Agenda item

This report provides Members with:

·        An update on the work taking place to support children and families with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

·        Information about the prevalence of SEND in York and the work taking place to meet current and future needs, including supporting the preparation for adulthood.

·        An update on the progress of the Inclusion Review and preparations for the Ofsted/CQC inspection of the implementation of the SEND reforms in the local area.

Members considered a report that updated them on the work taking place to support children and families with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

The Head of SEND and the Assistant Director of Education, SEND and Skills were in attendance to provide an update on the prevalence of SEND in York, the work taking place to meet current and future needs, the progress of the Inclusion Review and preparations for the Ofsted/Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection of the implementation of the SEND reforms in the local area.

Members were informed of the areas of development that would increase provision and be responsive to children, young people and their family’s needs. Officers gave an overview of the service and discussed:

·        How they were responding to the growth in the numbers of children and young people with SEND in York;

·        The developments in place to support early years providers, schools and colleges to be more inclusive and

·        The consultation and engagement process, including feedback from parents. 

Members noted that:

·        The Inclusion Review had, for the last three years, focused on developing an understanding of the needs of children and young people with SEND and how they were supported in mainstream and specialist education settings.

·        Funding for SEND came from the High Needs Block of the Dedicated Schools Grant and was used to support the education provision for children and young people with SEND up to the age of 25.

·        York had a significant range of provisions to support children and young people with SEND, including bespoke provisions for those with high level needs and officers were keen to expand on what worked well in a sustainable way.

·        York’s Local Offer for SEND was available online www.york-ok.org.uk/localoffer. The website included a wealth of information for families and young people, as well as a Facebook page that provided up to date information on one off events.

·        Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) were supported through a wide range of training and the Local Authority shared updates, policies and procedures with them.

·        92% of parents reported positively that the capital developments in York would help to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND.

In answer to Members questions it was confirmed that:

·        A second secondary satellite provision, at Millthorpe School, opened in September 2019. Manor CE Academy and Millthorpe School both provided support to young people with learning needs that enabled them to receive specialist teaching within a mainstream school and gain access to some mainstream lessons, as appropriate to their needs. The young people remained on the Applefields School roll but were part of Millthorpe or Manor community and wore their uniform.

·        There had been over a 60% rise in school aged children identified with a  primary need of autism and more seeking diagnosis. This had placed significant pressures on local services to provide timely assessments but the extra funding from the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) would be invested in reducing the waiting times.

·        A wide range of training packages, programmes and targeted work was being provided to schools and staff from various professionals and training providers including Pivotal Education, the specialists teaching team and educational psychologists.

·        Each cluster of schools had a designated Wellbeing Worker that supported children and advised staff.

Members received an update on Danesgate Community and agreed that officers were managing the increasing demand for specialist support in the current financially challenging environment. They thanked officers for their report and welcomed  the mixed models and various provisions that were in place to help support the different needs of children and young people with SEND in mainstream and specialist education settings. 

Resolved: That the report be noted.

Reason: To provide the Committee with an update on SEND in York.