Specialist Inclusion Base (Canberra Class)

Specialist SEMH Provision at Shirehampton

Shirehampton Primary School is proud to host a Specialist Resource Base (SRB) for primary-aged children with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs.

Our Resource Base provides a smaller, nurturing and highly supportive environment within our mainstream school. It enables pupils to receive specialist support while remaining part of the wider Shirehampton community and accessing mainstream learning and experiences wherever appropriate.

We recognise that behaviour is a form of communication. Our approach focuses on understanding each child, building trusting relationships and identifying the support they need to feel safe, regulate their emotions, engage with learning and experience success.

About Our Resource Base

Our Specialist Resource Base provides places for up to 12 pupils whose primary identified area of need is Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH).

The Resource Base is located within Shirehampton Primary School and forms an integral part of our wider school community. Pupils are members of the mainstream school and benefit from both specialist provision and opportunities to learn, play and develop relationships alongside their mainstream peers.

The provision offers a smaller and more flexible learning environment, enhanced adult ratios and an approach which recognises that children may need support with emotional regulation, relationships and readiness to learn before they are able to fully engage with academic learning.

Each child's provision is personalised according to their individual strengths, needs and outcomes.

Who Is the Resource Base for?

Our Resource Base is specifically designed for pupils whose primary area of need is SEMH and who require specialist provision beyond that which can ordinarily be provided within a mainstream classroom.

Children may experience significant difficulties with areas such as:

• Emotional regulation

• Managing anxiety or overwhelming feelings

• Building and maintaining relationships

• Understanding and communicating emotions

• Managing changes, transitions and expectations

• Engaging consistently with learning

• Developing confidence and self-esteem

• Managing behaviour safely

Children accessing the Resource Base will have individual profiles and needs; there is no single type of child who attends the provision.

Importantly, our Resource Base is designed for pupils who can benefit from being part of a mainstream school community and are able, with appropriate support, to access elements of mainstream provision.

Our Approach

Relationships are at the heart of our provision.

We understand that children experiencing SEMH difficulties may communicate their needs through their behaviour. Rather than simply focusing on the behaviour we can see, staff seek to understand what a child may be communicating and what support they need.

Our approach includes:

• Consistent, trusting relationships with adults
• Predictable routines and clear expectations
• Individualised support and provision
• Support to recognise and regulate emotions
• Opportunities to develop positive relationships with peers
• Explicit teaching of social and emotional skills
• Adaptations to learning and the environment
• Sensory and movement opportunities where appropriate
• Restorative approaches following difficulties
• Positive reinforcement and celebration of success
• Close communication between Resource Base and mainstream staff

We recognise that successful education extends beyond academic attainment, and our provision deliberately develops children's emotional wellbeing, relationships, independence and practical life skills alongside their academic learning.

We aim to help pupils gradually develop those skills, confidence and independence that they need to manage increasingly successfully within school and beyond.

Learning in the Resource Base

We have high expectations for all pupils and believe that children should have access to a broad, ambitious and meaningful curriculum.

Children accessing the Resource Base continue to develop their academic skills, with learning adapted to their individual starting points and needs. Alongside this, our curriculum places a strong emphasis on developing the social, emotional and practical skills children need to become increasingly confident and independent.

As part of their regular provision, pupils take part in:

• Weekly Forest School, providing opportunities to learn outdoors, build confidence, develop resilience, work collaboratively and experience success in a different environment.
• A social and emotional curriculum, supporting children to understand emotions, develop regulation strategies, build positive relationships and strengthen their social skills.
• Weekly life-skills sessions, including cooking, where children develop independence, communication, teamwork and practical skills for everyday life.
• Targeted academic learning and interventions, carefully matched to each child's individual needs and starting points.
• Mainstream curriculum opportunities, enabling children to learn alongside their peers in their mainstream classes wherever this is appropriate and successful.

For some pupils, being ready to learn begins with feeling safe, regulated and connected to trusted adults. We therefore carefully balance academic learning with social, emotional and practical development, recognising that progress looks different for every child.

Children's provision and progress are regularly reviewed so that the curriculum can evolve alongside their changing strengths, needs and readiness.

Mainstream Inclusion

Our Resource Base is not a separate school within Shirehampton. Inclusion within our mainstream school is a fundamental part of the provision.

All Resource Base pupils have opportunities to access mainstream school life according to their individual needs, readiness and strengths.

This may include:

• Learning alongside their mainstream peers

• Joining their year group for particular subjects or activities

• Assemblies and whole-school events

• Educational visits and enrichment opportunities

• Playtimes and lunchtimes

• Celebrations and special events

Mainstream access is carefully planned and reviewed for each child. For some pupils this may initially be for short periods, while others may access significant parts of their day within their mainstream class.

Our aim is not simply for children to be physically present in mainstream provision, but for their inclusion to be meaningful, successful and positive.

