Download SEN Capital Programme 2018

Consultation Document SEN Capital Programme 2018 - 2021

Context Central Government announced an initiative earlier this year to provide local authorities with capital funding to assist in the provision of SEN places and on 7 August 2017 published the definitive guidance upon how the programme will operate. Medway has been allocated £1.377m, which will be paid in three equal instalments of £459,000 for the financial years of 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21. The criteria for the funding are set out within the guidance, which states that the funding is to support local authorities to invest in provision for children and young people with SEN and disabilities aged 0-25 to improve the quality and range of provision available in the local authority. It is intended for the benefit of children and young people with education, health and care plans (EHCP) for whom the local authority is responsible. The funding can be invested in creating new or additional places at good or outstanding provision, improving current facilities or developing new facilities. The range of provision types are as follows;  Mainstream school/academy or college  Special Unit or resourced provision  Special school or academy  Pupil referral unit or academy  Nursery or early years provider  Other provision – where attended by pupils who have EHCP and are aged 0- 25. The funding is not intended for, amongst others, expanding provision specially to create additional places for pupils who do not have EHCPs, or maintenance work that schools are required to fund such as ramps and wider doorways for pupils with mobility needs. The guidance states that consultation with local stakeholders should take place. It is also clear that local authorities are required to complete and publish a concise plan to show how they intend to invest their share of the funding prior to any funding being received. Prior to receiving funding local authorities need to;  Consult with parents and carers  Consult with schools, FE colleges, and other institutions which offer special education provision  Consider how best to invest the funding strategically  Collaborate with other local authorities where appropriate  Complete a short plan template confirming that consultation has taken place and with whom 1

 Publish the plan on the local offer page outlining how they intend to invest the funding This document forms part of that consultation process. All responses received will be taken into consideration before the final programme is determined and published. The following proposals include indicative funding requirements which will be finalised when approval for the programme is granted. Not all proposed projects will be included within the first year’s funding allocation. The finalised programme, with timeframes and costings will be published following this consultation period and further detailed feasibility studies.

Proposals The projects and schemes proposed to receive funding are; 1) Secondary aged Hearing Impaired unit at Thomas Aveling School (estimated cost £70,000) Medway does not have local specialist educational provision for secondary age pupils with a hearing impairment. Currently specialist provision is sought either in a state-funded Kent school, or more often at an independent residential special school in Brighton.

Medway has previously “purchased” additional places at the state-funded Kent school, but this is becoming a less viable option as Kent County Council need to place more Kent pupils in the provision. There is also now parental dissatisfaction since the full British Sign Language (BSL) service ceased as a result of changes in staff.

The independent special school charges for the residential element and increased costs by 7.6% in 2014-15. Medway has succeeded in negotiating a lower increase, but the school has advised that as there was no increase in costs between 2010 and 2014 further cost increases are likely over the coming years.

It is therefore proposed to create specialist provision for secondary age Medway pupils with a hearing impairment within a state-funded mixed non- selective mainstream secondary school.

The provision will be for 8 places in 2018-19, building to 18 places by the end of the academic year 2020-21 to reflect the number of places for primary age pupils with hearing impairment attending the specialist provision based at All Faiths Primary School.

If Medway are no longer able to purchase places at the state-funded Kent school, the potential cost of placing 18 children in independent special school provision could grow to around £691,000 by September 2019. Local provision means that we are able to keep children in their local area, and living with their family for the entire week, also enabling local friendships

and contacts to be developed reducing any possible isolation or detachment the pupils could feel by being placed out of area. The project will comprise of the creation of two specialist classrooms within the Thomas Aveling site equipped to meet the needs of the pupils together with suitable adjacent small group and office space.

2) Various works at Bradfields Special School (estimated cost £150,000) The table of needs set out below will provide the school and the pupils that attend to enjoy more appropriate and suitable accommodation as well as enabling additional pupils to be placed here. Project Impact on Teaching & Learning This will improve accessibility for Complex ASD Development of existing learners who are sound sensitive. It will also increase Gymnasium to improve PE spaces for smaller classes helping to reduce some acoustics and add a of the current timetabling pressure as a result of a lack room divider of PE spaces. Conversion of Servery To redevelop existing Servery area into a teaching area into PE/Gym space to support the development of the curriculum space provision to cater for an increase in student numbers. This will support the needs of the Nurture group Creation of a Sensory students as currently the provision does not exist within Room and zoned the academy. It will enable learners to reduce anxiety sensory spaces levels and increase engagement enabling them to be ready to learn. To refit the log cabin and refurbish a room in the lower The creation and site to create fully functioning life skills rooms which will resourcing of two life support the new curriculum from 2018. This curriculum skills rooms will support all students to be develop key skills for life including how to make beds and clean. Currently with only one dedicated Art room, a majority of lessons are limited by lack of access to a specialist space. With the creation of a second Art space all Development of a students will have access to an Art space where they specialist Art Room will be able to access all resources. The outside space will also be developed to create greater opportunity for Complex ASD students to explore larger expressive arts. This will increase access to the rooms as currently the lack of cookers and design of the spaces limit the numbers that can access and provides added Upgrade the two food challenges for learners with physical disabilities. This Technology rooms will increase the number of students who can opt for food based courses in KS4 & 5 to improve life skills and aid independent living.

Outreach Development Identified as a key strength by Ofsted Bradfields intend – Resources and to resource their outreach team to ensure they can training impact on more children across Medway.

