main content Parents and staff contribute to SEN consultation

Parents, staff and governors have been praised by Bromley Council’s Executive for helping to shape the future of Special Educational Needs (SEN) provision in primary schools.

After a hugely successful consultation process, the Executive agreed on Monday night to proposals which will mean greater investment for young people with specialist needs.

All the views received during the consultation, launched last spring as the first of three phases to restructure the borough’s SEN provision, were warmly welcomed and have assisted the Local Education Authority in significantly amending its original proposals.

One of the main concerns raised, regarding the loss of Key Stage 1 and 2 continuity at Hillside Primary and Burnt Ash Primary, has been addressed and the total number of funded places in Special Opportunity Units and Special Infant Units will be 199 instead of 182 as originally proposed.

The new arrangement also recognises the need to retain capacity for children with a combination of moderate needs.

Funding of SOU/SIU places will increase from £6,180 to £10,300, meaning resources will be better targeted. For those units focusing wholly on children with Social Communication Difficulties, this will increase to £11,740.

The changes will be phased in over a period of three to four years from April but the Council has assured parents that no children will be moved from their units, outside of the normal annual review process involving parents, teachers, the LEA and other agencies.

Councillor Graham Arthur, Executive Councillor for Children and Young People, said “This has been a very effective consultation and we are extremely grateful to all the parents, staff and governors who have taken considerable time to help us shape our proposals over the last nine months.

“As a result, we have been able to significantly amend our original proposals and will be investing more in improving and supporting our specialist provision.

This has never been about cost-cutting. It has been about recognising and responding to the changing nature of how we educate some of the borough’s most vulnerable young people.

This is, however, just the first step of an ongoing process and we will continue to talk to parents, staff and governors to further improve the SEN services we deliver.”

The proposals were a response to weaknesses identified in 2003 by Ofsted inspectors who judged the LEA’s support for children with special educational needs provided unsatisfactory value for money.

The inspectors also highlighted the need for the Council to plan ahead to make provision for the increasing number of pupils with complex needs.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

• Appendix 1 (attached) shows the current position, the original proposals and the revised proposals as agreed by the Executive.
• The LEA will now undertake further planning and discussion with Special School head teachers to refine proposals for Special Schools (Phase 2).
• A public consultation for Phase 2 is planned for between April and June.
• Strategic planning for Phase 3, which relates to specialist provision for children with Specific Learning Difficulties, Hearing Impairment and Speech/Language Difficulties, is due to start next month.