King Richard III Infant and Nursery School

We can do it! We never give up - anything is possible!

Designated Specialist Provision (DSP)

Staff in the DSP

Mrs Philippa Plant Lead Teacher

Miss Anna Wisniewska Level 3 TA

Mrs Liz Atkins Level 2 TA

Miss Sharon Perkins Level 2 TA

Miss Lisa George Level 2 TA

Designation Communication, Interaction and Assessment

Age range 3 - 7yrs (F1 to Yr2)

Available Spaces 10

In our DSP, we aim to…

- Provide children with specialist teaching, equipment and strategies targeting their individual needs

- Provide a safe and purposeful environment in which the children feel supported, secure and happy

- Celebrate individuals, develop their confidence and reach their full potential

- Provide a personalised curriculum that meets each child’s needs, using a wide range of teaching methods and strategies

- Provide meaningful opportunities for focused intervention groups or 1 to 1 sessions

- Encourage children to work and play with their peers in our mainstream classes for specific lessons or parts of the day, wherever this is beneficial and appropriate, to allow children become part of the wider school community

- Work in close, positive partnership with parents, carers and other professionals

Admission criteria

The DSP is for children who may already have an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP) or who are being assessed and for whom an EHCP may be appropriate in the future.

We are ready to support children with difficulties in communication and interaction or in sensory processing, as well as children with complex needs that are still being assessed.

Decisions about admissions cannot be made by the school.

Children requiring a place will go through:

- the SES admissions route and

- their EHCP meetings

Children who gain a place will usually be from Leicester City or Leicestershire.

Provision and Facilities

The DSP caters for 10 children across early years and into Key Stage 1. Most children will have an EHCP, but we do have spaces for the assessment of children who have communication and interaction needs.

The DSP is at the heart of our school and therefore has access to all our mainstream school areas and facilities, including a multi-sensory room.

The classroom is designed to support children with communication and interaction needs. Each child has their own workstation providing a low distraction area for 1:1 teaching and learning. The classroom has visual systems embedded within practice and each child is supported to manage their individual visual timetable.

Each child will have bespoke learning opportunities linked to their individual EHCP outcomes. They will access DSP whole class teaching, 1:1 sessions at their personal workstation, independent workstation tasks, small group learning, whole class and small group mainstream teaching, access to mainstream continuous provision in the Early Years and tailored evidence based interventions.

Interventions

Each child will take part in several different interventions during their time in the DSP. Each intervention is evidence based and recommended to support children with communication and interaction needs.

The Interventions we currently offer are:

Attention Autism
Intensive Interaction
Play Interaction
PECs
Colourful Semantics
Funtime
Dough Disco
Tacpac
Sensory massage
Sensory Circuits
Zones of Regulation

Home-to-school transport.

If needed, transport will be provided in accordance with the Local Authority SEND transport policy.

Identifying and reviewing need

The DSP will operate within the framework of the revised SEND code of practice 2014 and Local Authority Guidance.

All children with an EHCP will have individualised outcomes to work towards. Progress towards these outcomes will be continually monitored. The outcomes are formally reviewed 3 times a year (once will be as part of the annual EHCP review process) with parents/carers. At these meetings, new outcomes may be set in collaboration with professionals, parents/carers and the child, where appropriate.

Children’s outcomes will be shared with all professionals involved with the child.

As part of classroom practice, other formal and informal assessments will take place, where appropriate; these assessments will be completed by the DSP staff team, SENCO and other agencies

Access to other curriculum areas and strengths for the individual child

We are very proud to be an inclusive school. The DSP is a highly-valued and integral part of King Richard III Infant and Nursery School.

The curriculum within the DSP will reflect the needs of the children and provide them with focused and meaningful learning; this will be planned to address the social, communication and interaction needs for each child.

Children will also have access to mainstream classes as part of an inclusive offer. The amount of time spent within these classes will be individual to the child and only when there is clear benefit to them. During these times, the child will be supported appropriately to ensure these experiences are positive and successful. This will ensure that the individual needs of the children are met.

Home school links

All children will have a home school book that will share information on a daily basis.

Parent/carers are actively encouraged to be involved with all aspects of their child’s education. Parents’ evening meetings are held twice a year (October and February), EHCP reviews are held yearly but outcomes are reviewed three times a year. Parents/ carers are welcome in school at any time.

Please do not hesitate to contact the class teacher if you need to; this can be done by contacting the school office or through your child’s home school book.

What our parents say about us

For the last 18mths X has achieved so much, her communication, learning, even writing her name and this is down to the core support of all at KR3 school, especially Blossom class. She also has so many lovely friends

We would like to thank you for all you do for Blossom class.

Strongly agree that the staff do an amazing job, the children are all encouraged and supported to join in all the activities. Thank you for all the support and peace of mind for parents knowing they are in good hands

I think Blossom class teachers are doing an amazing job

The competence and diligence of the staff in Blossom class is reflected in X encouraging improvement in his interpersonal engagement, notable progress in his comprehension of and interest in the classroom activities, well done

X will often repeat ‘likes new school’ whilst talking to us at home. Her communication has improved, thank you so much for all your hard work, much appreciated

Links Beyond School

Staff will have access to training and a full range of service from the Local Authority and Specialist Education Service (SES).