interaction

  • Practising a small step differentiated teaching approach

  • Providing high levels of adult scaffolding 

  • Small step modelling of activities, backwards/forwards chaining

  • Engaging in multi-sensory teaching

  • Providing 1:1 adult: child intervention as required

  • Undertaking personal care duties including changing nappies/dressing/undressing

  • Supporting and progressing children’s self-help skills

  • Implementing IEP targets

  • Maintain Key Person role for child/parent/carer, e.g communicating with parents verbally and through Class DoJo

  • Undertake and record observations

C. Admission Process

Criteria for Admission

Nursery aged opportunity Base for children within the LB Sutton presenting with autism/ Complex  Social Communication Difficulties and co-existing conditions including: moderate – severe global developmental delay, moderate - significant speech and language delay, sensory processing disorders, levels of cognitive delay/learning difficulties, anxiety and sensory issues, delayed gross/fine motor skills whose additional co-existing unregulated behaviour and mental health require them to consistently work in a small group teaching environment , access a specialised and differentiated small step curriculum and be taught self-regulation strategies with high levels of adult engagement, support and prompts from trained staff.

D. Review of student provision

Every student will have an Annual review of the EHC Plan with any recommendations for change

E. Outreach Commissioned

None commissioned.

F. Funding and moderation processes

The Council will develop and put in place governance arrangements that ensure that the different pathways and numbers within them are part of a moderation process involving specialist provision leaders so that cohort changes are recognised and there is parity across provisions in terms of judgements.

G. Funding and moderation processes

When a placement has been agreed, contact will be made with the child’s current placement to arrange a transition programme with an exchange of information and visits where practical and appropriate.