The ASD Resource

The ASD unit is under a phased closure, it has been closed to any new students and has not had an intake since Sept ’22. Students with ASD are now taught alongside their peers fully integrated into the mainstream.

 

If you require a more specialist placement please contact SEND at West Berks senteam@westberks.gov.uk.

Key Contact Details


SENDCc | Mrs Claire Lloyd| clloyd@thealegreen.w-berks.sch.uk

 

All the students in the ASD Resource have a primary diagnosis of ASD and have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) identifying their needs. The resource caters for up to 14 students within the mainstream school and Sixth Form.  

Places within the resource are usually requested at the child’s Year 5 or 6 Annual Review. All places are allocated via a specialist ASD Advisory Panel which sits once a year, in Term 2. We believe that referrals to the school should involve a partnership-building process with families and Local Authorities, designed to ensure that the school can meet the needs of prospective students. 

The ASD Resource is overseen by the Trust Director for SEND & Safeguarding and is managed by the SENDCo, a SEND Administrator and a team of  Learning Mentors, alongside literacy specialists who all receive continuous Continual Professional Development regarding supporting learners with ASD as well as Dyslexia/Dyspraxia, ADHD, Sensory Concerns, Sleep Hygiene, Zones of Regulation and Time to Talk.  

The resource is based centrally in the school and includes learning spaces for small group or one to one intervention work.  

There is also a dedicated therapies zone, two quiet /changing rooms and toilet facilities for the exclusive use of students placed in the resource. A number of activities and resources are available for students to access and use before and after school, and during breaks, including a library area with books, comics alongside playing cards, and board games.  

In the ASD resource, students are offered a wide variety of programmes of social and life skills teaching including Zones of Regulation, Emotional Literacy, Integrative Arts Therapy, Yoga and Mindfulness and twice weekly homework club. The resource has links with outside educational providers to broaden, students’ experience outside of the curriculum where required, for example, the Community Furniture Project in Newbury, and to support with preparation for adulthood. 

The ASD resource strives to provide a positive learning experience where all students attending, can reach their full potential in a happy, secure and caring environment. The ASD resource offers a positive environment, providing clarity, predictability, and calmness. We work in partnership with all school staff to allow the student to develop to his or her full potential. 

The ASD Resource has qualified and experienced staff catering for the needs of students with ASD. Each student has an individualised Support and Achievement Plan and a variety of best practice methods are employed to meet the varied needs of the student, including Zones of Regulation and Scaffolding. Through the support of the resource, students are expected to be able to access the majority of the mainstream school curriculum and provision. 

We encourage and facilitate close links with parents when working on individualised plans. We also liaise with external agencies, including The ASD Advisory Service, CAHMS, Swings and Smiles, and West Berks Parent Carer Forum, in ensuring that all students reach their full potential. 

If you would like to visit the resource or require additional information, please contact  Clair Lloyd, Assistant Headteacher and SENDCo: CLloyd@thealegreen.w-berks.sch.uk

Image Credits: 

1: TGS  ASD Resource – Slidesgo @https://slidesgo.com/ and Freepik @ https://www.freepik.com/ 

Links to agencies listed above: 

West Berkshire CAMHS Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services in Berkshire (berkshirehealthcare.nhs.uk) 

Reading CAMHS Child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) – Craven Road – NHS (www.nhs.uk) 

Swings & Smiles (swingsandsmiles.co.uk) 

Zones of Regulation  (https://www.zonesofregulation.com/index.html). 

West Berkshire Parent Voice   www.westberksparentvoice.org.uk