DOCSLIB.ORG

19 June 2019 Dear Parent/Carer Cumbria

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
19 June 2019 Dear Parent/Carer Cumbria 19 June 2019 Dear Parent/Carer Headteacher: Dr R P Petrie BSc PhD Cumbria Local Authority Consultation on the future of Resourced Provisions I am writing to inform you of the above consultation on the future of Strategic Resourced Provisions within Cumbria; the consultation documents and request for responses can be found here: https://cumbria.citizenspace.com/cumbria-county-council/resourced-provision-consultation-1/ As you are aware, we are proud at Cockermouth School to host a Resourced Provision for students who have varying needs on the Autistic Spectrum. As a truly inclusive school, we value the diversity of our student population and have, through the hard work of our staff, created a school community where everyone is supported and integrated. We do not subscribe to the model of a ‘school within a school’ and our incredible team within our Learning Support department work closely with teachers to ensure that any student who requires support (not just those within the Resourced Provision) are given the help they need to succeed. We are currently oversubscribed in our Resourced Provision (29 students when our capacity is 24), a situation that reflects the dire need for further places for autism across the county. The proposed consultation acknowledges this shortage but, in our opinion, does not tackle this in the correct way. There is a significant shortfall in the county High Needs Block budget, the funding stream that supports students with SEND. This proposal aims to redress some of that shortfall by creating hubs that will centrally employ staff, thus removing them from being employed by schools such as ours. This central employment is aimed at increasing flexibility of response and also tackling the current practice of paying some schools for so-called ‘ghost places’. These are places in schools with Resourced Provisions that receive funding from the High Needs Block, even though the places are unfilled! Whilst we support the ending of this practice, and acknowledge the difficulties this will present to some schools, restructuring the entire Resourced Provision layout within the county seems a huge overreaction. Managing finances within education is a challenge for everyone at the moment and, whether you agree with academisation or not, since we converted in 2015, we have had to live within our means. It is absolutely right that public funds should be tightly managed and we would propose the following first steps to remedy any shortfall in the High Needs Block before restructuring: Stop funding ‘ghost places’ (potential saving ~£350K) – this will require giving affected schools notice that the funding will stop so that they can deal with staffing issues. As an alternative, repurpose under-utilised Resourced Provisions into specialist autism provisions to meet the needs of the children. We would be happy to support this process and use our expertise to develop other schools. Require any Local Authority-maintained schools running an overall deficit to submit a deficit recovery plan that balances their budget within (say) 3 years (potential saving at least £1.5M) and use existing powers to transfer recovered funds into the High Needs Block. Note: there should not be any transfer of existing funding to schools from the main schools’ grant into the High Needs Block as this would result in a further reduction in funding to ALL schools. Academies have to run a balanced budget and are not allowed to run at an overall deficit; it would seem fair to expect the same of maintained schools. As a result of the proposal that is under consultation, we now have a team of highly-skilled and hugely- experienced staff within Learning Support and our Resourced Provision who face significant uncertainty about their future employment. They have spent their careers working with students and staff to ensure that everyone achieves in our school; for the sake of our students, these are not people we wish to see re-deployed elsewhere. We are therefore very keen to gather your support in ensuring that we can continue to maintain the outstanding support that we currently offer. There are a number of points within the consultation that require further clarity and it is important that we allow the Local Authority to explain things further. In the meantime, we are compiling our response to the consultation and we will make this available on our website. What can you do to help? Download and read the Local Authority consultation documentation (link at the start of this letter); Attend the public meetings about the consultation - there is one on the 1 July at Workington Academy and another on 15 July at West Lakes Academy; Respond to the consultation. We have attached our draft response to the consultation; please feel free to use this as a basis for your response. The consultation closes on Friday 19 July. All of us who believe in inclusive education and who have worked with students with autism know what a superb job the staff in our Resourced Provision do. We all understand the importance of tailoring support to the individual student and the importance of stability and safety to those students with autistic spectrum condition (ASC). This, along with a desire for a fully integrated school community, is what our staff do so well and we cannot see how this proposal improves the support for some of our most vulnerable students. I will leave the final word to one of our Year 13 students who has received support from our Resourced Provision (SRP) since joining the school in Year 7 and has written to the LA: “In Year 7 I found it extremely difficult to adapt to secondary school life and without the SRP building for me to go to and feel safe, (there is a sensory room, life skills flat, quiet room, bedroom, changing rooms, classrooms, recreation area, toilets that I felt comfortable using) I know for a fact that without this resource, I wouldn’t be at the level of education (currently taking my A levels and have a conditional offer at University) and have the social/life skills that I do now. Over time, and with the continued support from the SRP, I have successfully attended mainstream lessons (with support), but with the knowledge that I have the SRP to go to when it isn’t going so well. I have always felt the need for a safe place to go, and this is particularly paramount during exam periods, and feel without the SRP I have no doubt that my behaviour would be deemed unacceptable and may have been permanently excluded…” I hope that you feel able to support our school over this incredibly important issue. For us, being an inclusive school is something that we live every day; it’s an ethos that runs through our school, not just a word on our letterhead. Yours sincerely Dr R P Petrie Headteacher a s p i r e • e n j o y • i n c l u d e • r e s p e c t • c o m m u n i t y .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Download Letter
