Extra school places for children with autism in Thetford
Specialist resource bases have opened at two schools
New school places for children with autism have opened in Thetford.
As part of Norfolk County Council's investment in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), two specialist resource bases (SRB) have been created.
They are based at Redcastle Primary School and Thetford Academy and are open for 10 children each to begin with.
SRBs are part of mainstream schools and provide places for young people who need extra support to thrive.
According to Norfolk County Council, hundreds of new special schools and SRB places are being created across the county as part of a £120 million investment.
Work to provide a further 90 new places at eight more SRBs is underway and work is ongoing to create new schools in Fakenham, Great Yarmouth and Easton.
Free autism support training is also being made available to all schools in Norfolk as part of the Education Psychology and Specialist Support scheme (EPSS).
Councillor John Fisher, Norfolk County Council Cabinet Member for Children's Services, said: "This is a great step forward in Norfolk County Council’s programme to transform SEND provision in the county.
"Thetford is an area where there has historically been a gap in specialist provision for families, a gap I am proud to say we are now bridging. I am delighted that children, young people and their families will have the opportunity to access the extra support specialist resource base schools can provide, including the autism friendly refurbished accommodation."
Deputy Head and Inclusion Lead at Redcastle Primary School, Emma Denty, said: "Redcastle Family School is committed to providing an inclusive education for all children and the specialist resource base is designed to allow up to 16 children with a diagnosis of Autism to successfully integrate with their peers and as a result feel part of our whole school family’.
"Pupils who attend the SRB at Redcastle Family School will all have access to a broad, balanced curriculum differentiated for each child. Priority is given to communication and social interaction skills with explicit teaching of appropriate social behaviour and life skills. All children and all adults throughout the school are supportive of our commitment to inclusivity."
Dan Carter, Principal of Thetford Academy, added: "I am very pleased to be opening our new SRB at Thetford Academy. Our community has needed access to these specialist places for children with autism spectrum disorder for a while and I'm glad we've been able to work together with Norfolk County Council to make this happen.
"It's a privilege to be able to launch this provision, it will be a key component of our inclusive ethos at Thetford Academy."