Introduction

Drumbeat School & ASD Service’s Local Offer provides information, in one place on our website, about how we support young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) throughout their time with us. Our Local Offer describes how we support children in their day-to-day education.

Drumbeat School & ASD Service works in partnership with Lewisham Local Authority (LA). Lewisham’s Local Offer can be found here.

Lewisham’s Local Offer sets out information about the specialist services, schools, colleges and organisations that can provide support for families of children and young people with SEND. For example, it explains procedures for requesting an assessment for an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP), which is replacing the Statement of Special Educational Needs (SEN). You will also find information about:

  • Where to go for advice and guidance on SEN and Disability matters
  • Arrangements for resolving disagreements and mediation

Drumbeat’s Local Offer

Drumbeat School is a community special school for children and young people (CYP) with autism and learning difficulties. Drumbeat provides a specialist autism-specific environment for CYP aged between 4 and 19 years.

All prospective pupils must have a Statement of SEN or an EHCP and a diagnosis of autism. Their attainment is significantly below age-related expectations and some CYP may present challenging behaviour. Generally speaking, the CYP’s needs cannot be met full-time in a mainstream school.

‘Tried and Tested’ ASD teaching approaches.

The following teaching approaches are used at Drumbeat to support pupils’ access to the curriculum. Drumbeat does not subscribe to a single approach, but uses the best from a mixture of approaches according to CYP’s needs.

  • TEACCH
  • SCERTS
  • Social Stories
  • PECS
  • Attention Autism
  • Intensive Interaction
  • Makaton signing
  • Superflex and the social thinking curriculum
 
Human Resources

Drumbeat has well trained staff with experience of working with CYP with autism. Drumbeat strives to work in a transdisciplinary way, i.e., teachers, teaching assistants, psychologists, therapists and counsellors all working together to do the best for the pupils and putting the child and the family at the centre. In terms of professionals, Drumbeat’s staff includes:

  • Teachers, Higher Level Teaching Assistants and Teaching Assistants,
  • A school employed therapy team including: Part time Clinical Psychologist(1 day per week), Part time Speech and Language Therapist (3 days per week) and Part time Counsellor (1 day per week)
  • Speech and Langage Therapy Services provided by Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust
  • Drumbeat’s in-house therapy team comprises the following:
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Clinical and Educational Psychology, Counselling and Behaviour Advice
  • Family Liaison and Support

The therapy team works in the school on a universal level, providing training, group work, and advising on class based strategies to support children’s emotional and psychological well being, language and communication, social development and independence. More specialist and targeted work is provided to the pupils on a needs led basis. This work occurs in conjunction with class teaching teams, Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trust therapists, social care professionals and, of course, families.