Introduction

The Additional Resourced Provision for children with Moderate Learning Difficulties was opened at Earlsmead in September 2015. Our provision is for 12 children from Year 1 to Year 6. 

All children accessing the provision have Education and Health Care Plans (EHCPs). Children are taught within the resource base (known within the school as Saplings) in the mornings and are integrated with their mainstream class from lunchtime till the end of the school day. Our provision has two classes, Saplings 1 and Saplings 2 (6 children in each).

Saplings 1

Saplings 2

This provision is at the heart of our inclusive ethos here at Earlsmead and offers integrated teaching. This enables them to receive highly individualised specialist teaching for literacy and numeracy. If the children have speech and language targets, these are woven into their learning across the week.

Our aim is to close the gap within the areas of literacy, numeracy and communication and some children, since joining the provision, have managed to integrate fully into their mainstream classes. Every child is looked at individually and their morning timetable is set accordingly. For example, if a child makes significant progress in maths, they will then start to integrate into their mainstream class for this subject. All decisions regarding timetables are discussed with parents/ carers during the child's annual review. 

If any subject areas such as PE, music, computing or science are timetabled in the mornings within a child's mainstream class, they will then come out of Saplings to attend these lessons under the support of their other class team.

Please see attached an example of a child's timetable.

Saplings children are fully involved in all aspects of school life. For example, the two Saplings classes perform as one class for our whole school assemblies, as well as participate within their own mainstream class assemblies. 

We have our own play area, where, during our morning playtime, we can work on key skills such as;

• Communication
• Teamwork
• Resilience
• Physical development

We have a visual rota that the children follow, so that a variety of team skills and games are taught.

From Year 3 to Year 6, children are given the choice to play within the Saplings play area or play with their mainstream peers in the main playground. 

Our curriculum is adapted and supplemented by activities which help the children to 'see' their learning in a more practical and functional way. The children may take part in cooking and, during the summer term, the children rotate to go out on local community walks to the local shops, so that they can work on key skills such as; using money, road safety, making requests and following instructions (verbally and visually). 

Please look at the Saplings class pages to find out more about:

• Our curriculum
• Assemblies
• Community trips
• Pupil voice

 

How are children placed into the ARP?

Pupils who have special educational needs and attend Earlsmead Primary School are not guaranteed admission to the ARP and cannot simply move from our main classes into the ARP.

To be admitted to our ARP, a child must have:

• An education, health and care plan (EHCP) and our ARP named in their individual plan;
• Moderate learning difficulties
• Needs that are greater than or additional to the needs that can normally be met through full-time attendance at a mainstream school; and
• Meet our entry criteria.

Referrals will be sent to us by Harrow's special educational needs assessment team:

Harrow SEND Assessment Team,

PO Box 1358
Harrow
HA3 3QN

Telephone: 020 8051 8383

Email: senassessment.reviewservice@harrow.gov.uk

We consider the referral paperwork, possibly visiting the child in their education setting, to decide whether we can meet the child’s needs.

If we feel we are able to meet the child’s needs, we will invite parents to meet us and look around our ARP.  This will be followed by an entry process working with parents and the SEND Assessment Team.

There may be occasions when we cannot meet a child’s needs in our provision and the referral would be declined. 

 

If you would like to know more about the work of the ARP, please contact the SENCo/Assistant Headteacher for Inclusion (Catherine Fennell) at the school.  If you are interested in a placement for your child within the ARP, in the first instance, please contact SENARs at Harrow to discuss your child's needs.  

 

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