Stalham
Infant & Junior Schools
01692 580053 / office@stalhamacademy.co.uk / Old Yarmouth Road, Stalham, Norfolk, NR12 9PS
Phoenix Class
About Stalham Phoenix Class
We are a class within the school of Stalham Infant & Junior Schools. We cater for children from years 1 to 6. We offer a small class size of up to 10 children with high staffing ratios and access to targeted specialist support. Pupils are supported through a range of therapeutic approaches including, but not limited to, ELSA, lego therapy, Sensi support.
This provides the right environment and differentiated provision that is appropriate for pupils with a range of identified cognition & learning needs.
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Aims:
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To provide a calm and quiet space with routines, structures and supports that enable the pupils to attend to and concentrate on their learning and make progress towards their short term targets detailed in their EHCP or specialist report documentation.
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To have a clear and accessible pathway for accessing support for pupils within our mainstream schools.
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To provide specialist help in basic skills particularly reading, writing and number.
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For families of children with cognition & learning needs to have access to appropriate support and strategies and understand how to best support their children.
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For families and professionals to work collaboratively with children to enable them to flourish and make progress within a mainstream school provision.
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To give pupils strategies to participate in cognition & learning activities, develop reading for pleasure and participation in a broad and balanced curriculum.
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Profile of children
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The Stalham Phoenix class primarily specialises in cognition & learning issues which constitute an identifiable barrier to learning which has lead to pupils ‘making less than expected progress’ as defined in the SEND Code of Practice 2015 (p.95). While some children’s needs can be met in the classroom others experience significant difficulties in accessing the curriculum that is being delivered for their age range.
Pupils within the class may or may not have an EHCP but will have specialist reports that have been provided following the assessment of external professionals and will most likely be put forward for an EHCP assessment in the foreseeable future. Specialist reports will identify the provision of alternative provision.
Typically, children admitted to the class should demonstrate a need for:
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Intensive daily interventions or therapy.
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Specialised teaching, in small groups.
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Access to a highly individualised education programme.
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A structured environment.
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An integrated approach to teaching and therapy with shared targets.
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Support with independent learning skills that are barrier to their learning; such as listening and speaking well, completing work on their own and asking for help.
All pupils within the class are considered on an individual basis and places awarded with reference to the evidenced need of the particular child, the nature of the existing class cohort and the current availability of places in the class.
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Admissions / ‘Entry criteria’
Pupils admitted to the Stalham Phoenix class:
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Will be a pupil at Stalham Infant & Junior Schools at the time of admission into the Stalham Phoenix class.
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May or may not hold an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), however, are most likely be put forward for an EHCP assessment in the foreseeable future.
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Outcomes of specialist reports or EHCPs can’t be met within the usual classroom environment.
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Will have specialist reports that have been provided following the assessment of external professionals.
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Have assessed additional needs which relate primarily to learning difficulties but which may also encompass a range of secondary needs such as speech, language and communication, specific learning difficulty or physical, medical and sensory needs.
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Will have difficulties in the understanding and acceptance of age-appropriate social rules governing, for example, turn-taking, collaborative activities and the sharing of adult attention.
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Curriculum Intent
We aim to deliver a broad and balanced curriculum to our pupils which is tailored to meet individual need at an appropriate level to their abilities. We try to give children first hand experiences and focus on the core skills of communication, listening, turn-taking, sharing and co-operation with the aim of developing these areas to support children in their achievement within the wider academic curriculum.
We will have daily sessions of English and Maths and these will be tailored to meet the needs of each individual child.
The Stalham Phoenix curriculum aligns with our curriculum drivers of:
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Promoting effective communication
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Mentally healthy and emotionally literate children
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Providing a wide range of experiences and opportunities outside of the academic curriculum
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Develop the whole child and preparing them for Secondary education
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Inclusion and meeting the needs of all children
Children within the class will follow a curriculum that is akin to that experienced by other children in our schools.
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Exit Criteria
For a provision which has been designed to support children with identified cognition and learning difficulties, we have taken time to consider our exit criteria from Phoenix class - it has been crafted to ensure that children are only transitioned out when they are ready to thrive in a less specialised setting. Here are our exit criteria that would indicate readiness to transition from the Stalham Phoenix class:
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Improvement in Core Skills: The child demonstrates substantial progress in literacy, numeracy, or other foundational academic skills, reaching a level where they can access the general curriculum with minimal or no specialist intervention.
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SEN+/EHCP Goal Achievement: The child has consistently met or exceeded individually identified SEN targets or Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP) targets indicating readiness for less intensive support.
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Understanding of Social Norms: The child demonstrates an improved understanding and consistent application of age-appropriate social rules, including turn-taking, sharing, and collaborative learning.
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Behavioural Independence: The child can manage emotions and behaviours more independently, without frequent need for adult intervention, showing a readiness to navigate a mainstream classroom environment.
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Effective Communication: The child is able to communicate their needs, thoughts, and ideas effectively with adults and peers, showing an increased ability to function in a mainstream class environment.
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Peer Interaction: The child increasingly engages positively with peers and shows progress in social interactions.
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Adaptability to Classroom Sensory Environment: The child has shown an increased ability to manage any sensory sensitivities within a typical classroom setting, adapting to noise levels, visual stimuli, and general classroom activities.
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Independence in Physical or Medical Needs: Where applicable, the child manages their physical or medical needs with minimal support, allowing them to function independently in a mainstream environment.
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Positive Evaluations from Specialists: External professionals (e.g., educational psychologists, speech and language therapists) provide evidence or recommendations indicating that the child can succeed in a general education setting.
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Reduced Specialist Interventions: The child’s need for specialised, individualised support has decreased significantly, and they are able to maintain progress with standard in-class adaptations or additional adult support.
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Collaborative Agreement: Parents/carers, class teachers, and support staff agree that the child is ready to transition and that a mainstream setting is in their best interest based on their overall development and readiness.
Meeting these exit criteria should ideally be assessed through a combination of quantitative data and qualitative observations, as well as consultation with specialists and families to ensure a holistic approach to each child's development.
Regular review meetings can support the gradual transition process, allowing adjustments if additional support is temporarily needed in the mainstream environment. This is not an exhaustive list that a child needs to ‘meet’ but are designed to ensure a rounded picture of a child is considered when looking at them transitioning from Phoenix class.