ARP (Additional Resource Provision)
A warm welcome to the Haverstock ARP, our purpose-built Additionally Resourced Provision for autistic students.
The first phase of our ARP opened in December 2023. It will be completed after December 2025, with teaching, sensory, therapeutic and social spaces for its students, as well as a separate entrance and outdoor space.
We have small class sizes, with just four students per year group, and will eventually span across Year 7 to Year 11. Our students access the mainstream provision where it is beneficial for them to do so, for example, for practical lessons.
Read on to find out more and please email me if you have any questions on the link in red below,
Head of Haverstock ARP
ARP Curriculum
ARP students are taught an adapted mainstream curriculum with traditional, classroom based lessons being taught in the ARP by ARP staff. The topics and lessons taught in the ARP are based on those taught in the mainstream. However, the ARP curriculum is tailored to the understanding levels of the ARP students with a focus on functionality. In doing this, the ARP lessons incorporate more practical aspects of teaching/learning compared to that delivered in the mainstream. This includes elements such as role play, model making and additional curriculum related trips.
As a minimum, ARP students attend practical lessons (Art, Drama, DT, Music and PE), Maths and PSHCE in the mainstream. Practical mainstream lessons are led by specialist, mainstream teachers. Students attend Maths in the mainstream as Maths classes are set based on attainment, therefore students are in classes appropriate to their understanding level. Students also attend PSHCE in the mainstream due to the social aspect and topics covered in the subject.
Attending mainstream classes gives ARP students the opportunity to be amongst their mainstream peers in either practical learning environments, classes where lessons are based around their attainment and understanding levels, or classes where having the insight into the opinions of others and discussion is beneficial. It also gives our ARP students an opportunity to form relationships with students outside of the ARP. Where students have an appropriate level of understanding and attention span for non-practical subjects, they are supported in the mainstream provision by members of ARP staff and have additional resources to help them access the learning.
The Haverstock ARP encourages ARP students to attend mainstream subjects where it is appropriate for them to do so from Year 7. In doing this, students can develop their learnings from the mainstream curriculum year on year, gaining the potential to access different qualification avenues in Key Stage 4 (KS4) and Key Stage 5 (KS5).
Wellbeing at Haverstock ARP
Wellbeing is at the centre of the ARP and all we do. Our Autism Identity, Life Skills and Wellbeing sessions are an asset of the Haverstock ARP, and a key element in developing students’ self-esteem. Developing student independence is another priority of the ARP. Students are encouraged to be as independent as possible throughout the school day and are explicitly taught skills to help them with this in Life Skills sessions. When students develop their independence, their confidence and self-esteem develops too, giving the student crucial viewpoints to be able to better navigate life with.
Our wellbeing, independence and academic focus of the ARP work together to ensure the students are happy and able to make informed life choices based on knowledge and experience, which is pivotal to students leading successful, fulfilling lives in a way that is meaningful to them.
