The Principles of the Infant Assessment Group

1 To educate children displaying a variety of developmental problems in physical, intellectual and social growth, whose needs cannot be effectively met in mainstream nursery or infant school and for whom immediate placement in a special school may be inappropriate.

2 To create a nurturing environment conducive to learning with a low pupil / teacher ratio.

3 To provide extensive and detailed information through assessment, following the principles of the National Code of Practice for children with Special Needs, which will determine future provision.

4 To devise and implement successful teaching programmes in order to accelerate each child's learning without undue stress. Where possible these will be based on the Early Years Curriculum and, later, the National Curriculum.

5 To work in close liaison with other professionals including educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers, medical officers and others.

6 To work closely with the families of the children in the group.

7 To facilitate contact with 'appropriate' peer group models by developing both mainstream and special school links.

8 To develop the group as an integral part of the school so that staff and children may contribute to, and receive from, the activities of the mainstream school community.