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Enhanced Mainstream School Consultation 2024

Introduction and proposal

Introduction

In Stockton-on-Tees we are committed to ensuring there is a sufficient range of provision and support within our borough to meet the needs of our children who have Special Educational Needs and or Disability (SEND) or who are educated in Alternative Provision (AP).

The Council's SEND Strategy, sets out ambitious and realistic objectives to ensure Stockton-on-Tees' local provision is the first choice for children and young people with SEND and their families. The local authority is committed to ensuring that children and young people with SEND benefit from inclusion in their local community by ensuring that they can access the right provision as close to home as possible, and thus reducing the need for them to have to travel long distances to access out of borough or independent provision due to a lack of suitable in-borough provision.

This document outlines our current proposals to make progress in this area and asks for your views on this.

What is the proposal?

To develop our graduated approach, the proposal is that the Enhanced Mainstream School (EMS) model in Stockton-on-Tees will move to an Additionally Resourced Provision (ARP) and SEN Unit model, which would align with Department for Education Guidance and allow for clear registration of the provision, with clear admissions and exit criteria.

The proposal identifies a revised number of places for children based on the present cohorts of need within the system. It also identifies the focus of the provision in line with the areas of need as defined in the SEND Code of Practice 2015: Communication and Interaction, Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH), Sensory and Physical and Cognition and Learning.

It is hoped that as part of the outcome of the consultation with schools, that there would be an equal offer of provision in primary and secondary with a focus on transition planning at the earliest opportunity to identify pathways for children for their transition to secondary school. We feel that this cannot be achieved with the current Enhanced Mainstream School model.

The changes proposed are that there is a reintroduction of additionally resourced provision and SEND Units which are defined by the Department for Education as follows:

Additionally Resourced Provision

Additionally Resourced Provisions (ARP) are where places are reserved at a mainstream school for pupils with a specific type of SEND, taught mainly within mainstream classes, but requiring a base and some specialist facilities around the school.

Resourced provisions receive additional funding from the local authority specifically for the purpose of the provision, cater for a specific type or types of SEND and are usually for pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) (but could include pupils with SEND but without a plan).

An Additionally Resourced Provision and SEND Unit model aims to provide children and young people with additional needs access to targeted and specialist support within a mainstream setting. This will include access to Local Authority commissioned targeted services, Educational Psychology advice, specialist teaching and teaching assistants and specialist health service input as necessary.

SEND Unit

SEND units are special provisions within a mainstream school where the children are taught within separate classes. These units receive additional funding from the local authority specifically for the purpose of the provision, they cater for a specific type or types of SEND (for example, autistic spectrum disorders) and are usually for pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans (but could include pupils with SEND but without a plan).

A summary of the key changes and benefits would be:

  • clear entry and exit protocols
  • parental clarity and engagement in the process
  • children and young people with SEND benefit from provision as close to home as possible
  • refined support offer to schools
  • refined financial offer to schools
  • strengthened Continuous Professional Development offer

Why are we consulting?

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council want to know your views on a proposal to create Additional Resource Provisions (ARP) and SEND Units within the borough and the proposal to replace existing Enhanced Mainstream Schools (EMS).

There has been a significant increase of children and young people with Education, Health and Care Plans in Stockton-on-Tees. This upward trend is predicted to continue and is also being seen across the North East and Nationally. Our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) data tells us that we need to create additional places to cater for children and young people with SEND and we want to do this locally with high quality SEND provision which allows children the right support to meet their needs.

Background

During 2017, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council introduced the Enhanced Mainstream Schools model, like other local authorities we have seen a significant rise in children and young people with SEND and consequently, an increase in requests for SEN provision, for example:

  • the number of children and young people with an Education, Health and Care Plan increased from 897 in 2017 to 2286 in 2024
  • we have seen a significant increase in Education, Health and Care Plans required for children aged 0 to 5 and we need to future proof our provision to ensure we can continue to meet their needs
  • we continued to see an increase in children needing support for needs relating to communication and interaction difficulties including speech, language and communication needs and Autism

Given the increasing demand for SEN provision, there is a clear need to create more provision within mainstream schools to ensure they are equipped and resourced to meet the needs of children with SEND who require support over and above what would normally be available. This will allow us to meet need at the earliest opportunity, support our young people with SEND to be educated in mainstream settings alongside their peers where possible, and have swift access to special school places, when required, to meet assessed need.

In January 2024, the Council asked education providers in Stockton-on-Tees to collaborate in developing the SEND offer within their settings. A number of providers expressed an interest in helping to plan for the borough's future SEND needs. This proposal sets out the plan to fulfill this vision over the next academic year.