    WORKINGTON ACADEMY Mr D Bird Headteacher Stainburn Road, T: 01900 873926 Workington E: [email protected] “Be The Best You Can Be” Cumbria W: www.workingtonacademy.org CA14 4EB 19 December 2019 Dear Parents/Carers As we approach the end of a very busy Autumn term it is important to reflect upon all that has happened since September. New students and staff alike have made a great start at the Academy, and we have seen many exciting new developments, not least launching our new and innovative sixth form offer included within the West Coast Sixth Form. This has been particularly well received amongst our year 11 students who will form the first ever cohort when they enter year 12 in the next academic year. This new venture will provide a broader range of subject option choices for Workington Academy students to study at sixth form and delivered here in the Academy. Over the Autumn term our largest ever year 7 intake have made a fantastic start to their secondary school career, building new friendships, developing their Form Group teams, involving themselves in new experiences, clubs and learning new skills. Year 7 discos, trips and events have all been well attended and supported, culminating in their Energi Christmas Social Event, which was a fantastic success. Unfortunately, due to the continuing poor weather, Derwentwater Day has still not taken place, but please rest assured that this will take place within the Spring Term. Nevertheless, we are delighted with the progress our youngest students have made throughout this term, as they have settled in brilliantly to secondary school life.
    [Show full text]
  • Robert Alford Education, Attraction, Outreach Sub Committee Chair Who Are the YGN?
    Social Value Group June 2019 Agenda • Round the room • Mirehouse Work Awareness • Cumbria Exchange • YGN School Speakers Competition • WoW update • BSCP • CEC awards • AOB Mirehouse Work Awareness Cumbria Exchange is looking for skills based volunteers to support community organisations: Business management Project management Finance Design Marketing And more………………… If interested contact Helen Conway for an informal chat: [email protected] 01946 598317 Nuclear Institute Young Generation Network Robert Alford Education, Attraction, Outreach sub committee chair Who are the YGN? • A subsidiary of the Nuclear Institute • We are all under 37 years old • Like minded enthusiastic volunteers • Private and public sector organisations • Any field of work • Almost 1,000 members (and almost 2,000 subscribers) Events Summary Introduction STEM Technical Bursaries To… Events Site Tours Event Audience Networking International Leadership With… Events Links & Delivery National Career Links to universities Speaking Mentoring and professional Progression Competition institutes YGN Speaking Competition • Regional Heats • Abstracts submitted • Top 6 selected - invited to present • 10 min presentation followed by questions • Winner of each heat progresses to National final • Winner of National final presents at YGN annual seminar. School Speaking Competition proposal • Opportunity to offer extra curriculum activity in line with Young Enterprise, Mock Trials etc. to KS4 (14-16yr old) • Same process as with main YGN speaking competition • Schools invited to partake • “Back of a book” submission- Video/ written/ Poster • Select 10 to present • 5 min presentation • Winners selected School Speaking Competition proposal Time line: June - Initial proposal to schools for review September – Launch to schools October- Closing date and review submissions. November – Finalists prepare presentations Early December- Speaking competition evening.
    [Show full text]
  • Open PDF 715KB
    LBP0018 Written evidence submitted by The Northern Powerhouse Education Consortium Education Select Committee Left behind white pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds Inquiry SUBMISSION FROM THE NORTHERN POWERHOUSE EDUCATION CONSORTIUM Introduction and summary of recommendations Northern Powerhouse Education Consortium are a group of organisations with focus on education and disadvantage campaigning in the North of England, including SHINE, Northern Powerhouse Partnership (NPP) and Tutor Trust. This is a joint submission to the inquiry, acting together as ‘The Northern Powerhouse Education Consortium’. We make the case that ethnicity is a major factor in the long term disadvantage gap, in particular white working class girls and boys. These issues are highly concentrated in left behind towns and the most deprived communities across the North of England. In the submission, we recommend strong actions for Government in particular: o New smart Opportunity Areas across the North of England. o An Emergency Pupil Premium distribution arrangement for 2020-21, including reform to better tackle long-term disadvantage. o A Catch-up Premium for the return to school. o Support to Northern Universities to provide additional temporary capacity for tutoring, including a key role for recent graduates and students to take part in accredited training. About the Organisations in our consortium SHINE (Support and Help IN Education) are a charity based in Leeds that help to raise the attainment of disadvantaged children across the Northern Powerhouse. Trustees include Lord Jim O’Neill, also a co-founder of SHINE, and Raksha Pattni. The Northern Powerhouse Partnership’s Education Committee works as part of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership (NPP) focusing on the Education and Skills agenda in the North of England.
