Foresters Primary School Statement of Provision

Foresters Primary School Statement of Provision

Date: September 2022

A. School/base Expertise and Capacity

Student numbers: 42. 6 children per year group from Year R-6

Number of classes: 4 (9 in EYFS class and 9 in KS1 class) (12 in LKS2 class and 12 in UKS2 class) Children grouped by age. 1 teacher for each class FTE.

Aims and Outcomes

• To access mainstream curriculum content and make good progress from starting points; to access some mainstream lessons for an increasing and sustained period of time

• To develop social communication so pupils can interact socially and build meaningful, reciprocal relationships; to interact appropriately with adults, even those not known well

• To learn to manage emotions, i.e. implement self-regulation strategies and cope with unpredicted changes without losing self-regulation

• To use therapy outcomes within class and home environment and embed them into practice, supporting self-management of these areas 

• To develop skills for life such as independence, communication and self-care

• Able to access and move around the school environment with increasing confidence

Curriculum adaptations

The curriculum follows the EYFS and National Curriculum; pupils progress through the curriculum at their own pace and the implementation allows for their engagement and progress.  The curriculum is therefore modified to allow for embedded therapy approaches and additional focuses on prime areas of need such as emotional regulation.   MFL is not part of the core curriculum but children may access this through integration into the mainstream. In some classes, support for social and communicative curriculum is allotted a dedicated time but overall, the curriculum is designed to support an embedded approach to this area of need.  

Staff support pupils at break and lunchtime to develop social skills, communication and self-care such as feeding, hygiene etc.

B. Provision

High adult: child support in lessons (ratio of 1:3 in EYFS/KS1 and 1:4 in KS2) and social times and support for learning e.g. during private study or homework sessions. 

Adult support for integration into mainstream activities, including lessons, with a view to enabling independent integration when appropriate. Opportunities to integrate for enrichment activities such as trips, residentials, workshops and clubs.

Taught and practised emotional self-regulation strategies; use of Zones of Regulation.

Learning environment within the mainstream provision.  Classrooms are situated off the same open plan resource areas as the main school and pupils access playgrounds and lunch areas as their mainstream peers.  The base learning environments are low-stimulation and adapted to meet the needs of the pupils. Due to the open plan nature of the school, children need to be able to transition around the school to access different areas e.g. toilets, hall, computer suite, lunch area, playgrounds.  The school can be busy and crowded. This means a lot of sensory demands are placed on the base children during transitions which can have an impact on their capacity to access the curriculum offered at Foresters.

Explicit teaching of social and communicative programme and use of positive language.

Trips and activities to support curriculum learning and enrichment

SALT, OT and other Therapy input is embedded within the curriculum and supported by withdrawal sessions and small group focuses, to meet the requirements outlined in a child’s EHCP.

ELSA input and support for short term specialist input

Regular reviews of progress towards EHCP outcomes for individuals with parents to focus on next steps

Specific support:

• Dramatherapy (Roundabout)

• Intensive interaction

• Attention circles

• PECs

• TEACCH approach

• Social skills/friendship groups

• Lego therapy

• Multi-sensory teaching

• Access to Family Support worker

Therapies Provision ( provided by Cognus)

• SALT support currently is 32.6 hours per week.

• OT support currently is 38 hours per week 

• Therapy is delivered by a SALT, OT and a SALT/ OT TA.

Preparation for Adult Life

• Constant and regular exposure to mainstream school environment e.g. socially, through access to some mainstream lessons or activities, joining peers for play and lunch time.

• Developing further increased independence through developing self-help in learning, emotional regulation and sensory environmental control

• Preparation for transfer to next setting or provision; travel training, road safety, bikeability

• Communicative and social programme of support covers these topics; social interaction cues, self-awareness; making and keeping friends; anxiety and managing disappointments

• Life-skills curriculum

• Encouraged to complete statutory assessments (i.e. SATS) where appropriate

Enrichment / social activities

The focus of trips is primarily to enhance the National Curriculum learning but also to practise travel and social skills and develop social and communicative experiences. 

Enrichment activities are planned to practise life skills e.g. cooking a snack lunch, planning travel and build confidence.  

Support staffing (per week per class, on average)

• 97.5 hours per week from TA support.

• 3 TAs  per class

• 32.5 hours a week

C. Admission Process

Criteria for Admission

School/Base may be the right place for a student if they fulfil some or all of the criteria below:

• Pupils have an EHC plan.

• Pupils who have Autism as their primary need and all other needs are secondary.  Behaviour needs are not the prime need and do not adversely affect the individual or host groups’ ability to benefit from the resource. Children whose behaviour and mental health allows them to consistently work in a small group teaching environment and to implement taught self-regulation strategies with support and prompts from trained staff.

• Pupils who are able to access a mainstream, non-secure environment safely and have an awareness of risk and expected safe behaviours. 

• Pupils ability level allow access to mainstream curriculum offer 

• Pupils benefit from specialist learning environment and approaches 

• Pupils who are accessing some subject specific learning, not accessing an ‘engagement model’ or non-subject specific curriculum

• Pupils may have sensory processing and regulation needs but are able to tolerate a mainstream open plan environment. Pupils need to be able to transition around the school to access different areas of the school e.g. toilets, hall, computer suite, lunch area, playgrounds.

• Pupils who have an awareness of intent to communicate and are able to verbally communicate their basic needs.

• Pupils who are able to follow a simple, adult led agenda with appropriate support i.e. able to engage in an activity not of their choosing for a short period.

• Pupils who have an awareness of the presence of their peers and social interaction/communication skills are in early stages of development.

D. Review of student provision

Every student will have an Annual review of the EHC Plan with any recommendations for change. When a student is in YR they will have two annual reviews.

A student would be referred to the SEN Panel if:

• it is considered that he/she has gained in independence and can access the mainstream curriculum without specialist support from the Opportunity Base;

• The changing needs of the child indicate that alternative provision may be more appropriate. 

• Additional support may be required to maintain the placement.

E. Outreach Commissioned

We currently welcome teaching staff to visit our base classes on an informal basis. This would give them an opportunity to observe ASD practice and ask questions as needed.

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. We invite year 7 placements to the year 6 annual review.