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Specialist Resource Bases (SRBs)

Social, emotional and mental health bases in Norfolk

Pupil profile

Social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) bases offer placements for children who have social, emotional and mental health needs. They are a place where all children can flourish.

Their social, emotional and mental health needs will have been identified by professionals at their home school and they will have already had additional support at school.

In addition to this, they may also:

  • Have difficulties in forming relationships
  • Need support to regulate their emotions
  • Need support with interactions with peers
  • Have significant difficulties with school routines and expectations
  • Demonstrate behaviours that negatively impact their and/or others' progress

They must live within a 45-minute car journey of the base they are attending. This is important because the base works closely with both the home school and family to understand the needs of the child. Children must be on roll at a Norfolk mainstream school and referred in line with the age range for the bases. They do not need to hold an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) to attend.

The support available

Class sizes are smaller with a total of up to eight children. Each base has a lead teacher, a higher-level teaching assistant and teaching assistants. They are supported by the base adviser, educational psychologists and a family learning support team.

The first term is spent settling in and getting to know the child to help them engage with learning. Provision is typically four days a week with one day retaining links or attending the mainstream school where the child is on roll. It is important that the home school works and liaises with the SRB throughout the placement to ensure a successful reintegration at the end of the placement. Professional and therapeutic support is available to meet the identified needs of the child.

Each base has access to a family learning team, who will build relationships with families and provide support during the placement. The aim of this is to provide opportunities for the family to engage in their child's learning and development.

Each child will have their own personalised plan to support them with targets agreed at the start of the placement. There will be regular reviews of this plan during the placement. During the placement, the amount of time each child spends back in their home school will increase. The plan will include a reintegration package to support the child's return to their home school on a full-time basis.

Specialist interventions are available for children within the bases following assessment.

Location

Key stage 1 (up to year 2)

Key stage 1 and 2 (year 1 to 6)

Key stage 2 (year 3 to 6)