Our Special Resource Base classes for children with complex needs
At St James, we host two Caerphilly County Borough 'special resource base' (SRB) classes for children with complex needs. There are eight children in each class, with a full time teacher and two additional practitioners. Occasionally, children in the classes, like those in mainstream, may also have 'additional support (1:1) too.
The children in the SRB classes come from all over Caerphilly County. Most come to school by taxi, provided by the Local Authority. Access to these classes is via the Statutory Assessment process - "statementing." The school provision named in the statements is decided by the Local Authority's 'Specialist Placement Panel.' We at St James have no control or influence over which children are placed in the SRB classes. Children from our mainstream classes are no more likely to be placed in the SRB classes than any other children in Caerphilly County Borough.
The beauty of these classes being at St James is the amount of integration we are able to do. Children integrate with their mainstream peers according to their individual needs. There is no 'blanket integration' and integration opportunities are organised without 'diluting' the specialist provision the children need. Children are able to integrate, for example, for 'Me-Time,' Art, D.T., P.E., assemblies, trips, visitors, Music, extra-curricular clubs, School Council and Eco Council according to their needs. Children from the SRB classes and children in mainstream classes ALL benefit from so much integration. The children are all able to maintain friendships and develop positive attitudes and empathy towards their peers with additional needs. Such inclusion is vital for creating a well-rounded society of the future.
The SRB classes are, of course, treated no differently from any other classes at St James. If you visit the 'Class Pages' section of our website, you won't be able to pick out which 'castles' are the SRB classes - and that's just the way we like it!