3) Brompton Academy (estimated cost £30,000) The new building at Brompton Academy is DDA compliant. The majority of pupils with physical disabilities can be included successfully in their local mainstream secondary school. However, there are a small number of pupils with profound physical and/or medical needs that require enhanced provision to meet their needs throughout the school day e.g. daily physiotherapy, placement in a standing frame, specialist toileting provision. Adaptations of the current premises at the Eliot Centre will be required; these include the installation of mechanical hoists and hygiene areas. The estimated costs of these adaptations will be £30,000. This capital investment could assist the council in realising savings against future revenue costs of placing out of area. At secondary transfer, parents of children with these high level needs have been choosing to send their children to out of area state-funded schools with fully adapted facilities (Thamesview School in Gravesend ,Westlands School in Sittingbourne, or further afield to Valence School in Tonbridge). The average top up cost of £14,513 per year. To be able to offer the enhanced provision locally, it is proposed to change the designation of the Eliot Centre at Brompton Academy to include up to 4 pupils per year with profound physical and/or medical needs (average range cognitive ability). Top up costs for PD/medical pupils in the new designation are still being assessed, but it is envisaged that costs to personal care support, support in class, statutory annual servicing of equipment, resources for hygiene purposes and disposal of clinical waste will be around £8,000 to £9,000 per year per pupil. Transport costs will also reduce as a result of local placement.

4) Parkwood Federation of Schools nurture provision (estimated cost £200,000 - £250,000) The Parkwood Federation of schools provides a nurture provision accessed currently by up to 32 primary aged pupils. The provision caters for pupils at risk of being permanently excluded or with some behavioural issues. The school work with the children with the aim of enabling them to receive mainstream education where possible. The provision is growing in reputation and parents from across Medway are now choosing the schools because their child has certain needs. The provision is currently operated from a mobile building that is no longer appropriate for purpose, with no running water or toilet facilities. The building will continue to require ongoing and increasing maintenance. The proposal is to provide appropriate accommodation for the school to manage this provision accordingly and also to be able to increase the numbers of pupils who access it. This will help to reduce exclusion rates across Medway.

5) St Werburgh Centre at Hundred of Hoo Academy (estimated contribution of £200,000) The St Werburgh Centre provides education and support for secondary aged pupils with varying levels of autism. The provision assists pupils with accelerated personal and academic progress. Currently the provision is housed in a modular building on the edge of the site, which is requiring significant ongoing repair and is no longer fit for purpose. There is also inadequate outside social space for the pupils. Demand for places at the St Werburgh Centre is now outstripping the space available. The proposal is to contribute funding towards the reconfiguration of the main school accommodation to provide the ASD pupils with increased and appropriate space and facilities within the main body of buildings to encourage further social and educational development of the pupils. This will aid integration into the mainstream school wherever possible. The following three proposals focus upon Post 16 provision for pupils with EHCP’s. Further detailed investigation will be required to assess the specific requirements and it is anticipated that these will not form part of the funding in year 1, but will be considered for years 2 and 3 of the programme.

6) Expansion of Gillingham Football Club Foundation School (Estimated contribution of £350,000) To expand the current provision for 25 pupils with behavioural difficulties into new premises on the Gillingham Football Club stadium site enabling capacity for 40 -50 pupils. The Gillingham Football Club Foundation School provides independent alternative provision education for secondary aged pupils with a variety of vulnerabilities who are not able to attend mainstream school, have been permanently excluded or are at risk of permanent exclusion. The academy generally caters for children with EHC plans related to social, emotional or mental health difficulties but pupils without plans are not precluded if this is the most appropriate setting for them. The current accommodation utilised by the academy is neither appropriate for the needs of the pupils nor is it of sufficient size to accommodate the additional pupils. Space exists on the Football Stadium site to create a more suitable building, which would support the additional numbers of pupils and needs of the children. Any funding allocated to the project from the capital programme would provide a contribution to the overall costs.

7) Post 19 provision (estimated cost £150,000). Proposed for Y2 and/or Year 3 of the programme To develop more opportunities locally for young people with ECHPs aged 19- 24 which will support them to gain skills to be able to access opportunities for work and independent living (where appropriate) through the development of a wider range of suitable courses, traineeships, and supported internships.

Timeline for the programme

Tue 30 Jan to Sun Consultation period 4 March 2018 By Wednesday 14 Local authorities must publish the plan on their local offer page March 2018 having consulted as set out above. Local authorities that have published the plan and consulted with Summer 2018 parents, carers and young people will receive the first tranche of funding Local authorities should update and republish their plan to show March 2019 what they have spent on so far Summer 2019 Local authorities will receive the second tranche of funding March 2020 Local authorities should update and republish their plan again Summer 2020 Local authorities will receive the third tranche of funding Local authorities should update and republish their plan a final time March 2021 to show how all money was eventually spent

Please provide your response to the consultation on the attached form and ensure that it is returned on or before the closing date of Sunday 4 March 2018.

How to make comments

We would like to hear your views on these proposals. Please email your comments to [email protected] Alternatively you can hand the form below to the reception desk at Gun Wharf or send it to: FREEPOST RRUY-ZBTJ-CZZC, School Organisation, Medway Council, Gun Wharf, Dock Road, Chatham ME4 4TR Unfortunately it will not be possible to acknowledge receipt. All responses must be received by Sunday 4 March 2018.

It would be helpful to have the following information:

Name

Address

I am (please tick) Parent/ guardian School Governor

Member of staff Local Resident

None of the above (please specify)

Please tick one box for each of the proposals that you wish to respond to; you are not obliged to respond to every proposal:

I approve of the proposal to implement a hearing impaired unit at Thomas Aveling School

I object to the proposal to implement a hearing impaired unit at Thomas Aveling School