Kentish Town CE Primary School opened its Autism Resource Base in October 2011. Every classroom and shared space in the school was redesigned to ensure children with autism could be fully included in all aspects of school life.
An individual
schedule
Within each mainstream class, from Reception to Year 6, two places are allocated for children in the Autism Resource Base (ARB). The Autism Resource Base (ARB) has 15 places, across the whole primary age range, currently with one assessment place in Nursery. All pupils have an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP) and a diagnosis of autism. Currently, there are 19 children within the ARB and the provision is over subscribed.
We offer a full inclusion model as the children are fully included in the mainstream class for most of the school day. There is a funding ratio of 1:2 within the ARB with two children being supported by 1 teaching assistant (TA). This support is provided by a range of staff in the class as all TAs work together with the class teacher in class teams. These class teams are supported by the two additional teachers who are autism specialists.
The number of additional staff in the classroom depends on the level of need and the number of children with EHC plans as these can vary. All staff have training and experience in working with pupils with autism and work flexibly across a range of children supporting their individual needs in order to achieve the outcomes set in their EHC plans/Statements. Our main aim is to develop independence in children and to avoid the highly dependent relationships that can occur when a child spends all of their time at school being supported by the same TA.
For most children within the resource base, they will spend the majority of time in the mainstream class learning alongside their peers. The Early Years and National Curriculum is differentiated and adapted to meet the children’s needs and ensure they can make progress in all areas. In class, teachers and teaching assistants use visual, auditory and kinaesthetic resources to enhance learning, as well as using symbols, pictures, Makaton signs and PECS to enable children to understand tasks and support all learners. Turn-taking, social interaction and other social skills are embedded in mainstream teaching, as well as being a focus for small groups, as this is often an area of difficulty for a lot of children.
Sensory Room
Children will share playtimes, lunch and teaching with their mainstream peers, as well as having opportunities to work on a one-to-one or a small group with the specialist ARB teachers . Children will also benefit from the support from Speech and Language Therapists, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists and Educational Psychologists on site, and this will depend on the support package outlined in their EHC plan or statement of educational needs.
An individual workstation with workboxes
Kentish Town CE Primary School also has a Sensory Room, Therapy Room, as well as an Early Years Group Room and Woodland Classroom for interventions and small group work. Children are supported using a range of strategies including individual and class schedules, individual workstations and workboxes, as well as clear differentiated planning and Individual Educational Plans.
Any queries, contact Miriam Nadarajah or Marcia Freixeiro, Teachers in Charge of the Autism Resource Base on m.nadarajah@kentishtown.camden.sch.uk / m.freixeira@kentishtown.camden.sch.uk or 0207 485 1279.
This link is useful to parents or friends of children with autism. www.autism.org.uk
This website will help you support your child with Maths. www.numicon.com.
Read our quick guide to Autism here.
Tried and tested Days Out compiled by the parents in our Autism Resource Base.
Parties Poster
Birthday Party Story
Birthday Party Visuals
Playdates flyer
