Resource Base

The Meadow is our new Special Needs and Autism Resource Base here at Easton CE Primary

About The Meadow

Welcome to ‘The Meadow’, a Resource Base supporting 12 pupils ranging from Year 1 to Year 3 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) for a primary need of Autism or Speech Language and Communication. Our priority is to ensure that pupils in The Meadow receive a broad, balanced and rewarding curriculum that gives them the skills and knowledge to excel in life and in their Education. The curriculum has been made in a way which will draw out and give priority to the most crucial aspects of the Early Years Foundation Stage and the National Curriculum to give our children knowledge and the means to reach their full potential and independence.

Our context

Our Specialist Resource Base provision opened in January 2024 for 12 children with Education, Health and Care plans (EHCP) with a primary need of Autism or Speech Language and Communication Needs (SLCN). As an inclusive school we have seen this as a fantastic opportunity to provide specialist provision for the children and families of Central Bristol.

Our children

Our resource base provision is best suited to children who are able to access some mainstream learning alongside specialist teaching. Children have access to a high quality school curriculum which has been adapted from the National Curriculum.  Children from The Meadow are very much seen as being integral members of the school community and their provision is designed to be unique to each child, taking into account their own needs and interests. 

The Meadow staffing team are

Mrs McDermott - SENDCO                          Mrs Hasa - Teacher

Ms Bauer                     Ms Aden                    Ms Dhiblawe             Mrs Sultana

Our Curriculum

By incorporating our curriculum , we prioritise the skills that are key to each individual. We break down each of these skills into small steps so that as they are being taught, they enable the children to grasp the skill and use it independently. By combining the individual targets set out in their EHCP and the curriculum, we are able to best support our pupils to success. The curriculum follows classroom-based learning but, also supports sensory differences and access to sensory resources and a weekly Forest School session which is held on site. Due to our tailor-made curriculum, we regularly plan opportunities to enhance their cultural capital by including them in mainstream lessons such as music, PE and trips.

We believe in applying a holistic approach to learning, by working closely with a range of multi- agency professionals to support each child’s curriculum and give the best outcomes for our pupils. These professional partnerships include Educational Psychologists, Sensory Occupational Therapists and Speech and Language Therapists.

We look forward to working alongside all individuals to give the best education and learning space for our pupils so that they are able to thrive and excel in their educational journey.

Applying for places

Places at The Meadow are allocated through the SEND team at Bristol City Council. They need to have an Education, Health and Care plan with a primary need of ASC or Speech Language and Communication Needs SLCN. Unfortunately we are unable to offer provision to children wishing to move from our mainstream classes to the resource base unless they have been offered a place through the LA SEND team. 

Currently we have no places in any of our resource base classes.

The Meadow:

Our priority is to ensure that pupils in ‘The Meadow’ receive a broad, balanced and rewarding curriculum that gives them the skills and knowledge to excel in life and in their Education. The curriculum has been made in a way which will draw out and give priority to the most crucial aspects of the Early Years Foundation Stage and the National Curriculum to give our children knowledge and the means to reach their full potential and independence.

By incorporating our curriculum, we prioritise the skills that are key to each individual. We break down each of these skills into small steps so that as they are being taught, they enable the children to grasp the skill and use it independently. By combining the individual targets set out in their EHCP and the curriculum, we are able to best support our pupils to success. The curriculum follows classroom-based learning but, also supports sensory differences and access to sensory resources. Due to our tailor-made curriculum, we regularly plan opportunities to enhance their cultural capital by including them in mainstream lessons such as music, PE and trips whenever possible.

We believe in applying a holistic approach to learning, by working closely with a range of multi- agency professionals to support each child’s curriculum and give the best outcomes for our pupils. These professional partnerships include Educational Psychologists, Sensory Occupational Therapists and Speech and Language Therapists.

We look forward to working alongside all individuals to give the best education and learning space for our pupils so that they are able to thrive and excel in their educational journey.

