Resource Base Provision

Speech and Language Resource Base

All children who are allocated a place within our Speech and language Resource Base have a primary need of speech or language disorder and should have a speech and language report diagnosing DLD (Developmental language disorder) indicating the child needs intensive, regular speech and language therapy. They should also be receiving and responding to Speech and language therapy.

Teaching and learning within the base has a holistic approach and focuses upon providing as many opportunities to develop speech and language as possible. Teachers work alongside NHS therapists to support learning using a wide variety of strategies.

All the children in the Resource Base have access to Speech and Language Therapists from the NHS, this might include one-to-one therapy sessions, or targeted group sessions.

We have capacity for 18 children within our Speech and language Resource Base. The children are taught in two classes, which are of mixed age. In each class there is a Teacher and Teaching Assistant to help support the children.

 

 

The Speech and Language Resource Base charter

Vision

Our aim is to provide specialist teaching and therapeutic Speech and Language (S+L) support for children with Speech Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) To work to a high professional standard by providing an environment where children with SLCN make good and outstanding progress especially in their Speech, language and communication in order to enable pupils to fulfil their potential and successfully return to full time mainstream provision.  

 

Environment

The environment plays a key role in the acquisition of language skills.

• Children are educated in a happy, safe, language rich environment, which could include role play areas, a conversation station.
• Enhanced listening environment- reducing background noise and distractions where possible.
• Children should be able to have face-to-face or close contact with the teacher from where they are seated.
• Speech and language targets on display.
• Specific speech and language tools around the classroom for staff to use- colourful shapes, cued articulation, word aware.
• Visual resources/ symbol support on display to support language and learning.
• Visual timetables- use pictures, symbols or photographs. For younger children, having a visual timeline can be very effective.
• Equipment and areas labelled for specific activities- pictures, symbols, photographs or written labels, sound buttons.
• Supportive visual displays of topics or current activities. This can be used to reinforce information.
• Routines of the classroom or activity very explicit- use of visual cues to support as needed.
• Praise and reward good speaking and listening.
• Use good examples of speaking to reinforce good communication. ‘Jacob, you spoke really clearly, and we could all hear what you said, well done.’
• Allow time for the pupils to answer.
• Pupil profiles on display or in class folder for mainstream teacher to make use of strategies to support child within class.
• Encourage independence-

Instructions for children to follow themselves (task board)

Resources – list of equipment for children to find and gather themselves before a lesson starts.

 

 

Planning

Integrating SLT activities within the curriculum can provide a relevant context to support learning and improve a child’s opportunities to use their skills in a more generalised way.

• Delivering the curriculum using language focused techniques/ approaches.
• Use of specific speech and language tools incorporated into planning- eg. colourful shapes, cued articulation, word aware.
• Building in opportunities for frequent repetition and consolidation.
• Developing cross curricular themes to facilitate reinforcement and consolidation.
• Having clear learning objectives.
• Technology to support children recording work/ children’s voices eg. using sound buttons/I pads.
• Break down tasks and instructions into manageable ‘chunks’, with step- by- step symbol or picture cards (when needed) to back up short, clear, verbal explanations.
• Multisensory approaches to stimulate, engage and support children with their learning.
• Liaison with teachers to support learning of pupils in the mainstream setting.

 

Teaching

 

• Small group and 1:1
• Team teaching with speech and language therapist
• Emphasis on teaching language skills- phonic awareness, expressive language, vocabulary, specific grammar, comprehension, repetition of key concepts.
• Concepts delivered in language children can access and new learning continually broken down into small, achievable steps.
• Prompting with cues.
• Opportunities to integrate with mainstream children to meet child’s specific needs.
• Real-life experiences – use of real objects in teaching and trips and visits to reinforce learning.

 

 

Assessment

• Regular access to speech and language assessments to underpin academic progress.
• Standardised tests to measure small steps of progress.
• Immediate verbal feedback given to children during the lesson.
• Use technology (e.g. digital cameras) and observation to record work and progress
• Regular feedback and meetings with parents/ carers

 

Resources

• Specialist resources e.g. shape coding, cued articulation
• Use of visual prompts
• Use of Widgit software to create visual/ symbol support for learning.

 

Speech and Language Therapy

• Specific speech and language programmes carried out with individual children by therapists and school staff.
• Group teaching of: oro-motor skills, phonological awareness, narrative, social skills etc. 

 

Multidisciplinary Approach

• Collaboration between staff and other professionals to meet the individual needs of the child: Health, Local Authority, Community
• Liaison with professionals from other schools to aid transition to and from the SLCN base
• Regular communication with parents and carers

 

Professionalism

• Adults are trained in specific approaches to teaching children with DLD.
• Ongoing CPD to keep up to date with latest research/ strategies.
• Adults model and disseminate expertise and good practice to mainstream colleagues.

ASD Resource Base

At Topcliffe we have five resource bases to accommodate 36 pupils with a diagnosis of an Autistic Spectrum Condition. Class sizes range up to 10 pupils. We recognise that each child is an individual and it is our aim to equip each child with skills and strategies to enable them to access, enjoy and succeed in school, reaching their full potential.  We promote inclusion across school life at Topcliffe with children accessing a variety of learning and social activities alongside their mainstream peers, when appropriate.

RB Curriculum

In our Yews Resource Base class our children follow the National Curriculum and link with the curriculum for our mainstream pupils with some adaptations to support access to the curriculum.  In Sunflowers, Lilies, Buttercups and Willows classes our children benefit from a bespoke and individualised Pathways curriculum offer. 

You can find more information about our Pathways curriculum here: Resource Base Pathways Curriculum - Topcliffe School

Many children have individualised timetables, which are regularly reviewed, enabling them to access learning in the way which supports them to succeed, which may be within resource base or mainstream classes. Each resource base class has an individualised curriculum, that aligns with a mainstream group, which is weighted to address the social, communication and sensory needs of the pupils. Holistic and developmental achievement has as much significance as academic progress and is celebrated with the same enthusiasm.

Within Resource Base classes the environment and teaching approaches are adapted to incorporate thinking from a range of sources. Children have access to low arousal individual and group work spaces, calm corners and social areas. When establishing each classroom environment and groupings, the pupils individual sensory, learning, social and emotional needs are taken into account.  Teaching approaches that are used within the Resource Bases are based upon a structured teaching approach and incorporate TEACCH methods alongside visual support.

If pupils integrate into the mainstream classes many of the strategies used with the resource bases are adapted and implemented to ensure pupils succeed and access the learning. Our mainstream environments have similar nurturing environments and attempt to mirror resource base practice where possible in the larger class environment.

We endeavour to provide our children with as broad and balanced an education as possible.  Our children have regular opportunities to take part in outdoor education activities and offsite visits throughout the year and residential visits which are planned in the summer term.

All staff across the school have received training from the Autism Education Trust.  We continue to work closely with a range of outside professionals to update our knowledge and understanding of specialist areas including Behaviour Support Service, Communication and Autism Team, Educational Psychologists, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists and Pupil and School Support Service. All staff are team teach trained and work in a holistic way to support children development.

Children and their families play an important role in what we do in school. We work closely with children to obtain their thoughts, feelings and opinions on a daily basis. There is regular home school communication and collaboration through a variety of means and this continues to have a significant impact upon the children in our school.