    [Show full text]
  • Final Site Selection Topic Paper Update January 2019
    Final Site Selection Topic Paper Update January 2019 Page 1 Original site 1/ABB/002A/R reference Land adjacent Abbey Site address Road Settlement Abbeytown Site area 1.7 hectares Site capacity 35 units Use Housing Type Greenfield Site Characteristics Constitutes a large level agricultural field on the NE edge of the village bounded to the north by the remains of a disused railway line and embankment (and the former station). Residential development to the south of the site across Abbey Road, to the south east, and to the west, along with The Wheatsheaf public house (distinctive Carlisle & District State Management scheme pub). Predominantly 2 storey modern detached dwellings, but traditional barn conversions adjacent to SE corner. Farm buildings to the E – currently in use. Attractive natural stone wall along S boundary along road frontage. Station Villa to the north is elevated. Small portion of hedgerow along northern boundary. Constraints Amenity impact of adjacent farm, potentially from nearby pub and coal yard. AONB abuts northern boundary. 1 Close proximity of Grade 1 listed Holme Cultrum Abbey – potential for archaeological remains, and heritage implications Radon level 1. Potential connectivity with designated ecological sites in Waver estuary to the north Policy context/fit Western portion of the site is a saved employment allocation (REM1) in the Allerdale Local Plan (1999), and this allocation lies within the 1999 ALP settlement boundary. This employment allocation is not being renewed. The existing settlement limit follows Abbey Road and incorporates adjoining housing and Station Villa to the rear, the land identified relates well to the existing settlement limit.
    [Show full text]
  • December 2019
    Name: BeckstoneBeckstone Primary Primary Newsletter Newsletter Tel: 01946 830423 Fax: 01946 834936 Email: [email protected] BeckstoneBeckstone Web Primary site:Primary www.beckstone.cumbria.sch.uk Newsletter Newsletter N ewsletter no. 4 December 2019 DearBeckstone Parents, Primary Newsletter Newsletter no. 7 March2019 Welcome to the last newsletter of 2019!! Tel: 01946 830423 We are sending this out a few days before the start of December to Fax: 01946 834936CHRISTMAS FAIR – Fri 29th Nov 1.30pm .......................................................................... 4 remind you about the Christmas Fair THIS coming Friday (further Email: [email protected] Cards ................................ .............................................................................. 4 Beckstonedetails inside), We would very much Primarywelcome your Christmas Raffle ................................ Newsletter.............................................................................. 4 presence if at all possible). This Web is a magical site: www.beckstone.cum time of year Schoolbria.sch.uk Christmas Parties ................................................................................................. 4 for children and there are lots of things happening in Christmas Dinner ............................................................................................................ 4 Health & Safety Audit ..................................................................................................... 5
    [Show full text]
  • Education Indicators: 2022 Cycle
    Contextual Data Education Indicators: 2022 Cycle Schools are listed in alphabetical order. You can use CTRL + F/ Level 2: GCSE or equivalent level qualifications Command + F to search for Level 3: A Level or equivalent level qualifications your school or college. Notes: 1. The education indicators are based on a combination of three years' of school performance data, where available, and combined using z-score methodology. For further information on this please follow the link below. 2. 'Yes' in the Level 2 or Level 3 column means that a candidate from this school, studying at this level, meets the criteria for an education indicator. 3. 'No' in the Level 2 or Level 3 column means that a candidate from this school, studying at this level, does not meet the criteria for an education indicator. 4. 'N/A' indicates that there is no reliable data available for this school for this particular level of study. All independent schools are also flagged as N/A due to the lack of reliable data available. 5. Contextual data is only applicable for schools in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland meaning only schools from these countries will appear in this list. If your school does not appear please contact [email protected]. For full information on contextual data and how it is used please refer to our website www.manchester.ac.uk/contextualdata or contact [email protected]. Level 2 Education Level 3 Education School Name Address 1 Address 2 Post Code Indicator Indicator 16-19 Abingdon Wootton Road Abingdon-on-Thames
    [Show full text]
