Autism Specialist Resource Base (SRB)

Autism SRB Open Evening Tours

Half termly, open evenings will be run for parents, carers and professionals who would like to visit our SRB at Drake Primary School. This will provide an opportunity for you to meet Georgia Jones, our Autism SRB Lead and to discover how the SRB model works at Drake Primary School. 

The dates for our open evenings this academic year are:

Monday 22nd April 2024

Monday 10th June 2024

Open evenings are at 3.30pm, please arrive at the school office to sign in. 

Please inform us of your attendance at srb@drake.norfolk.sch.uk 

Our Autism SRB at Drake Primary School

The Autism SRB at Drake Primary School has 16 places for autistic children in two classrooms of pupils:

Thunberg Class (KS1), named after Greta Thunberg, an autistic climate justice activist known for challenging world leaders to take action to improve our environment. 

Mrs Kira Grainger is the Class Teacher in Thunberg Class.

Arday Class (KS2), named after Professor Jason Arday, a sociologist, writer and fundraiser who was diagnosed with autism at three years old, pre-verbal until the age of eleven and is now the youngest black professor at the University of Cambridge. 

Mrs Karen Saleh is the Class Teacher in Arday Class.

Georgia Jones is the qualified Specialist Resource Base Lead. She has significant experience working in SEND, teaching and leading in mainstream, but primarily complex/special educational needs schools in London and Norfolk.

All SRB staff have experience, are trained in or are actively engaged in continued professional development (CPD) related to working with autistic pupils.

• The Autism SRB caters for pupils ranging from Reception to Year 6.
• All of the pupils have SEND and predominantly a diagnosis of autism and related traits
• The Autism SRB provides a calm and quiet space with routines, structures and visual supports that enable the pupils to attend to and concentrate on their learning and make progress towards their short term One Page Profile targets and their EHCP outcomes.
• The Autism SRB focuses on supporting the inclusion of the pupils in their mainstream classes for as much time as possible.
• The approaches taken in The Autism SRB depend upon the individual pupils and their needs. Pupils may require a certain approach or a mixture of strategies to support their learning.
• Through collaboration with pupils, families, and teachers and other professionals, rigorous assessment and approaches will be adapted to meet the needs of pupils.

The vision of The Autism SRB at Drake Primary School:

• To be an integral part of an outstanding school and a centre of excellence for autistic children and children on the autism spectrum who can access opportunities in Primary mainstream education.
• To be a space where autistic pupils feel safe, accepted and able to be their authentic selves. 
• To be a base where autistic children are supported to learn strategies to support their lifelong, neurodevelopmental disability. 
• To be an inspirational beacon of inclusion    

The Autism SRB aims to provide:

• a base where learning is developmental and visible and children are nurtured and safeguarded
• a rigorous assessment system to ensure pupils are in the right place at the right time so that no pupil falls behind
• a learning community where pupils, families and staff collaborate to refine practice, e.g. sharing autism friendly approaches and strategies, and develop positive and rewarding relationships
• a workplace where staff contribute to professional learning communities

To give pupils support to:

• access their mainstream class in an individualised approach
• inspire their future aspirations
• access a curriculum of joy and curiosity, and develop their communication and interaction skills by building on their engagement skills in exploration, realisation, anticipation, persistence and initiation and developing their attention and concentration  
• support with social, emotional and mental health needs such as anxiety e.g. by developing emotional regulation
• participate in physical and sensory activities and develop their happiness, health and well-being through play
• participate in cognition and learning activities, develop reading for pleasure and participation in the arts

Specialist Resource Base - SRB

The SRB programme overview and further information about SRB’s can be found at:

https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/children-and-families/send-local-offer/education-and-learning/schools/specialist-resource-bases-srbs

Autism Bases

‘The Autism Bases form part of the Specialist Resource Base (SRB) programme of additionally commissioned services funded by the local authority and delivered by Norfolk schools for learners with a high level special educational needs who are educated in mainstream schools. 

Autism bases offer long term provision only. They are specialist in nature and are accessed via county admissions processes, with the local authority retaining the placement decision-making responsibility’ (NCC)

Information about Autism Bases can be found at:

https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/children-and-families/send-local-offer/education-and-learning/schools/specialist-resource-bases-srbs/autism-bases 

The above link contains further information on Autism Bases including:

• Key Aim of the Service: ‘To provide high quality, long-term inclusive education for learners with an autism profile across the age-range appropriate to the school’
• Where are the Autism Bases and what service is provided?
• What is the Autism pupil profile?
• What is the referral process?
• What happens next?
• Where can I go to for further information?