Specialist Resource Provisions (SRPs) and SEND Units

What are Specialist Resource Provisions (SRPs)?
What are SEND Units?
How are the places for SRPs and SEND Units allocated?

What are Specialist Resource Provisions (SRPs)?

Specialist Resource Provisions (SRPs) are centres attached to secondary and primary mainstream settings across Hertfordshire. Pupils attending the SRPs have access to a mainstream curriculum, but the stress of a mainstream environment is reduced and they have a safe space to be in where their needs are met. The staff and teachers at the SRPs will be trained to support the children and young people's emotional wellbeing and self-regulation, alongside their social and communication needs. As pupils in the SRPs gain confidence and independence, the aim is that they will spend an increasing amount of time within mainstream lessons, alongside their peers and with access to the wider variety of opportunities available to them there.

Who are the SRPs for?

The SRPs are currently for those children with speech, language, communication needs and/or autism, who don't need a special school, but they need additional support so that they can access learning in a mainstream school.

The SRPs are for children and young people with an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) who have:

a developmental language disorder and / or a severe motor speech disorder (developmental verbal dyspraxia)
a social communication and social interaction difficulty who may acquire a diagnosis of autism

What kind of support will SRPs offer?

Support in SRPs is tailored to each individual pupil. The number of places are kept small, with higher ratios of staff, to allow this tailoring to happen. Support will look different for every pupil, and the aim for each pupil is to help them develop their social and communication skills and confidence, to allow them to increase the time they are able to access mainstream classes.

For example, a pupil starting in an SRP may begin by spending 80% of their time in the SRP and 20% with their mainstream class. As their confidence and skills develop, they may be able to increase the amount of time spent in mainstream classes, with the aim that they can eventually access mainstream full time with confidence and happiness. All pupils will have individual goals and journeys.

Specialist Resource Provisions will offer children and young people the following types of support:

opportunities for learning in small groups
an environment that feels safe and nurturing
help to organise the necessary speech and language therapies
individual tailored learning strategies
staff with specialist training and expertise, such as Specialist Advisory Teachers, Speech and Language Therapists and Educational Psychologists
an environment with lots of visual learning support and language adaptations

When will the SRPs be ready and how many places will there be?

Our Specialist Resource Provisions in secondary schools have opened across the county.

Secondary SRPS

The Priory in Hitchin, opened in September 2022. They can take up to 20 students.
Avanti Grange in Bishop's Stortford opened in September 23. As this is a new school, places will increase in line with the phased opening, eventually taking up to 20 students.
Bushey Meads, opened in September 2023 with 20 places
Longdean, Hemel Hempstead, has been redesignated from an SLCN base to an SRP, and opened in September 24.

Primary SRPs

The SRPs already open at primary schools are:

Downfield, Cheshunt
Margaret Wix, St Albans
Sauncey Wood, Harpenden
Warren Dell, South Oxhey
Avanti Brook, Bishop's Stortford
Featherstone Wood, Stevenage
Brockswood, Hemel Hempstead

Each primary SRP will accommodate up to 12 children.

Plans have also been approved to open 2 more SRPs in Spring 2026 at the following schools (each creating a further 12 places):

Lordship Farm Primary, Letchworth
Swallow Dell Primary, Welwyn Garden City

Children will be placed in these SRPs through the same process as for special schools. They will need an EHCP and to meet the admission guidance. You can find out more about this process on our Requesting a Special School page.

What are SEND Units?

SEND units are smaller learning environments that are located on the site of a mainstream primary or secondary school. They offer a smaller, structured and supportive environment with specialist staff, while enabling pupils to maintain access to wider mainstream learning and social opportunities.

Who are SEND Units for?

Places in these units are for children who have an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and who:

have complex learning needs
may have significantly delayed attainment
may also have physical and sensory needs

What kind of support will SEND Units offer?

Children in SEND units will spend most of their time in the unit accessing a specialised and individualised curriculum. They may spend a small proportion of their time (eg non-core subjects or social interaction / break times) with their peers in the mainstream school. Pupils in the SEND Units would have access to mainstream lessons in line with their needs. They may initially need support from specialist staff, but as they progress, where possible they would be able to attend lessons in the mainstream school independently.

As with SRPs, places for SEND Units will be allocated through the EHCP process.

Where will the SEND Units be based and when will they open?

In the longer term SEND Units will be spread across the county, to ensure that as many children as possible have access to more local provision.

In September 2026, we are proposing to open 3 SEND Units at the following locations:

Westfield Primary School, Berkhamsted (12 places)
Shepherd Primary School, Rickmansworth (24 places)
Morgans Primary School, Hertford (12 places)

These proposals are currently in the consultation phase, which will close on February 9 2026. Find out more and respond to the consultations for these units.

How are the places for SRPs and SEND Units allocated?

A team of professionals from different areas including health and education will consider the needs of all of those pupils whose annual review suggests they may need the kind of specialist provision offered by SRP or SEND Unit.

If you feel that an SRP or SEND Unit would be the most suitable setting for your child, your first step would be to speak to your child's current school. If your child has an EHCP, you could talk to your EHC Coordinator. Find out more about the process of Requesting a Special School.