How will the Additional Resource Provisions and SEN Units be organised?

Additional Resource Provisions and SEN Units within mainstream schools specialise in providing focused and specific education for SEND needs and will often have dedicated classrooms and other facilities within the school, as well as qualified SEND professionals.

Children typically spend part of their time in the Additional Resource Provision and the remaining time with their mainstream peers in class.

Children in a SEN Unit typically spend most their time within the unit and may access some learning opportunities within mainstream school if this is appropriate to their needs.

Children in Additional Resource Provisions and SEN Units will be on the school roll of the mainstream school that has the provision they attend, but the Additional Resource Provision and SEN Unit will be separately registered from the main school roll.

Admission to the Additional Resource Provision and SEND Units

The allocation of places for Additional Resource Provision and SEND Units will be made by the Local Authority's Education, Health and Care Panel using agreed admissions criteria, following the statutory consultation period of 15 days.

All children will have an Education, Health and Care Plan or undergoing Education, Health and Care Assessment which identifies their primary need, this will determine the most appropriate Additional Resource Provision or SEND Unit allocation.

When will the changes take place?

If the proposals are approved, it is expected that the new Additional Resourced Provisions and SEN Units and will be operational from September 2025.

If a current Enhanced Mainstream School decides not to transfer to an Additional Resource Provision, then plans will be put in place and admissions to this Enhanced Mainstream School will stop in line with the current service level agreement. This will not impact places of children currently in these settings and there will be a commitment from the school to continue to support children in situ until their natural transition point, for example, Nursery to Reception, Year 6 to 7, Year 11 to 12.

How will the new Additional Resource Provision and SEN Units be funded?

Place funding for Additional Resource Provision's and SEND Units is as required by the Department of Education (DfE). This is a combination of per-pupil funding through the local schools funding formula, plus £6,000 High Needs funding per place for those occupied by pupils on roll and £10,000 High Needs funding per place for the remainder of places to be funded. This will be calculated in the same way as the existing Enhanced Mainstream School provisions (for example, based on the previous October school census).

The Council will provide the place funding for maintained schools, but the Department of Education will provide the place funding directly for academies. The Council will also provide additional funding on the same basis for any Additional Resource Provision or SEN Unit with over-number places.

However, we recognise that this place funding alone is not always enough to provide the level of provision and support that each child requires and therefore it is proposed that additional High Needs funding will be provided by the Council depending on the type of provision. This is intended to cover agreed staffing requirements (as specified in the provision specification), some equipment, continuous professional development (CPD), resources and specific services depending on the type of provision.

Points to note:

  • it is proposed to introduce Additional Resource Provisions and SEND Units which can support children with a mixed presentation of need
  • it is proposed to reintroduce an Additional Resource Provision for children with speech, language and communication needs at Mill Lane Primary School, this provision will be from Nursery onwards
  • it is proposed to close the Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) Enhanced Mainstream School at Stockton Sixth Form College known as Endeavour. This provision currently acts as the offer for anxious pupils in the borough, however, separate consultation will be launched on proposal of provision offered for pupils who cannot attend schools owing to anxiety, as it is a recognised growing area of need
  • it is proposed to cease admissions to the Hearing and Visual Impairment Enhanced Mainstream School at Preston Primary School and this provision will phase out as the children currently in placement naturally transition to their next phase of education. It is proposed to reduce the number of places at Northfield School for hearing and visual impairment needs to 5 places. Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council are undertaking a separate piece of work to develop teaching approaches and learning environments that support children and young people with hearing and vision impairment

Timeline

  • consultation launch: 23 September 2024
  • consultation close: 23 October 2024
  • confirmation of award issued to settings: week commencing 28 October 2024
  • collaboration with awarded schools to formalise provision: Spring term 2025
  • implementation: September 2025

Consultation meetings

If you would like further information about the proposal, or to arrange a meeting to discuss the proposal, please email the SEND team at emsconsultations2024@stockton.gov.uk.

How do I respond to this consultation?

If you wish to comment on this consultation, you can do so by completing the survey on the Enhanced Mainstream Schools consultation page.

The deadline for consultation responses is midday on 23 October 2024.

This document is available in alternative formats. If you require an alternative version, please email at emsconsultations2024@stockton.gov.uk.

This consultation document is circulated to:

  • parents and carers
  • all Headteachers of Stockton schools
  • Ward Councillors and MPs
  • all statutory stakeholders

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