Specialist Teaching Provisions
We feel privileged as a school to host and manage the following specialist teaching provisions on behalf of Suffolk County Council. Many of the staff who lead these provisions are Rushmere Hall staff and we consider all of the children who attend these classes as Rushmere Hall pupils. The staff have a wealth of expertise in supporting d/Deaf and hearing impaired children and those who have a speech and language condition identified as their primary area of need.
Applying for spaces in these provisions is different from the normal application process. Each class also works in a slightly different way. Please read the admission criteria for the Specialist Units document below to find out more about these provisions.
Hearing Specialist Base (HSB)
Children attending the Hearing Specialist Base are assigned a mainstream class. They follow the timetable of the mainstream class but receive specific, specialist teaching throughout the week in the Hearing Specialist Base. The staff teach the children British Sign Language within the base and then encourage them to apply it in a class-based setting.
Children are often referred here from their Nursery or Reception provision but can arrive in any year group as long as there is space within the provision.
This provision ends at Year 6. At this point, children are supported to transition to the most appropriate secondary setting for them. The Teachers of the Deaf (ToD) support parents with this difficult decision and support the transition process.
Speech and Language Hub (SLH)
Children attending the Speech and Language Hub predominantly remain in this class receiving quality, specialist support from the teaching staff and NHS therapists. In some circumstances they integrate with mainstream classes for lessons, such as Phonics.
Children are often referred here from their Nursery or Reception provision.
This provision ends at Year 2 or when the specialist team feels that the pupil has the skills to flourish in a mainstream class.
At the end of the placement, parents often request for their child to return to their original mainstream primary school due to the location of their home. However, children also have the option of joining Rushmere Hall's mainstream classes if there are spaces. In some cases, where mainstream may not be appropriate, the team will support the family to find the most suitable provision for the child.