At Merrylands Primary School we have an enhanced provision (ASC) for 8 pupils diagnosed with Autism (ASD). This is an enhanced support centre, not a specialist school.

What is the Autism Support Centre (ASC)?

Some mainstream schools across Essex have extra support available for pupils with special needs and disabilities.  These are called 'enhanced provisions'.  These are not the same as special schools.

Across Essex, there are four primary enhanced provisions and four secondary enhanced provisions.

To receive a placement in one of the enhanced provisions, including here at Merrylands Primary School, a child must have:

• a diagnosis of autism
• a finalised Education Health and Care Plan for children or young people with autism as the primary need
• The cognitive ability to access the mainstream academic curriculum with appropriate support from the autism support centre to overcome their barriers to learning (i.e. do not have a level of social anxiety, which may result in significantly high levels of challenging behaviour or have challenging behaviours which are entrenched and are additional to their autism)

The purpose of the ASC is to ensure that the pupils attending the centre make progress as detailed within their Education Health and Care Plan.  The idea is that the ASC can provide specialist support and guidance when the child feels overwhelmed; this will enable the child to spend increasing amounts of time accessing the classroom and engaging with their peers in a mainstream setting.