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Specialist Provisions & Schools

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Resourced Provisions

Children in resource provisions (RP) are placed on the role of the mainstream school in which they are attached.
Pupils will have an education, health, and care plan (EHCP)*.
Places are allocated via the formal EHC consultation process.

RPs provide tailored curriculums that meet the specific primary special educational need and or disability of pupils.
This may include increased staff ratios than that typically found in a mainstream classroom.
Children typically wear the same uniform as their mainstream peers.

*Not all Oakhill Primary pupils have an EHC plan.

Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 (ages 3 – 7 years)
Primary needs: Communication and Interaction, Speech, Communication and Language Needs
Overview: Oakhill Resource Provision opened in September 2004 as a provision for children who have Developmental Language Disorder. Although it is expected that children attend Oakhill Resourced Provision (ORP) for 4 terms, this is dependent upon progress and some return to their school earlier. 


Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 (ages 5 – 11 years)
Primary needs: Communication and Interaction
Overview: Children access teaching learning in a separate classroom when required, to follow the National Curriculum at their pace and the level at which they are working at. Children within the provision can and still access mainstream lessons as and when is appropriate for them.


Primary needs: Communication and Interaction, Speech, Communication and Language Needs
Overview: Children have a primary need of SLCN (speech, language and communication need) and a diagnosis of developmental language disorder, linked to speech, expressive or receptive language. This will be the child’s biggest barrier to learning at the time. The child’s cognitive ability will be broadly in line with their typical age, as assessed by an Educational Psychologist.


Primary needs: Communication and Interaction / Autism Spectrum Disorder
Overview: The Resource Provision at Meadstead Primary Academy was opened in January 2000. Meadstead aims to provide a high-quality education based on the needs of the child through a broad, balanced, relevant and excellent curriculum.


Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 (ages 11 – 16 years)
Primary needs: Communication and Interaction / Autism Spectrum Disorder
Overview: This provision supports students with communication and interaction difficulties. Carlton believes that all students should be valued equally, treated with respect and be given equal opportunities in all forms of school life.


Primary needs: Cognition and Learning
Overview: Athena was opened in September 2018. Athena accommodates students both on roll at the school with an identified SEND and students with an EHC plan. The full broad and balanced curriculum is offered at KS3 but allocations to English and maths are significantly increased to aide accelerated progress in these fundamental areas.
Students enter the provision in year 7 and have the opportunity to graduate back into the mainstream school once they are working in line with their peers in English and maths. However, if a student is not ready to graduate by the end of year 9, they will remain with Athena until the end of KS4 where they embark on a comprehensive and bespoke set of qualifications that prepare students for life beyond school.


Heart Space at Penistone Grammar School
Primary needs: Cognition and Learning
Overview: HeartSpace’s resource provision offer is split into three pathways dependant on a student’s academic ability, communication and interaction needs and SEMH needs.
The resource provision is pathway 2 and 3. See specialist resource provision for pathway 1.


  • Resource provision pathway 2: HeartSpace students will access mainstream lessons but complete several lessons in Heartspace dependent on their academic and or social and emotional needs. Students will have the opportunity to study both mainstream subject qualifications and Heartspace KS4 offer dependant on which subjects they access.
  • Resource provision pathway 3: HeartSpace students will access mainstream lessons with support from Heartspace staff and any social emotional support needs. Students will complete all qualifications in mainstream.

SEN Units

Children in SEN Units are placed on the role of the mainstream school in which they are attached. They are also known as specialist resource provisions.
Pupils will have an education, health, and care plan (EHCP). Places are allocated via the formal EHC consultation process.
SEN Units provide a higher level of support for pupils with a specific identified primary special educational need and or disability. This may include increased staffing and adapted learning environment.
SEN Units provide pupils who would not typically be able to access learning in a mainstream environment with an opportunity to attend learning in their local community.


Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 (ages 4 – 7 years)

Primary needs: Communication and Interaction / Autism Spectrum Disorder
Overview: The Waterton Assessment Centre (WAC) provides specialist education, support and an environment for children to grow, achieve & shine. WAC is a uniquely designed learning space for FS2 & KS1children with complex communication and interaction needs, who require a specialised, individualised and specific approach to learning. Here at WAC, learning is taught in small chunks, supported with physical application and underpinned with life skills on which to embed skills. Upon leaving KS1, most children who have attended the WAC transition to Waterton Newstead Academy – a specialist KS2 setting.


Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 (ages 5 – 11 years)
Primary needs: Communication and Interaction
Overview: The Hub is a uniquely designed learning space for young children with complex learning and communication needs, who require a specialised, individualised and specific approach to learning.
Each child has their own specific learning journey which is designed around their interests and individual targets. Learning is taught in small chunks, supported with physical application and underpinned with life skills on which to embed skills. Learning outside as much as possible, alongside accessing local leisure facilities to build water confidence and accessing local transport and community facilities exploring the world around them.


Primary needs: Communication and Interaction / Autism Spectrum Disorder
Overview: The Hub is a uniquely designed learning space for young children with complex learning and communication needs, who require a specialised, individualised and specific approach to learning.
Each child has their own specific learning journey which is designed around their interests and individual targets. Learning is taught in small chunks, supported with physical application and underpinned with life skills on which to embed skills. Learning outside as much as possible, alongside accessing local leisure facilities to build water confidence and accessing local transport and community facilities exploring the world around them.


