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Specialist Resource Base
The Base is an Autism Specialist Resource Base (SRB) within Cromer Academy. It provides specialist provision for students whose needs cannot be fully met through mainstream provision alone, even with SEN Support.
Who Autism Bases support
Children and young people on roll at an autism base have Special Educational Needs related to social communication difficulties and autism. They may show signs of:
- Social communication and social interaction challenges
- Repetitive and restrictive behaviour
- Being over or under sensitive to the school environment
- Highly focused interests or hobbies
- Extreme anxiety
They are likely to have a range of other needs such as a specific learning difficulty, unregulated behaviour, or emotional, physical and/or medical needs.
The children and young people should have the ability to access the school's mainstream curriculum once their barriers to learning have been addressed. They should also be able to access some elements of the autism base and school independently. For more information visit Autism bases - Norfolk County Council
Vision
Our vision at Cromer Academy Base is to provide a supportive and holistic environment that allows students to make academic progress, develop life skills, and gain confidence as they go through high school and prepare for adulthood. Through personalised support our intention is to equip students with the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to enable them to live meaningful and enjoyable lives. We are committed to ensuring each child in the Base is ‘seen’ and as such we can provide the individual support they need to help them be well, optimise their learning and maximise their potential.
Aims
The Base aims to provide the support and intervention needed to ensure each child achieves their best possible outcomes. We believe specialist teaching is key to academic outcomes and we work to ensure that, wherever possible, students are equipped with the support, skills and strategies they need to access the specialist led education in mainstream lessons.
However, we also recognise that every child has individual needs and therefore can, where needed, provide a personalised curriculum and intervention offer within The Base.
Offer and Support
Provision and support is structured, consistent and flexible, and is reviewed through a robust Plan–Do–Review cycle to ensure it remains responsive to need.
Each child in The Base is allocated a named key worker who checks in with them daily and acts as the main point of contact between home and school. The key worker will share regular updates about your child’s progress and wellbeing and will be available to discuss any questions or concerns.
Curriculum pathways and interventions are subject to change based on ongoing assessment, student progress, wellbeing and EHCP outcomes.
Access to relevant areas of the Base curriculum is based on a student’s individual need and careful assessment by staff.
Curriculum
The curriculum at The Base complements the mainstream curriculum while offering alternative and additional pathways to reduce barriers to learning and support independence and preparation for adulthood.
| Curriculum Area | Overview |
|---|---|
| Functional Skills Maths | Delivered in the Base to complement or replace GCSE Maths (Entry Level 1–Level 2). |
| Functional Skills English | Delivered in the Base to complement or replace GCSE English (Entry Level 1–Level 2). |
| ASDAN Personal Development Programme (PDP) | Develops learning skills, teamwork, problem solving and independence. |
| ASDAN Short Courses | Activity-based courses building practical and life skills. |
| Pre-teaching and Re-learning | Preparation and consolidation linked to KS3 and GCSE subjects. |
| Direct Teaching | In-base delivery of main school curriculum where barriers exist. |
| Careers and Next Steps | Preparation for post-16 pathways, applications and transitions. |
| Study Support | Bespoke sessions supporting access to learning. |
| Outdoor Learning | Forest School-based learning supporting confidence and wellbeing. |
| Enrichment | KS3 life-skills curriculum including cooking, budgeting and travel. |
| Sports Leadership | Develops leadership, communication and employability skills through sport. |
Interventions
Interventions are carefully selected based on individual profiles, EHCP outcomes and staff assessment of current need. They may be delivered on a 1:1 or small group basis and are reviewed regularly.
| Area of Need | Intervention | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Communication & Interaction | Talkabout | Social communication and interaction skills. |
| Communication & Interaction | Building Blocks for Communication | Language and interaction through practical activities. |
| Communication & Interaction | Social Stories | Understanding social situations and routines. |
| SEMH | Zones of Regulation | Emotional awareness and self-regulation. |
| SEMH | Emotional Literacy (ELSA) | Emotional wellbeing and resilience. |
| SEMH | Drawing and Talking | Therapeutic support to process emotions. |
| SEMH | About Me | Self-awareness and understanding individual strengths. |
| Sensory Regulation | Sensory Circuits | Sensory regulation and readiness for learning. |
| Cognition & Learning | Main School Interventions | Access to Lexia, Thinking Reading, TRUGS, Speech Link and spelling support |
Staffing
The Base is staffed by a consistent and skilled team with expertise in autism and inclusive practice.
- 1 SRB Lead Teacher
- 1 SRB Teacher
- 2 Higher Level Teaching Assistants (HLTAs)
- 3 Teaching Assistants (TAs)
Admissions
Admissions to The Base are managed centrally by the Local Authority (LA). Individual SRBs cannot be chosen or applied for directly by parents or schools. Placements are allocated based on assessed need, availability of spaces and proximity to the child’s home.
Referrals are made online by the child's current school or the EHCP Coordinator and received by the LA SEN Placements Team. Autism SRB referrals are considered through a multi-stage process.
- Referrals are reviewed by a triage panel including SRB Advisors, Specialist Teachers, Educational Psychologists and LA officers.
- If appropriate, referrals progress to the Autism SRB Admissions Panel where placements are offered.
- Decisions may be to offer a place, defer due to capacity, reconsider or stand down.
The outcome of the admissions panel is communicated by the Local Authority to the referring school.
Parents and carers are welcome to contact the school to arrange a visit to The Base. Please note that visits are for information only and do not influence admissions decisions. For further information visit Specialist Resource Bases (SRBs) - Norfolk County Council
