Herefordshire Local Authority has two existing mainstream autism bases (MABs). One is for primary age children, at Hampton Dene Primary School as part of their Language and Communication Centre (LCC) and The Bridge is for secondary-age pupils at The Bishop of Hereford High School.
The purpose of the MABs is to allow children who need additional support to access mainstream education to gain that support from specialist staff who work from the base classroom. The criteria for being offered a place at a MAB is that the children must have a diagnosis of autism and a level of educational need that can only met through a MAB as identified in their Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
Both existing MABs are now full for new admissions in September 2023. Additionally, as a result of information received from the education and health staff at the Child Development Centre where children are assessed, diagnosed and supported in the Early Years, it is evident that there will be a need for a significant expansion in the number of specialist primary mainstream autism base places and we will need this additional capacity from September 2023. We have also had a high level of demand from parents who are seeking secondary specialist autism base provision as their children move from primary school to secondary school