  • Cumbria Youth Alliance Annual Report 2018 - 2019
    CUMBRIA YOUTH ALLIANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2018 - 2019 A group of young people from Lakes College on their Duke of Edinburgh’s Bronze expedition practice taking a moment to enjoy the view from Holme Beck Bridge “Working with and for young people to enable them to reach their full potential” Funders & Supporters Contents Chair’s Foreword We are hugely grateful to all our funders who make it possible for us Chief Officer’s Report to support young people in Cumbria. Cumbria Youth Alliance Infrastructure Without you none of the achievements Support for Organisations working with listed in this report would have been children, young people and families possible. Our funders of 18/19 were: Cumbria County Council Young Leaders Allerdale Borough Council Disability Volunteering Workington Town Council DFES Young People in Care Transition Project Cumbria CVS Sellafield Sites Support Fund Choices Cumbria Community Foundation Big Lottery Community Fund x 2 First Steps To Employment Francis C Scott Charitable Trust Swire Charitable Trust Stepladder of Achievement Four Acre Charitable Trust BBC Children in Need Friday Night Projects Allerdale Groundwork Trust via BBO WEA via BBO Duke Of Edinburgh’s Award BUPA Foundation Working Well Share Foundation D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust Dreamscheme Carlisle and Eden Sir John Fisher Foundation Beatrice Laing Charitable Trust Cumbria Children & Young People’s St James’s Place Foundation Voluntary Sector Reference Group Ashworth Charitable Trust Action with Communities in Cumbria “Bounce Back” Emotional Penrith Town
    [Show full text]
  • Home to School and SEND
    Routes where we have contracted wheelchair access vehicles - Home to School and SEND Contract Number Operator Route details Passenger Assistant H0401 Beeline Transport Ltd Carlisle to William Howard School Y H0402 Beeline Transport Ltd Longtown, Brampton to WHS Y H0501 Beeline Transport Ltd Newlatihes Ave to James Rennie 10:30 Y H0502 Beeline Transport Ltd Carlisle to Trinity School AM Only N H0503 Beeline Transport Ltd Hethersgill, Harker to James Rennie Y H0506 Caldew Coaches Carlisle to James Rennie School Y H0507 Caldew Coaches Carlisle to James Rennie School Y H0508 Michael Irving Carlisle to James Rennie School Y H0511 Bills Mini Coaches Carlisle to James Rennie School Y H0512 DGH Silloth t/a Solway Private Hire Carlisle to James Rennie School Y H0516 Scott Kennedy Taxis Ltd Currock area to James Rennie School Y H0517 Scott Kennedy Taxis Ltd Kirkbride area to James Rennie School Y H0526 Scott Kennedy Taxis Ltd Southwaite, Langwathby to James Rennie S Y H0529 Philip Taylor T/A Carlisle Coast to Coast Transfers Hespeck Raise to James Rennie School Y H0533 Metro Taxis Appleby to James Rennie Y H0536 Metro Taxis Dalston to James Rennie School Y H0537 Beeline Transport Ltd Appleby to James Rennie School Y H0538 Beeline Transport Ltd Scotby to James Rennie School AM ONLY Y H1202 H&K Travel Penrith to UCC Y H1504 M&I Travel Ltd Whitehaven to Workington Academy Y H5102 Carefree Travel Ltd Barrow to George Hastwell School Y H5103 Dalton Cars Barrow to George Hastwell School Y H5104 Dalton Cars Barrow to George Hastwell School Y H5105 Dalton
    [Show full text]
  • News Release
    News Release PR 16689 For Immediate Release 25 February 2021 More Covid-19 Lateral Flow Tests centres open around county Essential workers who cannot work from home now have more ways to access regular COVID-19 Rapid Result Lateral Flow testing with eleven testing sites now open in Cumbria. Last week five testing sites opened in Carlisle, Aspatria, Kendal, Penrith, and Millom. This week, six additional sites have been been opened in Barrow in Furness, Dalton, Milnthorpe, Sedburgh, Workington and Whitehaven. Lateral Flow tests give a result in 30 minutes and help identify asymptomatic carriers, people who do have COVID-19 and are infectious but are not ill. These people can then self-isolate to protect others. The testing sites are open to any essential workers who cannot work from home and come into regular contact with other people through their job, and who do not have COVID-19 symptoms. The tests are free and no booking is required, but please note the sites are only open at the times stated. The tests are a major element of Cumbria’s strategy to battle COVID-19 and quickly becoming a routine part of many people’s working lives, with thousands having a test every week. But not all employers are able to provide the testing themselves and that’s where the County’s community testing sites come in. People who do have symptoms of coronavirus should book a test at nhs.uk/coronavirus or by calling 119. They should not attend a Lateral Flow Community Testing Site. Colin Cox, Cumbria’s Director of Public Health, said: “Mass Lateral Flow Testing of those without symptoms is a key part of the strategy for preventing the spread of Covid and getting us out of lockdown.
