Learning and Cognition Specialist Resource Base (SRB) Policy

Introduction

A resource base is a specialist provision within a mainstream school. Our resource base, The Lorax Room, caters for Key Stage 1 pupils who would benefit from intervention in the teaching of core skills, such as English and maths, in a small group environment.

Pupils can be referred to the SRB from schools throughout Norfolk if they are experiencing difficulties making adequate progress in the classroom. Applications are considered according to priority of need, and admissions are determined by a panel comprising of representatives from the four Norfolk Learning and Cognition SRBs and their Specialist Partners. Admissions may be made every half-term offering a two term placement. Our SRB currently has provision for a total of ten full time equivalent placements; children spend four full days in the SRB and Wednesdays in their home school. Pupils remain on the register of their home school, and close links are maintained between the SRB and the home school.

Although they are taught separately, and wear their own school uniform if they choose to do so, children in the SRB are involved in the wider school community at assemblies, break-times, lunchtimes and special events.

The SRB ensures that parents are very involved in their children’s placement. Parent views are solicited at the time of referral, communication occurs daily through a home-school book, and parents attend a review meeting every half term with a representative from the SRB and from the home school to discuss progress and review targets. Though it is not always possible or appropriate for children to attend these meetings, child views are collected beforehand and are used to begin discussions.

The SRB is staffed by a full-time teacher, a cover supervisor and a teaching assistant, and is further supported by specialist staff including Parkside Complex Needs School, an Outreach Support Teacher and an Educational Psychologist.

The SRB shares expertise with the rest of the school by responding to general or specific requests for support or advice, sharing teaching materials and learning strategies and inviting staff to observe particular lessons, or particular techniques.

Aims and Objectives

The main aim of our SRB is to remove barriers to participation in learning and narrow the gap between the children admitted and their peers in the classroom.

We aim to achieve the following:

  • To provide specialist help in basic skills particularly reading, writing and number.
  • To provide the children with a supportive and safe learning environment in which to access a specially devised broad and balanced curriculum.
  • To provide the children with the opportunity to experience success in learning and acquire a sense of worth.
  • To develop each child’s independence in learning and self-sufficiency to the greatest extent possible.
  • To promote cooperation, collaboration and positive social relationships.
  • To promote positive attitudes, enthusiasm for learning and confidence.
  • To embark on equipping the children with the necessary skills that will enable them to play a full part in the school community.
  • To support staff in schools to meet the needs of the children in the classroom.

Supporting Transitions

The SRB and an identified contact from the home school communicate closely throughout the placement to:

  • Ensure the children feel safe and secure in the arrangement
  • Identify and overcome any problems or issues encountered
  • Support consistency of approach between settings
  • Ensure that successful strategies are implemented in the classroom.

Staff from the home school are expected to visit the SRB regularly during the placement to observe and work alongside the child, and particularly toward the end of the placement as part of a planned transition programme.  This programme will focus on developing transferable skills and may also involve the child increasing the number of days spent in their home school. Recommendations for future support are made in a SRB Exit Report and one-page profile which are shared at a final meeting with parents/carers and home –school staff before the placement finishes. A follow-up visit is also arranged to check sustained progress, or identify on-going barriers to learning. The SRB can be contacted by school staff or parents for advice after cessation of the placement.

Monitoring and Assessment

Children are assessed on entry to the SRB in reading, number and personal development, using standardised tests to provide a baseline from which progress is measured. PIVATS (PERFORMANCE INDICATORS FOR VALUED ASSESSMENT & TARGETTED LEARNING) is used as a tool to assess, plan and track steps of progress. Data from these assessments and information from the home school’s pupil referrals is used to create an ‘Individual Learning Plan’ for each child. Children are carefully monitored in relation to the progress they have made towards their individual targets as part of the graduated response – ‘assess, plan, do, review’. Pupil data is ‘owned’ by the child’s home school, held at the SRB in accordance with our confidentiality policy and with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and communicated at review meetings and on other occasions as necessary. The SRB teacher may refer children to the SRB Outreach Support Teacher or SRB Educational Psychologist if there are concerns relating to progress or if additional barriers to learning are suspected. Assessment data is scrutinised according to Mile Cross Primary’s internal monitoring arrangements and by Norfolk County Council’s Children’s Services Commissioning Team which examines the overall effectiveness of the SRBs in Norfolk.

As part of Mile Cross Primary’s whole school development plan, the SRB is also evaluated through the monitoring of action plans and curriculum bids, the evaluation of teaching, book and work scrutiny and reports to the Full Governing Body.

Any queries relating to specific children within the SRB or to its overall management should be directed in the first instance to the SRB teacher or to the SENCO, Head Teacher or chair of governors if deemed necessary.

SRB Pupil Profiles

The SRB specialises in learning and cognition issues which constitute an identifiable barrier to learning which has lead to pupils ‘making less than expected progress’ as defined in the SEND Code of Practice 2015 (p.95)

Pupils admitted to the SRB:

  • Will be in Key Stage 1 at the time of referral, or due to commence Key Stage 1 at the start of placement.
  • May or may not hold a statement of SEN or an Education, Health and Care Plan.
  • Have assessed additional needs which relate primarily to learning difficulties but which may also encompass a range of secondary needs such as speech, language and communication, specific learning difficulty or physical, medical and sensory needs.
  • Be on roll at a mainstream school which has already deployed delegated school and cluster resources to support the learner, without significantly improving outcomes.
  • Have the potential to reintegrate into a mainstream school setting relevant to their age and stage of development and benefit from a differentiated mainstream curriculum.
  • Would not generally meet the criteria for a complex needs school.
  • May have difficulties with independent learning skills (including fluency, generalisation and organisation) or present with low self-confidence as a learner.

All pupils referred to the SRB are considered on an individual basis and places awarded with reference to the evidenced need of the particular child, the nature of the existing SRB cohort and the current availability of places in the base. The SRB also offers Outreach Support to schools in Norfolk to offer strategies and advice to those supporting pupils with learning and cognition difficulties. This can be accessed via an online referral system online referral system

The SRB constitutes part of Norfolk’s Local Offer and as such is publicised on the school website and Norfolk County Council’s webpages.

Review of SRB Policy

This policy has been written and agreed in conjunction with the Governing Body and will be regularly updated to reflect current legislation and guidance from the Local Authority.

The best people to contact for further information would be:

Mr. S. Allen                              Head Teacher

Mr A. Hardman                       SRB Teacher

Miss. E. Maceachern               SENCO

Mr. Rob Edwards                    SEN governor