Primary needs: Communication and Interaction / Autism Spectrum Disorder
Overview: Synergy opened in September 2020; a Specialist SEND Unit for students with communication and interaction needs. The provision mirrors a specialist environment delivered through a base classroom and series of intervention and sensory spaces providing a sprawling and adaptive space for the individual needs of our learners.
The provision offers a broad curriculum with literacy and numeracy hours taking place every day alongside science, humanities, RE, arts, cookery and PSHE.
Life skills are a fundamental part of the learning experience and are weaved throughout our curriculum these include taking breakfast orders, making and eating communal breakfast, ordering our shopping and cooking meals to take home.


Primary needs: Cognition and Learning
Overview: HeartSpace’s resource provision offer is split into three pathways dependant on a student’s academic ability, communication and interaction needs and SEMH needs. The specialist resource provision is pathway 1. See resource provision for pathway 2 and 3. 

Specialist provision pathway 1: These students will follow a primary model, thematic curriculum. Students will typically work towards vocational qualifications such as ASDAN PSD and Arts Award. Entry level Functional Skills will be followed for English and maths.




Barnsley Commissioned Specialist Provision

Barnsley local authority commissions an agreed number of places within these schools.
Pupils will have an education, health, and care plan (EHCP). Places are allocated via the formal EHC consultation process.
Places in specialist settings are for pupils with an EHCP whose identified needs cannot be met within a mainstream school or a resource provision.
The local authority is continually reviewing the need within borough. New places and provisions are continually being explored and developed to meet the ever-changing needs of our communities.


Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 (ages 5 – 11 years)
Primary needs: Communication and Interaction / Autism Spectrum Disorder
Overview: Opened in September 2023, Newstead is committed to creating an inclusive environment where every student can thrive and truly be the very best that they can be.
Newstead’s curriculum is heavily shaped by children’s individual needs, strengths, interests and abilities. Newstead have their core curriculum offer that all children follow but then this is highly personalised to each child. Each child’s EHCP- their outcomes, targets and goals will greatly shape their personalised offer and will determine the vision for their personalised curriculum and work plans.


Primary needs: Social, emotional and mental health / Autism Spectrum Disorder
Overview: As a satellite of Newstead, Hunningley Satellite will open Autumn term 2024.
Hunningley Satellite will offer a curriculum that is heavily shaped by children’s individual needs, strengths, interests and abilities. Hunningley Satellite will deliver a core curriculum offer that is highly personalised to each child. Each child’s EHCP- their outcomes, targets and goals will greatly shape their personalised offer and will determine the vision for their personalised curriculum and work plans.


Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 (ages 11 – 16 years)
Primary needs: Cognition and Learning
Overview: Abbey @ Horizon provides a personalised education offer that enjoys the benefits of mainstream provision whilst supported by highly trained specialist staff. No child should be limited by the constraints of a setting, at the Horizon Hub pupils enjoy the best of both worlds; mainstream and special.
Through the close working relationship with partner school Horizon Community College and the expertise and experience of staff at Abbey School they have developed a curriculum based upon extensive research that allows pupils the freedom to explore their skills and abilities in mainstream but come back into the Hub to keep their core skills in numeracy and literacy moving forwards at their own pace.


Primary needs: Communication and Interaction / Autism Spectrum Disorder
Overview: West Riding is a satellite provision of Kenwood Academy.
Barnsley Campus West Riding is for pupils aged 11-16 predominantly with Communication and Interaction as their primary need. The children and young people may also experience mild to moderate developmental delays and a co-existing diagnosis such as Autism Spectrum Conditions, social and emotional mental health needs, including other special educational needs and disabilities such as cognition and learning.


Foundation – Post 16 (ages 3 – 19)
Primary needs: Profound and multiple learning disability
Overview: Greenacre is a special school educating children and young people aged 3-19 with severe and complex needs.
Many children attending Greenacre experience severe learning difficulties. Roughly speaking this means that out of 100 children of the same age, 99 would be showing more advanced skills, knowledge and understanding and be able to communicate more effectively. For some of the children attending Greenacre, roughly 80 of the same age would be showing more advanced skills, knowledge and understanding and would be able to communicate more effectively. These children experience other barriers to learning such as communication and interaction difficulties of complex physical and/or medical conditions.


Key Stage 1 – Key Stage 4 (ages 5 – 16)
Primary needs: Social, emotional and mental health
Overview: Springwell Special School is a special academy catering for pupils with severe and complex Social, Emotional and Mental Health difficulties (SEMH).
Springwell’s offer ensures every pupil meets the objectives set out in their Education Health and Care Plan. Springwell provides a broad, balanced and challenging curriculum, which prepares pupils for their next steps whilst modelling and nurturing positive relationships and strong partnerships.


Key Stage 2 – Key Stage 4 – (ages 7 – 16)
Primary needs: Cognition and Learning
Overview: Our youngest pupils are just beginning to learn to read and write when they start at Pennine View and we support them to be able to achieve Entry Level certification in English and Maths Functional Skills by the time they leave Year 11.
Our Pennine View School curriculum is carefully developed to match the context of our school, to build on learning from home and previous mainstream education and to meet our aims and values.


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