Issue - meetings

The Board received a report on the progress to date on expanding the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision within Halton and the next steps, following receipt of a £3.3m capital allocation from the Department for Education (DfE).

It was reported that the DfE notified Halton it would be allocated £3.3m of capital funding to support the provision of new places or to expand existing provision for pupils and students with high needs.  Officers then wrote to all schools to seek expressions of interest from them to offer new or additional SEND provision, based against need identified within the Local Authority.  Out of nine expressions of interest received seven met the need identified and were agreed for progression and consideration to Executive Board; Appendix A listed the seven schools and the provision offer made by them.

It was noted that the Executive Board agreed to progress to statutory consultation for five schools where the SEND provision would be new; agreed to the expansion of provision at two further schools that already had existing SEND provision; and agreed to the progression of capital works at those two primary schools that already offered specialist provision and were not subject to statutory consultation.  It was reported that approximately 100 additional SEND places would be made available through this new provision.

Members discussed the information presented regarding the expansion of SEND provision and queried whether 100 additional places would be enough.  Discussions also took place on the following:

·         The increasing pressures on SEND provision and the costs associated with this;

·         The inclusivity of schools  - not all children with an ECHP needed specialist provision and could stay in mainstream schools with support;

·         Delays with the opening of Raise Academy, the Free School – the new opening date is June 2024 and regular meetings were being held with the DfE;

·         The loss of the English as an Additional Language (EAL) service at a time when numbers requiring this type of support were increasing;

·         The time limits of EHCP assessment, which was 20 weeks, however this was not being met currently for various reasons; and

·         The EHCP ‘pre’ assessment and the reasons behind these – Senco staff provided support to parents and schools to help with the preparation of these, however staff shortages existed in the area since the pandemic.

RESOLVED:  That the Board notes the information provided.