Welcome To the Enhanced Resource Base for Sight Impaired and Physically Impaired Students at Saint Benedict School in Derby

September 2001 saw the opening of purpose built accomodation for sight impaired and physically impaired students at St Benedict School. The school has welcomed both groups for a number of years and as a result a large team of Specialist Teachers, Learning Support Assistants (LSAs) have developed. The ERB also employs Resource/ICT Technicians. In addition, mainstream staff has become skilled in the teaching of these students within mainstream lessons. A large number of specialists visit the ERB on a regular basis to ensure that all the student's needs are catered for. They include: Mobility Officer, Teacher of the Physically Impaired, Physiotherapist, Teacher of the Hearing Impaired, Speech Therapist, Orthopist and Occupational Therapist.

The Enhanced Resource Base is attached to South Block and occupies a central site on the school campus. To the front is a car park where pupil taxis can deliver or collect pupils who are not ambulant. To the rear are the tennis courts. The building surrounds a quadrangle which has been paved and where a Sensory Garden provides a quiet area for pupils and their friends at lunch time and at break. The building itself has exceptionally good facilities. There are 4/5 study rooms for individual or group tuition. Two of these rooms are dedicated to Sixth form use. Public Examinations take place within the ERB for students who require additional time, modified papers and special equipment. Teaching rooms are equipped with height-adjustable desks for students in wheelchairs. Each room has specialist technology for meeting the needs of sight impaired and physically impaired students, including network PCs with access by voice, magnified display or speech response, CCTVs, accelerated speech dictaphones, text readers, special keyboards, scientific talking calculators, Infra-Red printers for use with Students laptops, etc. A large physiotherapy room is well equipped and a Physiotherapist visits regularly to assess and design programmes for those students who require it. LSAs are instructed by the Physiotherapist and are then responsible for carrying out programmes on a regular basis. Next to the Physiotherapy room is a large shower room and disabled toilet. A second disbled toilet is situated in the foyer. The kitchen is designed for independence training with height-adjustable hob, sink and work surfaces. The appliances have Brailled panels for blind students. A variety of 'talking' equipment (microwave, scales, etc) and other specially adapted equipment are in use. A large Resource preparation room ensures that students have modified resources they need . ERB staff and mainstream staff agree on any changes to the content of their work. These are then produced in the correct medium for the student, be it Braille, tape or large print. An office is available for private intervews and for meetings. Throughout the building light levels are high for sight impaired students, though dimmer switches enable light to be changed to assist photophobic students. Windows are tinted to alleviate glare. Colour schemes have been chosen to provide the best possible contrast for sight impaired students and doorways are wide to enable students in wheelchairs full access to all areas of the building.

Througout the school adaptations have been made to the environment to accomodate SI & PI students. An environmental audit of the school prioritises improvements and funding is forthcoming from the school and from the School Access Fund. Ramps have been provided throughout the school. Lifts enable student's access to the top floorof our two storey buildings, additional lighting and highlighting assists students as they move around the site.