SCN0681

Written evidence submitted by Birkby Infant and Nursery School

 

 

Executive summary

 

  1. Concern about the lengthy and complex assessment process before children can begin having their needs met, which takes staff time away from actual provision.

 

  1. Financial pressure on schools like ours which have a high percentage of SEND pupils without specific additional funding to deal with this means we struggle to meet their needs

 

  1. Concerns about shortage of special school places for those pupils who really need that high level of provision and care which is extremely difficult to provide in a mainstream setting.

 

 

Introduction

 

  1. I am the Chair of Governors at Birkby Infant and Nursery School, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. We are a larger than average 5 form entry Infant and Nursery school in an area of high deprivation.  A very significant number of children arrive into all years at school with high needs previously unrecognised.

 

  1. My reasons for submitting this evidence are three-fold:

 

    1. I have grave concerns regarding the lengthy and complex assessment process of SEND pupils.

 

    1. I am alarmed at the way funding for SEND pupils is allocated and the resulting financial pressure this puts on our school.

 

    1. Shortage of special school places.

 

 

Assessment and Support for children and young people with SEND

 

Complexity of process from first concerns to EHCP approval

 

  1. The changes introduced by the Government to the SEND system were made “with the intention of offering simpler, improved and consistent help for children and young people with SEND”.  However. the process is lengthy and complex and utilises much time for SENCO, teachers and ETAs.  This is documented below, as it illustrates the complexity and lengthiness of the process from first concerns about a child, to gaining ECHP approval.  It highlights the huge investment of time as well as the expertise needed in ensuring the process is followed correctly.

 

The Process

 

  1. Teacher concerned about a child and consults with SENCO.

 

  1. SENCO advises further monitoring - standardised assessments and observations by SENCO etc.

 

  1. SENCO advises SSP (School Support Plan)

 

  1. If the child’s needs are very obvious/extreme, the classteacher and SENCO will usually only write and implement one SSP. 

 

  1. Other children whose apparent difficulties are more difficult to fully understand or appreciate because of complicating factors e.g. nature/nurture or selective mute will be subject to approximately 3 SSP’s. Children will at this stage be referred (form filling) by the SENCO to appropriate external agencies-EP/SALT/VI/HI/CAMHS/Locala.

 

  1. These are reviewed termly by classteacher and SENCO.  In some cases, the child is taken off an SSP but others will then go to the next stage.

 

 

MSPs My Support Plan

 

  1. The SENCO then takes over the educational provision in terms of a learning/support plan.  The SENCO brings all the evidence of outside agencies and review information from the SSP’s to set up appropriate targets for the child in the form of a MY SUPPORT PLAN (MSP).  This takes approximately 1.00 -2.00 hours to complete depending on complexity.  The SENCO shares this plan and advises re implementation with teacher and appropriate ETAs.  Further time - approximately an hour is dedicated to sharing all this information with parents.  External agencies continue to input after classroom observations/assessments etc/speaking to parents/sometimes observing at home.  This input informs the My Support Plan which is updated regularly and as timely as possible to reflect the findings/advice of external agencies.

 

  1. This plan is reviewed termly using information gleaned from external agents and classteacher and ETA input.

 

 

Referral

 

  1. After a second review The SENCO may decide that the school needs to apply for an EHCP so that the needs of this child can be fully met and the school will receive additional funding to support this plan. It takes approximately 3 hours to put together a referral from. This then is discussed with parents to ensure full understanding of their child’s needs and gain consent for the referral to be made. Parent meeting approximately 1 hour long.

 

 

LA APPROVAL

 

  1. If the referral is agreed by the LA PANEL the SENCO, the parents and the external agencies that have been involved with the child have a SUPPORT PLAN MEETING.  These usually last 3 hours.  A draft EHCP is drawn up which is then sent to the LA for approval and funding level.

 

 

Draft EHCP

 

  1. The draft is then returned to the school and the school has to respond and add any extras within 15 days they feel may be necessary and/or particular perhaps to the context of the school such as 1-1 support for extended school, activities.

 

 

EHCP Processing

 

  1. EHCP goes to SEN Panel for approval and appropriate banding for funding.  We often have to chase the SENACT team for these, for example, a draft sent for approval 13 Nov 18 - still no return to SENCO by end February 2019.

