A
progress update was provided on the Authority’s strategic
reviews of SEND and Alternative Provision, Document
JB. This report included an update on matters presented to the
Schools Forum on 11 July as well as the Authority’s
consultation on the District’s SEND Strategy.
The
presentation of this item was led by the Authority’s SEND and
Behaviour Strategic Manager, who focused on the Authority’s
proposed SEND strategy as well an update on the status of the
development of the new SEMH Free School. She also reported that the
Authority has submitted a response to the DfE’s “pre-registration” request
at the beginning of September to register that we wish to develop
new free school provision for generic provision, ASD specialism and
alternative provision.
In
the discussion that followed the presentation of the report, Forum
Members asked the following questions and made the following
comments:
- Whether wave 13 of free schools has now been replaced or has
ceased? The SEND and Behaviour Strategic Manager responded that
wave 13 is now purely about mainstream provision. Schools and
academies in the District are registering their interest in
developing mainstream provision and the DfE has written to the Authority to seek our views
on these applications.
- Whether in submitting this “pre-registration” for
new special schools the Authority quoted any figures on the number
of places to be delivered. The SEND Manager stated that no figures
were provided at this stage; our response was purposely left
non-specific to enable continued discussion with the DfE.
- The
DfE may have “moved the
goal-posts” with regard to the SEND / AP free school
programme, but Bradford’s landscape has not altered and work
has taken place over the last 2 years on the development of new
provision. Why has this landscape and development work not been
explicitly written into the SEND Strategy? We should now be much
more direct about what we need and our strategy for delivering this
irrespective of whether / how the DfE’s “goal-posts” are
moved.
The Deputy
Director, Education and Learning, having been in post for 3 days,
responded to explain that an SEND strategy is wider than education
and that we must work to tie the whole system together. She stated
that, in her view, an opening date of September 2020 for the new
SEMH Free School is unrealistic, as is a reliance on the
DfE’s free school programme to
deliver a sufficient number of SEND / AP places. Our “Plan
B” is actually “Plan A”. We must plan on the
basis that we are unlikely to get free school provision from the
DfE’s programme. We need to pull
this plan together quickly.
- Whether the figures regarding the development of places quoted
in the SEND strategy document are ‘additional places’
(in that these have adjusted our proportion of children with EHCPs
in mainstream and specialist provision) or whether they have simply
met the growth in demand for places that has come from demographic
pressure. The SEND Manager advised that a response to this question
will be provided to the next meeting.
- Where has the High Needs Block funding released as a result of
the transformation of teaching support services been allocated? The
SEND Manager advised that a response to this question will be
provided to the next meeting.
- Referring to discussions in previous Forum meetings, that
Bradford is a “litmus test” for what is going on
nationally around the growth in High Needs Block financial pressure
and the growth in need for specialist provision capacity. The Forum
has previously stated to mainstream schools (on the back of the
2017/18 Schools Block transfer) that additional specialist places
will be provided, to the benefit of mainstream, but it now appears
that the additional places that have been created have only kept up
with demographic growth. The problem of delivering additional
capacity is currently growing at a rate faster than our delivery
solutions. This is indicated by the 2 main areas of spend growth
being mainstream EHCPs and out of authority / independent
placements. We now need some bold decisions / solutions, which
include looking at how we use our existing school
stock.
- It
is important that we do also recognise the developments that have
been made, which includes the creation of additional places. The
Business Advisor (Schools) responded to reminded Members that,
following our High Needs Block finance strategy, an additional 389
specialist places will be funded at April 2019.
- What combined pressure is being applied on Government in
relation to High Needs funding and capacity sufficiency? The Deputy
Director reported that a letter is being sent from the Association
of Children’s Services Directors on the wide ranging issues
created by the SEND Code of Practice, new burdens and finance. A
Member also advised that NASEN is lobbying on issues related to
places capacity.
In
summing up the discussion, the Chair asked that the Authority
considers the comments made by Members on the SEND strategy and
also provides responses to the next meeting to the questions not
answered. The Chair emphasised the urgency of developing a
“Plan A” for places creation. She also asked that the
Authority looks at the options, within in the Opportunity Area
Programme, to provide training to improve universal provision in
schools.
Resolved –
(1)
That the information in Document JB be noted.
(2)
That responses are presented
to the next Schools Forum meeting to the questions that were asked,
and comments made, by Members on the SEND Strategy that are
recorded in the minutes.
Action:
SEND and Behaviour Strategic
Manager
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