Enhanced Resource & SEN Report

SEN Reports

Enhanced Resource

Elmsleigh Infant and Nursery Enhanced Resource Provision

Children who access this provision will have funding through a specified ERS EHCP funding stream.

The ERS classroom is known as the Rainbow Room and has 12 allocated places from FS2 through to Year 2 [4 per year group]. There are 6 places for pupils with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis and 6 places for children with other additional needs. The nursery has 4 ERS places and a further 2 D&A [Diagnostic and Assessment] places for children with additional needs as part of the assessment process for pre-school children.

General Environmental Adaptations

There 3 accessible toilets within school, one of which is in the Rainbow Room. The school has 3 internal levels. We have 2 lifts installed to enable access to all levels. We also have ramps outside for wheelchair access to all levels. The school has ensured there are hi vis markings and appropriate hand rails around the environment following advice from the Specialist Vision Impairment service.

The Rainbow Room

The ERS class is a flexible resource which includes four distinct rooms providing space for one to one working, independent working, whole and small group work, sensory work, intensive interaction and quiet spaces. In addition there are 2 outdoor learning spaces linked by a gate. These include a paved and covered area providing a year round extension to the indoor environment and a larger, astro-turfed, area providing an all year round physical play space. This tailored provision means we can offer the addition of specialist resources, responsive teaching with well trained and experienced staff and the flexibility to support a diverse range of individual needs. There is a high staffing ratio including a teacher and between 3 highly trained and experienced Intervention Assistants. The SENDCo [Special Educational Needs and Disability Coordinator] will be their class teacher.

Inclusion

The rainbow room provides flexible whole day provision. The class itself is fully included in the life of the whole school E.G school and parent assemblies and concerts, enrichment days, ‘Golden Time’ and lunch, PE and playtimes Etc. Further inclusion within mainstream sessions are planned for on an individual basis as appropriate to each child’s needs. Some children will spend the whole day in the Rainbow classroom, others will spend varying amounts of time in a mainstream classroom ranging from the whole day, half days, dip in sessions, with appropriate support. All work is planned for on an individual basis as part of an individual time table as appropriate for each child’s needs.

Curriculum

The curriculum covers two key stages: Foundation Stage [FS2] and Key Stage One [KS1] The same areas of learning as in main stream school are covered, with accommodations and adaptions in teaching style, delivery and environment to ensure that we maintain a holistic approach and meet needs effectively. One such accommodation is the use of TEACCH [Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication Handicapped Children] This system enables children to develop skills and cover the curriculum in a systematic way. This model consists of one to one over learning in a distraction free work station using ‘work then reward’ ‘first / next’ with a start and finish basket.  Tasks that have a definite beginning and end are often used. This then moves on to the child managing tasks independently using the same ‘first / next’ system I  their distraction free work station.

In addition to the academic curriculum high emphasis is placed on the development of communication, play and social skills through Intensive Interaction. Augmentive communication [Makaton, symbols, PECs] is an integral part of our practice. We work very closely with the Speech and Language therapist who is in school weekly and available for advice and support. Emotional development and regulation are also a high priority, along with strategies to manage sensory processing difficulties. The sensory room is an important element of the provision. There is a clear recognition of the need for consistent routine, supported through visual generic and some very individual timetables. There is also a deep understanding of the incidence and impact of anxiety and the commitment to support the management and reduction this.

Assessment

We use small steps within the EYFS for FS2 children and Pivats for the KS1 children, some children will move on to National curriculum assessments. Many children will have what we call a ‘spiky’ profile where skills in any one area of learning are assessed at different levels of attainment. This is because the challenges they face are inhibiting some progress whilst in other areas skill sets or areas of progress are unaffected. Detailed assessments are continuous through IEP, observation, assessment activities and TEACCH evaluations. Further targets are developed through the usual ‘plan – teach – assess’ with the additional adherence to EHCP plans, specialist professionals advice, evaluations of progress in TEACCH, social and emotional assessments and observance to sensory and communication needs. The children have their assessments recorded in the same way as their peers and are reported at annual review and through end of year school reports.

Parental Involvement

We have a close involvement with families with an open door policy. For those children with taxi transport we have home school diaries. Email is also a useful communication tool. We endeavour to include trips out as part of our enrichment provision and actively encourage parents to join us. These outings include places such as a café, super market, forestry centre, children’s centre, post box, local walks, the park, soft play, pet shop etc. and all contribute to widening children’s experiences and adaptability. We hope to extend the scope of this for the future. Families are invited to see their children in assemblies and we have regular IEP reviews / parent meetings and Annual EHCP reviews.

Outside Agencies

We liaise closely with a range of specialist professionals. The list is not exclusive but include:

• Physiotherapy Service
• Occupational Therapist
• Speech Therapy Service
• Specialist Teachers for vision, physical and hearing impairment
• Educational Psychology
• Behaviour Support
• MAT Team
• Children’s Centre’s
• Community Paediatrician
• Social Care