A report providing information on the review of SEND admission policies and arrangements.

Further to Minute 20 of the 20 January 2021 meeting and Minute 8 of the previous meeting, the Executive Director of Children’s Services – Education, Early Help and Social Care, Brighter Futures for Children, submitted a report on the admission arrangements for children and young people with SEND.

The report stated that the impact of the revised Holy Brook policy was that there was a greater understanding of processes and communication between BFfC and the school and with other local authorities who requested places at the school.  A Senior Case Officer now attended every admissions panel and co-administrated this with the school.

The Avenue School admissions process had not been revised as it was an Academy.  Communication between the SEND Team and the school was very frequent an d open, the admissions arrangements were transparent and not a cause for concern.

Cranbury Alternative Provision and Hamilton Special School admissions policies had not been reviewed as they were academies.  However, the SEND Team Manager had reviewed the procedures and communications regarding the consultation process for admissions to both schools.  The impact of this was that the SEND Team were receiving more timely responses to consultations and applications. 

The Service Level Agreements for all Resourced Bases, specialist units attached to a mainstream school, were being reviewed and the new admissions process had been written and agreed for Resourced Bases.  Although not a formal document, it made the consultation and admission process clear and headteachers had said that it was very helpful to have a step by step guide.  Admissions Panels for Resourced Bases were held every six weeks, each new term, and were attended by headteachers and chaired by the SEND Team Manager.

The report explained that the building of the Oak Tree School in Wokingham, a project led by Wokingham Borough Council and the DfE, and for which the Council and BFfC were key stakeholders, had been delayed, having been due to open in September 2022.  On-going conversations were being had by all parties around a revised date which was dependent on the requirement, or not, to re-procure the contractor building the school.  If procurement was not necessary, the school could be open from September 2023, although the DfE would not commit to this date, and if it was necessary to re-procure the contractor then this would delay the opening beyond 2023.  Contingency plans were being worked on particularly for the cohort of children who were to be placed at the school from September 2022.

A new SEND consultation letter had been drafted that explained the purpose of consultations to schools, to seek an indicative view as to whether the school could meet the child’s needs and to inform SEND Panel decision making about applications and placements.  This had resolved the issue of schools inviting parents to meetings and visits prematurely and raising expectations before a placement had been agreed in principle by the SEND EHC Panel.  Finally, SLAs would be reviewed by the BFfC Commissioning Team in conjunction with the SEND Team to ensure parity and compliance with commissioning policy.

Resolved –    That the progress following a review of SEND admissions policies and arrangements be noted.

(Councillor Ballsdon declared a personal interest in the above item.  Nature of interest, Councillor Ballsdon was the Chair of Governors at the Avenue School)