Archived decisions

Headings

Description of what is wanted

1. Name:

Hampshire Bilingual Learners Support Service - supporting ethnic minority achievement

2. Purpose:

The review challenged the service and found that the service was being provided in line with the authority's aims of supporting effective inclusive education and raising achievement, school and parental wishes.

The county council provides funding in addition to DfES standards fund for this non-statutory service.

The review plus DfES grant requirements has led to a re-structuring of the service to focus on achievement of particular groups of ethnic minority pupils for the first time alongside existing headteacher priority of meeting the needs of new arrivals and service priority of providing training for schools.

3. Proposed improvements

The review recommended that the service:

· identify the `best service for pupils' with headteachers

· ask for increased funding

· improve data collection and analysis

· play a bigger role in monitoring ethnic minority achievement in county

· shift some of the responsibility for ethnic minority pupils from service to schools

· provide continued service for asylum seekers in schools

· maintain cross-cultural counselling service for ethnic minority pupils in schools

· develop website and more effective access for ethnic minority parents to education system

· develop literacy training with an ethnic minority perspective

· expand home-school after-school network for ethnic minority pupils

The county council agreed to the continuation of the service and approved the re-structuring designed to develop `best service for pupils'. A variety of weightings were considered but the county council agreed that the service was underfunded and should apply for a growth budget. Councillors approved equal funding for each of the three strands - achievement, new arrivals and training.

It was possible to obtain £20,000 from Inclusion Branch for small promotions, travel and pay awards to implement the re-structuring.

A request for growth budget was submitted in October 2001.

The review recommended setting up a website to increase efficiency. This will be launched on 3 December 2001 at www.hants.gov.uk/blss

The number of team meetings have been reduced to cut down on travel and reduce costs.

4. Progress on implementing the improvement plan

· `best service for pupils' identified with headteachers and implemented from April 2001

· achievement projects - 90 schools were targeted, six groups (Bengali, Cantonese, French, Portuguese, Turkish and Urdu) 2001-2002

· increased funding sought but not agreed

· data collection and analysis not yet improved - delay in implementing common pupil record nationally - despite key Local Education Authority OfSTED action point but achievement targets set for ethnic minority groups 2002

· team leader has started monitoring implementation of inclusion in relation to race equality - 18 schools in 2001-2002

· asylum seekers who are in schools continue to be supported but there are few asylum seekers waiting for five months for admission

· cross-cultural counselling service has been maintained

· website launched 3 December 2001

· successful literacy training with an ethnic minority perspective Autumn Term 2001 to Key Stage 3

5. Plans for future implementation

The service, if funded for 2002-2003 and onwards will

· improve data collection and analysis for ethnic minority pupils

· try to involve attached inspectors in monitoring of achievement project schools

· continue to support asylum seekers in schools

· maintain cross-cultural counselling service

· continue to develop literacy training with ethnic minority perspective

· extend existing networks to spread good practice in provision for ethnic minority pupils from Basingstoke to Andover and Aldershot

6. Conclusion

The service continues for 2001-2002.

The `best service for pupils' has been identified and implemented from April 2001.

Additional funding for 2002/03 of £80,000 included in draft budget.