Provision

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Our aim is to ensure that children and young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN) in Wiltshire have their needs met, effectively and quickly, and as close to their home as possible. There is continuum of assessment and provision available to ensure that these needs are met. To find out more about assessment of special educational needs, go to Stages of Assessment

This pages outlines the way the SEN provision is currently organised in Wiltshire.  Please note that this pattern of provision will change in September 2011.  To find out about these changes, go to SEN consultations  The main types of provision are:

• provision in mainstream schools/early years settings
• specialist mainstream provision
• special schools

More information about each type of provision is given below. Information about how SEN provision is funded in Wiltshire is available in our funding factsheet Wiltshire's SEN funding factsheet

The local authority (LA) is required by law to keep SEN provision under review. If Wiltshire Council proposes to make significant changes to this provision, it will carry out a public consultation. Details of current consultations are available at SEN consultations  This page contains updated information about changes to the pattern of specialist SEN provision across Wiltshire from September 2011.

Provision within mainstream schools/early years settings

The majority of children and young people are educated in their local mainstream school/ early years setting and receive support such as differentiated work, in-class support from teaching assistants or withdrawal for individual/ group work on specific skills. Schools are funded to provide this additional support to pupils with special educational needs.

After assessing the needs of the child, the school/ early years setting may place the child at School Action/ Early Years Action and formulate a plan for meeting the child’s needs within the school/ setting. Some pupils may need further support from external agencies. This is known as School Action Plus/ Early Years Action Plus. To find out more about these stages of the code of practice, go to the leaflets entitled ‘School Action and School Action Plus’ and Early Years and Special Educational Needs: A Guide for Parents/Carers of Children in Early Years Settings

A small minority of children with SEN may require a statutory assessment of their needs, and may be provided with a Statement of Special Educational Needs. To find out more about the statutory assessment process, go to statutory assessment

For children and young people with a statement, additional support may be provided by the Local Authority (LA). Extra help may take a variety of forms depending on the individual’s specific needs.

To find out more about assessment, indicators and the continuum of provision outlined above, go to the Wiltshire Indicators and Provision Document

Specialist Mainstream Provision

A smaller group of children and young people may need a higher level of support than can be provided from the general SEN arrangements within their local mainstream school or setting. The local authority (LA) maintains a range of specialist mainstream, additionally resourced provision, to meet this need. These provide full time placements, as well as inreach and/ or outreach support to other settings.

1. Early Years – District Specialist Centres

District specialist centres (formally known as opportunity groups) offer support and care to children aged 0-5 with learning difficulties and disabilities. In addition, they offer therapeutic services such as speech and language and can provide inreach and outreach services to other early years settings.

There are four district specialist centres in Wiltshire:

• Devizes and District , Devizes
• John McNeil , Salisbury
• Springboard, Chippenham
• Stepping Stones, Trowbridge

Children can be referred to these centres directly by health/ education professionals, or by parents/carers. For more information about these centres (including contact details) see the SEN Findit! Directory or contact the parent partnership service at ask.

2. Primary Centres (these will be known as Resource Bases from September 2011)

Autism:-

• Charter Primary School, Chippenham
• Holy Trinity C of E School, Calne
• The Manor C of E Primary School, Melksham
• Woodford Valley C of E Primary School near Salisbury

Hearing Impairment:-

• Sarum St. Paul’s C of E Primary School, Salisbury
• The Grove Primary School, Trowbridge

Physical Impairment:-

• Pembroke Park Primary School, Salisbury

Speech and Language Difficulties:-

• Christ The King Catholic School, Amesbury, Near Salisbury
• Corsham Primary School, Corsham
• Studley Green Primary School, Trowbridge
• Wilton C of E Primary School, Salisbury

Complex Learning Needs:-

• Frogwell Primary School, Chippenham
• Kings Park Primary School, Melksham
• Longleaze Primary School, Wootton Bassett
• Malmesbury Primary School, Malmesbury
• Salisbury Highbury Primary School, Salisbury
• St Dunstan’s C of E Primary School, Calne
• St Mary C of E Infants School, Marlborough
• St Peter’s C of E Junior School, Marlborough
• Studley Green Primary School, Trowbridge
• The Avenue Primary School, Warminster
• Wansdyke Primary School, Devizes
• Westbury C of E Junior School, Westbury
• Westbury Infants School, Westbury

3. Secondary Centres (these will be known as Resource Bases from September 2011)

Hearing Impairment

• Sheldon School, Chippenham
• The Stonehenge School, Salisbury

Physical Impairment

• Downton school, Salisbury
• The Clarendon School, Trowbridge

4. Secondary Enhanced Learning Provision (ELP)

All non-selective secondary schools in Wiltshire have extended their provision, to include Enhanced Learning Provision, building upon the special educational needs provision already in place in mainstream schools. This represents a significant commitment between schools and the LA, to working in partnership in order to effectively include pupils with complex learning and communication needs within their local school.

This resource is for the most needy pupils with SEN, who will often have a combination of special educational needs, in the areas of Communication and Interaction, and Cognition and Learning. This will include many pupils with Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD) and complex communication difficulties such as Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Most of these pupils will have a statement of Special Educational Needs, and may have accessed support from Specialist Learning Centres (SLC) or received a very high level of support during their time at primary school.

The provision will consist of a personalised and flexible programme of support, which can be updated regularly, and will vary according to need.

Special Schools

A very small minority of children and young people may need a higher level of support than can be provided in their local mainstream school or within specialist, mainstream, additionally resourced provision. The LA maintains a number of special schools to meet this need.

There are three schools for pupils with Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD), Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD) and Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD):-

• Exeter House School, Salisbury.
• Larkrise School, Trowbridge
• St Nicholas School, Chippenham

There are two schools for pupils with social, emotional and behavioural, difficulties as well as pupils with social and communication difficulties;-

• Downland School, Devizes
• Springfields School, Calne.

There is also a school for pupils with complex learning difficulties:-

Rowdeford School, Devizes, catering for pupils with complex needs, including autistic spectrum disorder.

The LA controls admission to all special schools. In order to access special school provision, pupils need to have a statement of special educational needs. For more information, go to statutory assessment

I have further questions - who can I ask?

Email your question about SEN direct to the Parent Partnership Service

Related information

• Assessment & Provision
• Jargon Buster
• Position Statement
• SEN - Home
• SEN - What does it mean?
• Support Services
• What if I think my child has SEN?

Related documents

• Wiltshire IPD
• SEN - Entitlement 698kb
• Annual Review documents 2008
• SEN Strategy
• Secondary Enhanced Learning Provision Guidance.pdf 475kb

Related links

• Children & Young Peoples' Services Partnership
• Connexions
• Resolving Disagreement through Wessex Mediation
• Special Educational Needs Code of Practice
• Parent Partnership Service
• Findit Directory
• SEN Guide for Parents and Carers on the DfE

These are external/partnership sites which you may find useful. Wiltshire Council is not responsible for their content.

Last updated: 18 October 2011