Our Intent, Implementation and Impact

Easton Primary Resource Base is an integral part of the academy, which fulfils the vision of the academy in that, “Our vision is Being Different, Belonging Together.”

Easton Primary Resource Base is for students with an EHCP who have significant social communication and speech and language difficulties.  While the students are currently mainly taught by an SEN teacher within the base, the overall aim is that they will be integrated wherever possible into the main learning of the academy.

To be read in tandem with Easton Primary Curriculum Overview: Curriculum Overview - Easton CE Primary (eceps.org.uk)

The Specialist Resource Base curriculum is specifically adapted from the EYFS and National Curriculum to provide for the academic and personal development of all pupils. The starting point for the curriculum is the individual child and making the learning enjoyable is fundamentally important. The balance between subject based sessions, personal, behavioural and therapeutic input may vary for each of these pupils and is planned according to individual needs. A range of specialised communication approaches including, Makaton, PECS and TEACCH strategies are used and there is a great emphasis placed on communication skills for all our learners. 

At Easton Resource Base we focus on three priorities Communication, Independence, and Belonging.

Communication                                                                                                            

Most of our students are at the earliest stage of language development. We want all students to develop a form of functional communication so that by the time they leave us they have a voice and can:   

Communicate their ideas and emotions.   

Express needs, wants and preferences.   

Voice an opinion        

Give an idea.    

Ask and answer a question.       

Engage in and start a conversation.

Independence  

All students develop a level of independence, to enable them to become empowered in the activities they take part in.

We would like them to be:

Happy, healthy and confident learners. 

To know and experience the joy of learning new things and mastering new skills.

We would like them by the time they leave us to:

Communicate confidently. 

Problem solve.   

Physically able to support themselves with various activities. 

Actively explore and participate in activities that are enjoyed and promote their talents.

Take ownership of their choices and decisions.

Belonging  

 All students will be an active member of the school and wider community, now and throughout their lives. We would like them to have a sense of belonging and use their talents to contribute to the school and wider community.

To have a sense of belonging and place within the school and wider community.   

To have some understanding of their own heritage and the heritage and history of others in our community.       

To have some sense of pride in their own family, culture and traditions.

To regard their own identity as a strength and a thing of beauty.

Implementation

We implement this intent through a broad and balanced curriculum, adapted to the individual needs of our students. Our intent is to provide a bespoke, holistic, engaging, aspirational and playful approach to learning. The Characteristics of Effective Learning are at the heart of the curriculum with the intent of building upon our children’s abilities to learn and understand that they learn in different ways. 

Easton CE Primary has developed a vibrant and balanced EYFS curriculum in line with the new framework and we have adapted this to fit their Individual Education Plans so that small steps can be measured at regular intervals and many of the children have skills in this area which they are still developing.

We approach this through a total communication methodology based on curiosity and play. The main areas of focus are:  

Communication and Language

Physical Development

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

This is explored through:    

Literacy

Maths

Understanding the World      

Expressive Arts and Design

All of the students in our Resource Base are currently following the EYFS or an adaptation of the National Curriculum in Years 1 to 3, with a focus on Year 2.  Our topic plans are developed in conversation with the Key Stage curriculum leads. 

Impact:

Every child in the Resource Base has an EHCP with personalised learning outcomes set in the four areas: Physical, Cognition, Communication and SEMH which are reviewed in EHCP reviews each year with input from families, external agencies and the teacher and teaching assistants.  Each child has an Individual Education Plan with targets which are broken down into outcomes and targets related to the four areas of need.  These are woven through the daily planning and teaching so that students are working on these targets every day and tracking is made through observations of progress as measured through Smartbox’s Connecting Steps, which links to the EYFS and the National Curriculum.

The curriculum is a stimulating multi-sensory approach to learning for all our children, encouraging learning through exploration and more awareness of visual, auditory and tactile experiences. The curriculum is designed to create opportunities for developing social interaction, combining emotional and social development with academic and cognitive growth.