Agenda item

To provide an update on the implementation of the current Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Strategy.

Mr Philip Thompson, Head of SEND and Early Years provided an update on the implementation of the current Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Strategy. Within his accompanying report, Mr Thompson had highlighted that one of the priorities of the SEND Strategy was to develop a continuance of local provision and services to meet the needs of children with SEND and he outlined that the consultation with mainstream schools to open SEN provision units within their schools had resulted in five successful applications from primary schools. The Committee requested an update in relation to the provision of SEN units within Blackpool’s secondary schools, with Mr Thompson reporting that talks were currently ongoing with one of the town’s special schools. The proposals centred around the potential of two classrooms being made available within one mainstream secondary school to be accessed and utilised by pupils attending a special school. The plans included proposals for the pupils to gradually transfer to the mainstream school fully over a period of two years.

With regards to the five successful applications for the SEN units, the Committee sought additional information on the consultation and recruitment process. Mr Thompson explained that all schools had been included in the consultation and had been asked to submit expressions of interest to be included in the project. As all applications had successfully met the suitability criteria, the decision had been taken to approve all five schools.

In response to a question around the status of the Oracle building, Mr Thompson reported that the current timescale aimed for completion by September 2021 with the building to be used as a sixth form SEN provision from that date. He advised that the building had undergone appropriate building surveys to assess its suitability and to provide estimated costings for any necessary modifications. The Committee was informed that a total budget allocation of £100,000 had been reserved for the work from the SEND capital works budget but that if costs exceeded this amount then funds would need to be allocated from alternative sources.

Mr Thompson reported that the Lotus free school for children aged 10 to 16 years was now open and had 21 pupils across years six, seven and eight. The Committee questioned whether this was as planned for this stage in the school’s development, with Mr Thompson confirming that a total of 24 places had been commissioned for the first year, as agreed with the Department for Education. He outlined that from September 2021 this number would be expanded to 40 places and that 36 children had already been identified as looking likely to be suitable for most of those. By year five of the school, Mr Thompson anticipated that up to 67 pupils could be in place. He advised that the pandemic restrictions had impacted the settling in period for some of the pupils, with teaching staff reporting that the disruption of repeated periods of lockdown had been difficult for some of their children and advising that the pandemic might delay the introduction of additional pupils until the settling period had been completed for all current placements.

Members considered the need to balance parental choice against the benefits of pupils remaining within a mainstream school, particularly at the transition point from primary to secondary. Mrs Diane Booth, Director of Children’s Services identified that a common perception was that mainstream schools were unable to adequately cope with the needs of SEND pupils and that work was ongoing to help redress this misconception with parents and to demonstrate that pupils were often better placed within the mainstream system.

The Committee noted that the current strategy was due to expire at the end of 2021 and that the working party would begin to review and create a new strategy from February 2021. Members welcomed the opportunity to be involved in this process.