Post 14 Special Educational Needs and Disability (Send) Strategy 2017 - 2020
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CHILDREN’S SERVICES DIRECTORATE Steve Crocker Director of Children’s Services Isle of Wight Council POST 14 SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND DISABILITY (SEND) STRATEGY 2017 - 2020 Children’s Service SEND Post 14 Strategy February 2017 V1 Isle of Wight Council Document Information Title: Children’s Services SEND post 14 Strategy Status: Final Current Version: V1 Author: Andrew Briggs, Post 16 Commissioning & Finance Manager SEND Children’s Services Directorate [email protected] (01983) 821000 ext 6261 Sponsor: Steve Crocker, Director of Children’s Services Children’s Services Directorate [email protected] (01983) 821000 Consultation: 2nd March 2017- 20th June 2017 Schools including parents o Via the school newsletter to parents o Via the school newsletter to those with a disability o Via the school newsletter to children and young people with impairments Chair of Governors Work Based Learning Providers Further Education Elected members Dioceses Partner agencies e.g. Parents Voice IW Other professionals e.g. SEND IASS (Parent Partnership), recognised trade union Local charities who work with disabled young children Approved by: Director of Children’s Services Approval Date: May 2017 Review Frequency: Refreshed every one year Next Review: May 2018 Version History Version Date Description V1 March 2017 Draft Approved for Consultation Children’s Service SEND Post 14 Strategy Page 2 of 64 March 2017 V1 Isle of Wight Council Contents Page 1. Introduction 4 2. Vision and Values for the Isle of Wight 5 3. The Legal Framework 10 4. Development of the Post 14 Strategy 13 5. Key Areas for Development 14 6. Key Principles 15 7. The current context on the Isle of Wight 16 8. Our Strategic Priorities 24 Strategic Priority 1: Develop local SEND provision to meet needs 25 Strategic Priority 2: Strengthen the SEND post 16 Offer and support 26 Strategic Priority 3: Develop employment pathways with partner agencies 27 Strategic Priority 4: Develop integrated SEND post 16 data systems .......22 28 Strategic Priority 5: To Improve quality SEND post 16 information and accessibility 29 Strategic Priority 6: To establish integrated SEND Post 16/ Preparation to Adulthood 30 Governance arrangements Annex1: Post 14 Working Group, Initial Information Capture - Provision 31 Annex 2: Number of Pupils on roll and numbers with Special Educational Needs 58 Annex 3: Number of Statements/EHCP pupils on roll in schools by year group 62 Children’s Service SEND Post 14 Strategy Page 3 of 64 March 2017 V1 Isle of Wight Council 1. Introduction The SEND Post 14 strategy forms part of the Isle of Wight’s SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) strategy 2017-2019 providing the aims and aspirations for SEND provision for island children, young people and young adults. The SEND Post 14 strategy should be read in the context of other plans for young people which are in place and builds on the work already undertaken within mainstream schools, special schools, academies, further education colleges and with partner agencies to develop post 14 offer provision for young people on the Isle of Wight . The SEND Post 14 Strategy aim is for, “Island young people to have high levels of participation in education and training, with above average rates of achievement and progress into apprenticeships and Higher Education” The Strategy outlines how the island will work to realise these aims for all of its young people and ensure that SEND learners are enabled and supported to experience similar and/or appropriate opportunities for further education, training and or employment. Although progress has been made in a number of areas of the post 14 curriculum in recent years, both professionals and parents recognise that SEND provision is often fragmented, lacks coherence and does not prepare SEND young people for work or independence. There are still SEND young people who are not engaged in education, training and or employment after leaving school/college. Although there is evidence that the overall number of NEET (Not in Education Employment or Training) and young people on the island has reduced in recent years and is consistently below the national average and our statistical neighbours, there is no reliable data available on the number of SEND NEET young people with EHC Plan/statement or who are considered vulnerable to allow resources to be more effectively targeted. The SEND Post 14 strategy supports SEND young people aged 14-25 who have a formal EHCP (Education Health and Care Plan), those who had an LDA (Learning Disability Assessment) which have been converted to an EHC Plan and those young people who are considered to be vulnerable with either learning difficulties and/or social, emotional and mental health difficulties. Children’s Service SEND Post 14 Strategy Page 4 of 64 March 2017 V1 Isle of Wight Council 2. The purpose and direction of the Isle of Wight Local Authority’s strategy: vision and values Our vision is to enable all children and young people on the Isle of Wight to aspire to and achieve, giving them the basis for a successful life as active members of the community. Learning is at the heart of delivering that vision and improving the attainment of all young people is a key priority for the Isle of Wight. The Council acknowledges that the attainment of students, including those with impairments needs to be improved. For this reason, raising attainment is a key priority for the Isle of Wight; the partnership with Hampshire Local Authority demonstrates the Council’s commitment to improving the attainment of island children and young people. Outside of the family nothing else offers greater opportunities and responsibilities for making sure all children stay safe and healthy, enjoy and achieve and make a positive contribution to their communities in order that they are able to get the most out of life now and into the future. Making learning accessible to all our children in ways that will promote the best outcomes for them is the guiding principle underpinning this strategy. We want the very best for island children, starting with early years through to their transition into adulthood. Together with our partner agencies in the Isle of Wight’s Children’s Trust we are working towards achieving this common aim. The IW Childrens Trust action plan can be viewed here. Our recent Multi Agency Transition Protocol supports the process of moving from Children’s to Adult Education, Health and Care Services. This document can be viewed here. There are many challenges for schools and the Local Authority, to ensure that we can deliver the very best education for all young people. We need to respond to the changes ahead and to make efficient and cost-effective use of investment opportunities in the context of challenging economic circumstances and in a changing and increasingly more diverse school system of maintained schools and non-maintained academies and free schools. Our aim is to ensure that children and young people, including those with special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities are at the heart of the vision on the island. Our strategy aims to provide the very best education for all our children, delivered as locally as possible to the child’s home and local community. Children’s Service SEND Post 14 Strategy Page 5 of 64 March 2017 V1 Isle of Wight Council It is important to note that because a young person has a disability this does not necessarily mean that he or she has a special educational need. A young person with a disability has a special educational need if this disability prevents or hinders him/her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post 16 institutions. Young people may have either a disability and/or a special educational need. SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) young people and young adults, as well as their parents/carers often express their frustration at the lack of information and planning when young people leave school (Yr. 11 or Yr. 14) and college. Only a small number of island SEND young people currently access employment, apprenticeships, supported employment or training. Often SEND learners repeat same level courses, which do not offer progression or preparation for adulthood. The SEND Post 14 Strategy will clearly define and develop a multi-agency 14-25 pathway (service) for all SEND young people and young adults that enables participation in learning (be it formal education or vocational opportunities) at least until their 18th birthday. As there is no automatic entitlement to continued support at age 19 nor an expectation that those with an EHCP should stay in education until the age of 25, (See New DfE guidance on post 19 EHC Plans to view the document click here). It is also important to ensure that ‘raising the age of participation’ for 16-18 year olds is available and accessible for SEND learners also. This means that the vision of SEND Post 14 strategy recognises that some SEND young people will require longer to achieve their education and or training outcomes to enable them to prepare for adulthood in a meaningful way. Therefore the SEND post 14 vision is about: Having high quality provision for education, work experience, supported internships and employment. Having joint commissioned arrangements and agreed protocols in place between the IW Local Authority, its partners and its providers for agreed provision Recognising that many young people’s SEND needs can be met without the need for