Issue - meetings

The number of children and young people assessed as requiring a place at a specialist education provision in the BCP area has increased in recent years.  Local provision to meet these needs is of high quality, but capacity has not been expanded sufficiently to meet this additional demand.   As a result, increased use has had to be made of local Independent and Non-Maintained special schools which are comparatively expensive and often located outside of the BCP area.  The result of this has been significant pressure on the school Transport budgets. In partnership with the BCP community of schools, a range of proposals has been developed to increase capacity and create new provision to meet the needs of these pupils and these were reported to Cabinet in the paper ‘Capital Investment to Increase Special Educational Needs Capacity’ on 22 April 2020. 

The process for making changes to maintained schools is prescribed by the Department for Education. This report provides details of the process undertaken in relation to adding places at Winchelsea School through establishment of a new satellite at Somerford Primary School. The request to implement the proposal is being made with the support of Winchelsea School and Somerford Primary School.

RESOLVED that the proposal to establish a new satellite of Winchelsea School at the Somerford Primary School site is agreed.

Voting: Unanimous

Portfolio Holder: Covid Resilience, Public Health and Education

Reason

To increase local capacity in BCP maintained schools to meet the assessed educational needs of children and young people with SEND and to reduce pressure on the High Needs Budget.

The Council is the authority for approving this significant change to a maintained school.

The Portfolio Holder for Covid Resilience, Public Health and Education presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'G' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

Cabinet was advised that the number of children and young people assessed as requiring a place at a specialist education provision in the BCP area has increased in recent years, and that local provision to meet these needs is of high quality, but capacity has not been expanded sufficiently to meet this additional demand.   In relation to this Cabinet was informed that as a result, increased use has had to be made of local Independent and Non-Maintained special schools which are comparatively expensive and often located outside of the BCP area.  The result of this has been significant pressure on the school Transport budgets.

Further to this Cabinet was advised that in partnership with the BCP community of schools, a range of proposals has been developed to increase capacity and create new provision to meet the needs of these pupils and these were reported to Cabinet in the paper ‘Capital Investment to Increase Special Educational Needs Capacity’ on 22 April 2020. 

In relation to this Cabinet was informed that the process for making changes to maintained schools is prescribed by the Department for Education, and that this report provides details of the process undertaken in relation to adding places at Winchelsea School through establishment of a new satellite at Somerford Primary School, and that the request to implement the proposal is being made with the support of Winchelsea School and Somerford Primary School.

RESOLVED that the proposal to establish a new satellite of Winchelsea School at the Somerford Primary School site is agreed.

Voting: Unanimous

Portfolio Holder: Covid Resilience, Public Health and Education

The number of children and young people assessed as requiring a place at a specialist education provision in the BCP area has increased in recent years.  Local provision to meet these needs is of high quality, but capacity has not been expanded sufficiently to meet this additional demand.   As a result, increased use has had to be made of local Independent and Non-Maintained special schools which are comparatively expensive and often located outside of the BCP area.  The result of this has been significant pressure on the school Transport budgets. In partnership with the BCP community of schools, a range of proposals has been developed to increase capacity and create new provision to meet the needs of these pupils and these were reported to Cabinet in the paper ‘Capital Investment to Increase Special Educational Needs Capacity’ on 22 April 2020. 

The process for making changes to maintained schools is prescribed by the Department for Education. This report provides details of the process undertaken in relation to adding places at Winchelsea School through establishment of a new satellite at Somerford Primary School. The request to implement the proposal is being made with the support of Winchelsea School and Somerford Primary School.

The Director of Quality and Commissioning presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'C' to these Minutes in the Minute Book. The report related to the proposed increase in local capacity at BCP maintained schools to meet the assessed educational needs of children and young people with SEND and to reduce pressure on the High Needs Budget.

The Director of Quality and Commissioning explained that there was pressure on the High Needs Budget and that many schools were full or oversubscribed, despite the Council having created additional units. The next proposal was for Winchelsea Satellite at Somerford Primary It is proposed that the number of places provided by Winchelsea School will increase during the academic year 2021/22. The school will increase through the addition of a satellite provision. This provision will add up to 60 Key Stage 1/2 at Somerford Primary School. These places will be able to meet the needs of children placed at Winchelsea School.

There had been a good level of responses to the public consultation on the matter.  The Council understood the concerns raised and were now in a position to submit the proposal to go through due process. The Committee heard that the Council were confident they would come through with a good offer.

The Chair summarised that the Committee were reassured by the update and their concerns had been addressed.

RESOLVED that the Committee agree to the proposal to establish a new satellite of Winchelsea School at the Somerford Primary School site without objection.