Supporting Social, Emotional & Mental Health Needs

Children may need help to understand their emotions, recognise what is happening in their bodies and develop strategies that enable them to feel safe and regulated.

Support is personalised and may include work around:

• Emotional literacy
• Regulation strategies
• Anxiety
• Relationships and friendships
• Social communication
• Problem solving
• Self-esteem and confidence
• Resilience
• Managing change and transitions
• Recognising triggers
• Repairing relationships following difficulties

Staff support children to develop these skills over time rather than expecting them to manage situations independently before they are ready.

Our Environment

The Resource Base provides a smaller, nurturing environment where routines and expectations are clear and predictable.

Children have access to spaces and resources that allow staff to adapt provision according to individual needs. This may include opportunities for quieter learning, small-group work, regulation, sensory activities and movement.

However, the Resource Base is not designed to provide continuous 1:1 adult support.

Staff work flexibly across the provision according to the needs of the pupils attending. Supporting children to develop independence and successfully access shared and mainstream environments is an important part of our approach.

Working With Families

Strong relationships with families are essential to the success of our provision.

We recognise that parents and carers know their children best and aim to work collaboratively with families to understand children's strengths, needs and experiences.

Depending on individual circumstances, this may include:

• Regular communication between home and school

• SEND and EHCP reviews

• Meetings to review provision and progress

• Transition planning

• Joint working with external professionals

• Sharing strategies between home and school

We want families to feel able to celebrate successes with us as well as discuss concerns when things are difficult.

Working with Other Professionals

Where appropriate, we work alongside professionals and specialist services to ensure provision reflects each child's individual needs.

These may include:

• Educational Psychologists

• Speech and Language Therapists

• Occupational Therapists

• Behaviour and Inclusion professionals

• Mental health services

• School Nursing

• Community Paediatrics

• Social Care

• Other professionals involved with the child

Any professional involvement will depend on the needs of the individual pupil.

Admissions & Placements

Places within Shirehampton Primary School's Specialist Resource Base are allocated through the Local Authority's specialist provision admissions process.

The Resource Base is specifically commissioned for pupils whose primary identified need is Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) and whose needs require specialist provision.

As part of the consultation process, consideration is given to whether the Resource Base can meet the child's individual needs and whether the placement is appropriate alongside the needs of pupils already within the provision.

As an inclusive Resource Base within a mainstream primary school, pupils must also be able to benefit from meaningful access to mainstream provision with appropriate support.

In line with our Local Authority Service Level Agreement, pupils are not admitted to the Resource Base after the Autumn Term of Year 5.

Parents and carers considering specialist provision should discuss this with their child's current school SENDCo and/or Local Authority SEND team.

Transition Into the Resource Base

We recognise that starting a new school or provision can be a significant transition, particularly for children with SEMH needs.

Where a placement is agreed, we work with the child's family, current setting and involved professionals to develop an appropriate transition plan.

This may include:

• Visits to Shirehampton

• Opportunities to meet key adults

• Photographs or visual information about the school

• Information sharing with the previous setting

• Gradual transition arrangements where appropriate

• Identifying strategies that already work well for the child

Transition arrangements are personalised because what helps one child feel secure may be very different from what another child needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Resource Base a separate class?

The Resource Base provides a specialist learning environment, but pupils remain part of Shirehampton Primary School. Children access both specialist and mainstream opportunities according to their individual needs.

Will my child have a 1:1 adult?

Not routinely. The Resource Base has enhanced staffing, but staff work across the provision to support all pupils. Where a child requires continuous individual support, this would need to be considered as part of whether the provision could appropriately meet their needs.

Will my child access a mainstream class?

Yes. Meaningful mainstream inclusion is an important part of the Resource Base model. The amount and type of mainstream access will vary according to each child's needs, strengths and readiness.

Can I apply directly to Shirehampton for a Resource Base place?

No. Resource Base placements are made through the Local Authority specialist provision process.

Does my child need an EHCP?

Specialist Resource Base placements are considered through the Local Authority process. Families should speak to their child's SENDCo or Local Authority SEND team about their child's individual circumstances and the appropriate pathway.

Is the Resource Base for children with autism?

Some children with SEMH needs may also have autism or other additional needs. However, our Resource Base is specifically commissioned for children whose primary identified area of need is SEMH. It is not an autism-specific provision.

What happens at playtime and lunchtime?

Resource Base pupils are part of the wider school community and, with appropriate support, access shared social times alongside mainstream pupils. Arrangements are adapted where necessary according to individual needs.

Find Out More

If you would like general information about our Specialist Resource Base, please contact the school office.

If you are seeking a specialist placement for your child, please speak to your child's current SENDCo or the Local Authority SEND team, as admissions to the Resource Base are managed through the Local Authority.