Our Resource Base
About Us
At St. Paul’s School we are extremely proud and excited to run a 10 place Resource Base for pupils with Complex Needs, including those with Communication and Interaction difficulties. Our Resource Base opens in September 2024 with a view to expand to 20 places in September 2025.
All pupils allocated a Resource Base place have an Education Health and Care Plan (ECHP). All pupils who attend our school have been referred to us via the Local Authority.
Children who attend the Resource Base have their own classroom called Neeld Class, but we encourage and facilitate inclusion within the mainstream as much as possible. How much time each pupil spends in mainstream is completely based on their individual needs and will be different for everyone.
The aim of our Resource Base is to create a calm, structured and happy environment in which the pupils feel safe and secure and can learn and develop both their academic skills alongside the things set out in their EHCP. The children are supported by a well-qualified staff team.
Many of the children within our Resource Base struggle with emotional regulation, we aim to equip them with specific strategies in order to deal with stressful situations. We work towards enabling them to understand and function in the world we live in to the best of their abilities and as independently as possible.
We believe collaboration with parents and carers is key to ensuring the best possible outcomes for pupils. As some children may travel to school each day on transport, our online learning platform - See Saw - provides an opportunity for parents and staff to communicate on a regular basis. It also allows the children's learning experiences and achievements to be shared with families too. We also welcome parents and carers to telephone or email school for updates. In addition to the statutory Educational, Health and Care Plan Annual Review meetings, three parent meetings are held to discuss each child’s progress.
Admissions
All pupils allocated a place in the Resource Base are referred to us via a Local Authority. A pupil’s place with be agreed with the school after a period of consultation. Part of the consultation may involve a member of our staff speaking to the pupil’s current school and meeting them in their setting. If a pupil’s place has been agreed, you will receive an Education, Health Care Plan (EHCP) naming St. Paul’s Resource Base as the named school and you will receive a letter allowing you to accept or decline the place offered.
Once you have accepted the place we will contact you to arrange to meet you and to visit your child in their current setting. At this time we will send you a ‘Welcome Pack’ with Parent information as well as a pack for your child to help prepare them for the move. Within this pack there will be photographs of the Resource Base learning environment, teaching staff and Teaching Assistants.
Transition into our Resource Base
It may be that your child’s first visit to our Resource Base will take place after school when there are fewer distractions or pupils present; enabling your child an opportunity to explore, without the added anxiety of other children. This also allows your child the opportunity to meet the staff on a one-to-one basis and for the staff to meet your child.
Subsequent visits are during the school day and are usually supported by familiar staff from your child’s current setting. The number of visits will be decided upon based on individual needs.
Once a child is on our school role, it may be that a further period of transition is needed. For some pupils a period of part-time attendance may be required. This may mean only attending for a few hours a day for the first week and gradually building up over time. This allows pupils the time to build confidence in the staff and the school, without feeling overwhelmed. We want children to have really positive first experiences at our school. This slower entry to school also allows staff to get to know each child’s unique profile fully before they attend full-time.
The transition pathway for each child will be mutually agreed between parent/carers and the school, will be unique and will be needs led.
Provisions
We currently have access to 2 classrooms for 10 pupils. In September 2025 it is expected to increase to 20 places. Having a large amount of space for a small number of pupils allows all children within the Resource Base to be taught at their level of learning and their learning style and within school groups. One of the classrooms provides learning on a more continuous provision style, while the other provides a more formal learning style. The children within the Resource Base may access both rooms throughout the week for different learning opportunities, or may only access one type of provision. We are also lucky to have a very secure outdoor space, small breakout rooms and a sensory room. The children in the Resource Base have access to their own toilets.
All pupils within the Resource Base have access to core subjects (Maths, English and Science) and the Foundation subjects (all other subjects). Early Reading is taught using the Little Wandle programme which has an evidence informed SEN package which can be used when needed. In Maths we use Mastering Number and White Rose but this is taught in an adapted way dependent on need. For the other subjects, we use a topic-based approach to learning, which engages children and helps them to build skills in learning and thinking. The children are taught from the Primary National Curriculum, using a differentiated approach adapted to the individual needs. Within the Resource Base there is a high focus on Personal, Social and Emotional Development and therefore this is taught daily and is reinforced through emotional coaching when needed.
Regular teacher assessment takes place, which allow for close monitoring of the pupil’s progress.
Each child has an Individual Education Plan (IEP) which reflects the outcomes in each pupil’s EHCP. These targets and interventions are reviewed three times a year. Progress and new targets are communicated with parents.
The Resource Base also has many visiting professionals, who work with the children depending on their individual needs. These professionals include, Speech and Language Therapists, Educational Psychologists, Occupational Therapists, Physio Therapists and the School Nurse. These professionals support and give advice to ensure children’s access to their education.
The start of the day can be a difficult time for children, especially as many arrive by transport, and require time to settle into the school environment. Therefore, each morning we have a dedicated ‘Soft Start’. The aim of the Soft Start is to support students in having a positive start to their day. It is a time where child-to-child and child-to-adult relationships are positively fostered and reinforced. This is a time to prepare students mentally and emotionally for the day ahead and can include many different activities such as:
The children will then have an opportunity to enjoy a snack together, while applying communication and interaction skills while talking through the daily routine using visuals. This is an opportunity for staff to reinforcing the rules and responsibilities that each pupils has when they attend the Resource Base.
Meet the Resource Base Team
Mr Upton
Head Teacher and Safeguarding Lead
Mrs Wilkins
Deputy Head, SENCO and Resource Base Lead
Mrs Gray-Clark
Resource Base Teacher
Miss Parkinson
TA
Miss Forde
TA
Mrs Burton
TA