The Bridge @ Brigg Primary.

The Bridge is an eight place resourced base provision for KS2 pupils with a diagnosis of Autism. All pupils have an Educational and Health Care Plan (EHCP) and places are allocated in collaboration with the North Lincolnshire SEND team.  Within ‘The Bridge’ there is a classroom, sensory/calm room, kitchen area, quiet playground with garden area.

Bridge is an integral part of Brigg Primary School and promotes an inclusive environment where all pupils, families and staff are respected as valued members of the school community.  We work closely with parents, communicating via home school diaries, telephone calls or daily face to face contact.

Integration and Inclusion

Opportunities for integration are carefully planned in order to ensure successful outcomes for all.  All children in the resource base have the opportunity to integrate with their mainstream peers in a way which is meaningful to each individual. Support is carefully planned for each child, through the use of visuals, carefully scaffolded tasks, and adult support where needed.

Pupils in The Bridge have access to the whole school community in a way which is meaningful to each individual such as: having the opportunity to join in playtimes, eat in the main lunch hall, join assemblies, access school trips, form part of the school council, and access extra-curricular after school and lunch time clubs.

A carefully tiered programme for integration is to be set out in the following steps:

• Pupils feel safe in school and have clear and embedded routines in The Bridge
• Develop positive relationships with key staff across the school and know the key areas of the school
• Developing positive link with pupils in the mainstream class through the development of friendship groups/buddy systems
• Opportunities to play and interact with mainstream peers in The Bridge playground or main playground.
• The Bridge Lead liaises with class teachers, sharing pupil passports and planning opportunities for pupils to join in sessions (where appropriate)
• Plan supported transition visits to mainstream class.
• The Bridge lead to monitor and review ongoing opportunities for integration in conjunction with The Bridge staff, parents and mainstream staff.

Staff in the Bridge

The room is led by an experienced member of specialist staff who is supported by a small team of teaching assistants. Staff including the school’s SENDCo and other members of the SLT oversee the operational and strategic aspects of the provision.

Monitoring

In order to ensure that our Specialist Resource Provision is having a positive impact on our pupils, the following is applied:

• Close liaison between class teachers and the lead practitioner to ensure that learning provision is relevant, suitable and in line with pupils’ peers.
• Provision within The Bridge is monitored as part of the whole school monitoring and evaluation framework to ensure delivery is effective.
• Collection of digital evidence to record pupils’ academic, social and emotional achievements.
• Pupil Voice to gather children’s views on the Specialist Resource Provision.
• Parent Voice to gather parents’ views on the impact of the Specialist Resource Provision on their children.
• Weekly meetings between the lead practitioner and SENDCO/HT.
• Termly review meetings with the LA SEND team and ASET to monitor the working of the provision.

Specialist Provision

Some children working in The Bridge, may need to access additional provision and the school may implement the following for individuals where required:

• Bespoke speech and language therapy
• Mental Health Support Worker
• Lego Therapy
• Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) intervention groups led by the staff
• Educational Psychologists

Entry Pathway to ‘The Bridge’.

Prior to placement

• Commissioned placements will be agreed through the Local Authority Decision Making Meeting held on a weekly basis.
• Decisions about placements will be made by the Panel after considering the following:

1. 1. Education, Health & Care Plan.
   2. Reports from external professionals/agencies (where applicable).
   3. Information provided by current educational setting.
   4. Information provided by professionals currently involved, from within the authority, i.e. – SEND Team, Specialist Inclusion Team (where applicable).
   5. Parental Preference.
   6. Pupil Voice.

• Following the consideration of all available information and ensuing discussions, if agreed, the panel will agree to commission a place at The Bridge and will issue a formal consultation in line with the SEND Code of Practice.

Requests for time limited assessment places will also be discussed at the termly review meetings at school.  If a pupil accesses the resourced provision on a time limited assessment placement, an individual agreement between the SEND Team, school and parents of the pupil will be compiled, with the duration of the assessment placement and expected outcomes clearly stated from the outset. 

• The Bridge team will read the EHCP, Annual Review and relevant paperwork. Their response will also be in line with looking at their current cohort.
• SEN Team panel will then determine the final decision.
• If a decision to be placed in The Bridge is positive the setting will be named on the final EHCP.

Transition process

• The Bridge lead and either SENDCo or HT will complete a visit to the current setting to meet the child, talk to staff, observe current workings and meet the parents
• An information booklet will be shared with the child and family about The Bridge; the school day, contact details, etc
• A visit to The Bridge will be arranged for the child and family
• A phased integration into The Bridge will be created, this is bespoke to the individual child and their needs

Exit Pathways

• Exit from the resourced provision will usually be through an Annual Review of the pupil EHC Plan, though an early Annual Review can be convened if concerns arise at any point.

• It is anticipated that following the termly Resourced Provision Review Meetings, members of the group will be in a position to make recommendations around the pupils next steps.

Exit from the provision will be for one of the following reasons:

• Phase Transfer.
• Transition to a full-time mainstream placement either within the current school or an alternative local mainstream school.
• Transition to a Specialist setting.

In considering whether a transition to either a full-time mainstream placement or Specialist setting is appropriate, the Annual Review meeting will look at how successfully the pupil is able to operate in the mainstream with the support structures and/or reasonable adjustments made available to them, alongside the support provided through the EHC Plan.

A resourced provision placement is likely to cease in favour of a mainstream placement, when the pupil can:

• Function with good independence within the wider school and without the regular scaffolds / support provided within the resourced provision.
• Access most of the mainstream curriculum activities with support and/or reasonable adjustments available through mainstream school provision.
• Access most of the mainstream social activities with support and/or reasonable adjustments available through mainstream school provision.

A resourced provision placement is likely to cease in favour of an alternative Specialist setting placement if despite the scaffolds / support provided through the resourced provision, alongside the reasonable adjustments available through the mainstream school provision, the pupil is:

• Not accessing any curriculum or social activities within the SRP.
• Unable to function with good independence within the SRP.
• Demonstrating little to no progress against EHCP outcomes whilst accessing the SRP.

Pupils who move from the resourced provision into the main school, following a successful placement will remain on the roll of the school with access to the support structures and/or reasonable adjustments available to other school pupils.  They will also continue to receive assistance with home/school transport in line with authority transport policy, to maintain a successful school placement.  Support to develop independent travel skills will also be offered where appropriate.    

There will be an interim support period agreed between the school SENDCO and The Bridge Teacher to support the successful transition of any pupils moving from the resourced provision into the mainstream setting. 

Where the resourced provision staff have only a limited involvement and support is provided largely through wider school mechanisms, it is anticipated that this period will usually be around half a term in duration.

In the event of a permanent exclusion the resourced provision placement will cease following completion of the appeals process in line with relevant government legislation. It is anticipated that in most situations an early Annual Review of the EHC Plan will be coordinated prior to a permanent exclusion.

Further Information

For further information please contact us at the School or Email thebridge@briggprimary.co.uk