The Speech and Language Resource Base within Pleasant Street School is a specialist service that supports children with the most significant and specific speech and language needs:-

• The provision covers Foundation Stage through to the end of Key Stage 2
• All places are part time basis with speech and language outreach support where appropriate.

How is provision accessed?

Following a joint assessment (Community Paediatrician, Educational Psychologist and Speech and Language Therapist) the Speech and Language Co-ordinator receives the Language Resource Notification Form that has been signed by parents and professionals asking for a Language Resource placement. This form along with all of the latest reports and information on the child is then matched to appropriate support for each child and their family. This involves careful transition planning with parents and schools across the city.

 Please note that only children placed in a language base by the SLCN Panel can access the language base. Children attending the mainstream setting can not access the specialist support or the specialist teaching staff. 

What are the aims of Resourced provision?

The aim of the Language Resource Base and Outreach Support is for staff from Liverpool City Council (LCC) and Speech and Language Therapists from Alder Hey Hospital Trust to work in partnership with each other and with parents and schools to return pupils to their local mainstream school full time as quickly as possible. In order for pupils to reach their full potential, the goal is to support their speech and language needs so that their speech and language skills progress and develop in line with their other abilities.

What type of difficulties do children who attend a Language Resource have?

Children attending the Language Resource Bases may have difficulties with their speech sounds, their talking, their understanding of language or any combination of these.

What is the role of the Language Resource Teacher?

The language resource teachers are employed to teach a small class of pupils usually 16 who are experiencing very significant speech and language needs. The pupils attend the Language Resource for 2 days per week and attend their mainstream school for the other 3 days. The Language Resource Teacher plans a focused curriculum from the Early Years Foundation Stage/National Curriculum for each child and the group. This includes each child’s individual speech and language targets integrated into every activity and lesson. This work will be planned in conjunction with the Speech and Language Therapist and may be completed in small groups or individually. The teaching staff at Pleasant Street liaise with the child’s home school on Wednesdays in order to support their individual speech and language needs. The teacher is usually an experienced teacher who has a particular interest in special educational needs and speech, language and communication needs.