Special Support Centre - Dolphin Class

Welcome to Dolphin Class, Special Support Centre (SSC)

At Orchards Infants, in addition to our mainstream provision, we also have a Speech and Language Special Support Centre (SSC) with places for fifteen Reception and Key Stage 1 pupils from West Sussex, who have a significant, specific, speech and/or language disorder. The SSC provides specialist, intensive and collaborative speech and language teaching and therapy for these pupils. To be considered for a place within the SSC children must have an Education Health Care Plan.  SSC places are allocated by the West Sussex SEN Assessment Team (SENAT) and not by the school.

​The SSC is an integral part of the whole school, allowing our pupils to access the Early Years Foundation Stage and the National Curriculum, whilst also appropriately differentiating to each child’s needs. 

The children and their parents have full access to the range of social and extra-curricular activities and facilities offered by the school. 

​Children in Reception spend the majority of their day in their Reception classes. They attend individual or small group sessions with the Speech and Language Therapist to work on their speech and language therapy targets. They also have additional group sessions with the SSC Teacher in Charge on some afternoons each week.

​Most children in Years One and Two come to Dolphin Class each morning for their maths, literacy and phonics lessons, where they can benefit from working in a smaller class with higher levels of adult support.  They may join their mainstream class for these lessons when they are confident and ready to do so. The children return to their mainstream classes each afternoon and access lessons such as music, PE, History, Geography, Science, PSHE and RE.  Each pupil is provided with carefully planned and monitored inclusion in their mainstream class and has the support of an LSA who supports them along with the other SSC children who are in their year group (usually not more than 1 LSA to six children).  Children may be taken out for individual or small group sessions in the afternoons to work on their speech and language therapy targets.

​​We aim to provide a nurturing and supportive environment in which our children can thrive and make their voices heard.  We value collaborative working with parents and carers and work hard to foster and encourage this.

Our parents say:

‘Your specialised teaching ability, staff and school are the difference to a child like mine.  I cannot explain how content we feel in knowing that bringing him to the SSC has given him the chance to thrive and be himself.’

‘It takes a lot for our boys to feel safe, for different reasons, but not only are they feeling safe but they are both developing in many ways and that is down to your wonderful team.’

We welcome visits from families who are looking for a Speech Language and Communication Needs SSC for their child.  Please email or ring the school office.

Our Dolphin Class team:

• Ms Joanna Turner (Teacher in Charge)

• Miss Jenny Spring (Learning Support Assistant)

• Mrs Meike Purser (Learning Support Assistant)

• Mrs Sue Plunkett (Learning Support Assistant)