    [Show full text]
  • Hello Future CEIAG Online Platform Provision for Schools and Colleges
    Evaluation - Online CEIAG Platforms During phase 1, Hello Future provided eligible schools and colleges in Cumbria with funding to support CEIAG. We invested a total of £233,474. This support was welcomed by schools and colleges to assist in meeting statutory career guidance requirements. £99,511 was used to enable schools and colleges to access online CEIAG platforms. Our initial investment aimed to fulfil gaps in existing CEIAG provision and provided opportunities for schools and colleges to experiment with different resources to assist them in making informed decisions on the interventions they want to fund in the future. Schools and Colleges used the fund to access different CEIAG platforms including Unifrog, Cascaid Kudos, START and U-Explore. Members of staff from 16 schools and colleges responded to the survey. All said they had engaged parents and carers by facilitating access to a platform. Walney School Caldew School 10,411 Cumbrian learners Years 9,10,11 Years 7,8,9,10,11,12,13 accessed an online CEIAG learners used the On average they used the platform. 400 platform 20x in the year platform between 5-10x Lakes College Workington Academy Beacon Hill School Years 12,13 Years 7,8,9,10,11,12,13 Years 7,8,9,10,11 852 learners used the 800 learners and a 129 learners used the platform platform 3x per year minimum of 10x per year more than 6x per year Nearly every school and Furness Academy Newman School Chetwynde School college who benefitted from access to a platform described how their learners accessed the provision in their own time.
    [Show full text]
  • Projects Commissioned in Year 2 for the Emotional Resilience Project (Ages 14 –
    Projects commissioned in year 2 for the Emotional Resilience Project (ages 14 – 24) Cumbria Youth Alliance is offering a range of interventions to help improve young people emotional resilience and self confidence over the next 8 months which are shown on the table below. We would encourage you to contact our project officer Sophie Birkett, (email: [email protected] , phone: 01900 603131) if you require any further information on individual projects or would like to make a referral. (Please note all the interventions below were chosen by young people) Provider/project Description District Referral Route name Action for Blues project is a school Barrow Action for Children Children – Blues evidenced based programme Contact Project that addresses depressive School/ youth group targeted symptoms in 13 – 18yr olds. Supporting them to develop 01229 877220 – reference “Blue’s life skills to cope with exam Project” stress pressure and general issues life throw at them. The project will offer cognitive reforming, coping strategies and supports self-reward, giving each young person a tool kit to enable them to cope with their emotional wellbeing. Carlisle/Eden 2 sessions per school of the Allerdale Targeted to Schools in Allerdale Mind – Mates in Mates in Mind project; young Mind people will receive an individual wellbeing action plan to support mental health and emotional resilience and well as providing support to the parents of the young people with newsletters and training. Soundwave – Youth activism project and Copeland/ Online platform – Search Hollr on Hollr Project online platform specific to Barrow Facebook – Resources available young people in Cumbria this project seeks to engage young local people and hold a safe, inclusive environment where young people can discuss issues affecting them and seek solutions, guidance and advice from both the Hollr team and their peers.
    [Show full text]
  • Manchester and How They Have Shown
    Friday 26th May 2017 GET THE BUZZ1 www.bransty.cumbria.sch.uk Dear Parents and Carers, Welcome to the weekly newsletter. We have a lot to tell you so please read carefully. Well what a wonderful Spring term we have had. Learning has been bursting from every classroom and our children have worked very hard right up until the last day. We hope you all have a wonderful break and look forward to seeing you all back on Monday 5th June at 8.45am Manchester Attack Manchester and how they have shown that we have to stand together to try and stop Unfortunately this week, these events happening. we have seen horrific events unfold in It is important to ensure our children do not Manchester, after what should have been a panic and worry unnecessarily but we also happy and memorable pop concert but need to ensure they hear facts and not instead turned into an event that will remain speculate on the reasons for such atrocities. in our minds for all the wrong reasons. We have set up worry boxes in school and made our worry gobblers available so any child who would like to ask a question or Thankfully, these events are not an everyday share a concern, can do so confidently and occurrence and this inevitably means we openly. We encourage you to be sensitive struggle to make sense of the actions of with your child's questions by answering others when we cannot comprehend the them as factually as possible but by also reasons for such acts.
    [Show full text]