 

EHCP implementation

 

  1. EHCP is then legislative and school attempts, with available funding, to ensure the EHCP is fully enacted.  However, funding is never equivalent to cost (see financial information below).  These EHCPs are reviewed annually by all agencies involved, SENCO and parents but also termly within school by all appropriate staff and outcomes fed back to parents.  SENCO has to return EHCP to LA detailing all progress made, interventions, reports from outside agencies and outcomes for child.  The prep time for these is approximately 3 hours which includes assessing child, report collation, sending out to all relevant people and updating parent section.  The actual review meeting is approximately 1.5 hours. Further difficulties are caused by tardiness of SENDACT responding to requests made in EHCP reviews, e.g. reviews in November, still awaiting SENDACT response march 2019.

 

 

Struggling to meet the needs of SEND pupils

 

  1. SEND provision in School.  Below is a brief analysis of the wide-ranging needs of our SEND children as of 25/01/2019, the differing stages they are presently at, as well as the percentage of children WITH SEND in each year group.  It highlights not only the numbers of children, but also gives a clear indication of the enormous shortfall between funding allocation and actual cost to be met from school budget in order to meet the children’s needs.

 

  1. NB Additional Needs includes children with a Child Protection Plan/Child in Need Plan/LAC/ADOPTED/EHA/Medical Needs/New Arrivals/G&T

 

  1. [redacted]

 

  1. The financial implications for the school are huge, as illustrated below:

 

  1. Notional SEN Sum allocated in 2018-2019 budget  (based on a formula allocation across all schools, by the local authority as advised by the Government not on numbers of SEND pupils or need)   £212 350

 

  1. At present (January 2019) School is spending over £409,000 on SEND, allocated as follows (this is a conservative estimate, based on the following costs):

 

20.1.                 N   1 SEN ETA -£17,000 

 

20.2.                 R   40% - £42,500

 

20.3.                 Y1 40%-£68,000

 

20.4.                 Y2 Classroom 37% ETAs managing SSPs and Additional Needs £56,000

 

20.5.                 SEN ETAs working with specific children 10 x £17,000 =£170,000

 

20.6.                 Play Therapist/SALT £15,700

 

20.7.                 SENC0-% of Deputy Headteacher/pastoral team £40,000

 

20.8.                 Total £409,200 

 

  1. However, money received for EHCPs - High Needs Top Up Funding from September  is £41,600 to date at 25/1/2019.  In the last year the school spent approximately twice the amount of “notional” money (£212,350) received for SEND pupils.  Clearly this puts huge financial strain on an already over-stretched budget and has wide-ranging impact on the quality of provision school can provide and we feel the needs and entitlement of many of our children are not being met as a result.

 

 

Staff

 

  1. We are extremely lucky to have an outstanding SENCO who works with passion, dedication and puts in time well in excess of her prescribed hours, to complete the complex documentation which ensures all SEND children are effectively assessed, supported and monitored.  Together with teachers and ETAs, she ensures the support our SEND children receive is excellent.  The Head and senior leadership team work creatively with what resources they have to ensure the school achieves outstanding results and provides outstanding support for our SEND children, again this is purely down to their dedication and wanting what is best for the children.

 

 

Special School Provision

 

  1. We currently have 2 children in school with very significant needs, for whom we care for and support as well as we can, but feel that a placement in a smaller more specialist school would be more appropriate provision, but such places are unavailable.

 

 

Conclusion

 

  1. As a school we feel that we are not meeting the needs of all our children due to financial constraints.  OFSTED judged us to be an Outstanding School following their Inspection in November 2018 and stated “Children and pupils with SEND make exceptional progress”.  We believe that this is purely down to the dedication of all staff and the creativity of the senior leadership team, certainly not to adequate and equitable funding.  Staff are under increasing strain to provide for such a high level of need within a large school, which is also constrained by space. 

 

  1. We would urge the Education Committee to use the opportunity of this Inquiry to review the way children are assessed and its complexity, as well as the inequality in the way SEND funding is allocated.

 

 

 

March 2019