Archived decisions

Contact: Eric Smith : Education Officer SEN (01962 846245)
Martin Shefferd : Building Planning Officer (01962 845746)

1. Summary

1.1 The Executive Member for Education authorised on 16 October 2003 consultations on the establishment of resourced provision (a "unit") for up to seven children with emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD) at Cherbourg Primary School, Eastleigh.

1.2 The introduction of resourced provision in a mainstream school for pupils with statements of special educational needs (SEN) is a "prescribed alteration". It will require a decision by the Executive Member for Education to publish notices of the County Council's intention.

1.3 The Committee is asked to consider the proposal and the responses to the consultation with parents and other interested parties, and is invited to make a recommendation to the Executive Member for Education.

1.4 This proposal is consistent with the County's Corporate Strategy, contributing in particular to maximising children's life chances, building strong and safe communities, and improving services.

2. Background

2.1 The County Council has 49 primary (including infant and junior) and secondary schools with resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs. The following primary schools are currently resourced to provide specialist support for pupils with EBD:

Bedenham Junior School, Gosport

Beech Down Primary School, Basingstoke (until July 2004)

Trosnant Junior School, Havant

(Resourced provision for EBD will open in St Marks Primary School, Basingstoke, in September 2004, following the closure of Beech Down School.)

Specialist EBD provision is also available for primary age pupils in Waterlooville and Andover, in Waterloo and Wolverdene special schools respectively.

2.2 There are no specialist EBD places, in either mainstream or special primary schools, in the south west of Hampshire. Some placements may be available in Vermont School in Southampton, but these are subject to the agreement of Southampton LEA and the availability of vacant places. Primary age children living in this area of Hampshire therefore have limited access to local specialist provision and may have to travel considerable distance to existing provision. Children with severe emotional and behavioural difficulties who do not receive appropriate support from experienced and skilled staff are at high risk of exclusion from mainstream schools.

2.3 The governing body of Cherbourg Primary School considered the proposal that the school is resourced for up to seven pupils with EBD at their meetings on 17 June 2003 and 3 July 2003. The headteacher and governors are supportive in principle of this proposal and agreed that it should be opened to wider consultation.

3. Cherbourg Primary School

3.1 Cherbourg Primary School has 335 pupils on roll and serves the central area of Eastleigh. The school has accommodation for 378 pupils.

3.2 Resourced provision will provide the school with an additional class, with a specialist teacher and learning support staff. The pupils will normally have undergone statutory assessment of their special educational needs and will be placed by the SEN Service of the County Council's Education Department. They are members of the whole school and have opportunities to join in the school's normal lessons and activities, where appropriate, with the support of their staff. The pupils may spend quite a lot of their time in their own class but their participation within the school also means that the whole school benefits from the expertise of these specialist staff and the additional facilities.

3.3 In order to accommodate this provision, it will be necessary to provide an additional teaching space within the school. Capital support for the proposal would need to be found from existing funding within the Capital programme. This will be a priority recommendation for the allocation of New Deal for Schools funding in 2004/2005, but will be subject to the total amount of funding available from the DfES.

4. Consultation

4.1 Parents of all 335 pupils attending Cherbourg Primary School were informed by letter of this proposal. They were invited to attend a meeting at the school on 18 November and to express their views. Parents were also offered a telephone line and e-mail facility by the school and opportunity to `drop in' to ask the headteacher questions. Consultation letters have been sent to professional groups who may have an interest in these proposals, including neighbouring schools, the Director of Social Services, local NHS Primary Care Trusts (PCT) and Southampton City Council, as neighbouring LEA, and to the local County Councillor.

4.2 Parents were invited to indicate whether they agreed with the proposal, as well as making comments.

Written responses from parents were: In favour : 10

Against : 16

Undecided : 2

Issues raised in the meeting and in the written comments are summarised in the following paragraphs. (Copies of the responses and a record of the meeting can be viewed in the Members' Room.)

4.3 A number of responses were complimentary about Cherbourg Primary School, commenting positively on the excellent education and opportunities it offers the pupils and on the quality of the headteacher and staff. Some parents felt that the resourced provision would add to the diversity of the school and assist children's acceptance of others who may experience greater learning or social difficulties. A parent felt that the friendly and approachable ethos of Cherbourg Primary School would be a benefit to these pupils.

4.4 Concerns were expressed about additional demands being made on existing staff and whether the staffing ratio for the EBD pupils would be sufficient. Equally, the view was expressed that the additional staffing would help to ease the burden on existing staff, and that the school as a whole would benefit from the support of the specialist staff. There was a concern that the teaching in the school would become geared to the needs of the pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The staffing ratio for resourced provision for pupils with EBD is the same as that for EBD schools. This funding is additional to the age-weighted pupil unit (i.e. per pupil) funding that applies to all children on the roll of the school.

4.5 The major concern of parents was the impact of more pupils with behaviour problems on the school and, particularly, on their child(ren); they would be a bad influence; they may be disruptive and affect others' concentration; there may be a greater risk of bullying. Parents have sought re-assurance that the child(ren) will be protected from outbursts from other pupils. Some parents noted that there are already enough children with problems at the school and that they should not be added to. At the meeting with parents, the headteacher of Cherbourg Primary School acknowledged that the school has a number of children who present challenges and that the pressure on staff needs to be borne in mind. Staff are offered regular professional supervision and it is important that they should continue to feel supported and that their training needs are met. Staff are supportive of this proposal.

4.6 Cherbourg Primary School's site is limited; it is below the DfES guideline and does not include a playing field. The accommodation includes a double temporary classroom. A number of parents expressed concerns about the further impact of additional pupils and an extra classroom within the site, and the potential reduction in outside play space. The school hall, a parent comments, is not big enough, and another suggested that classes are already too big. There is concern that the school roll may increase further as a result of local housing development in central Eastleigh. The growth in pupil numbers resulting from this additional housing may require the school to grow. The possible need for this increase for future development of the site has been taken into account in planning the accommodation for the EBD pupils. The school hall is slightly undersized, but an increase in the pupil roll of up to seven pupils will not make a significant difference to this situation. Extension of the buildings to accommodate the resourced provision, together with the existing plans for replacement library and staffroom, will reduce the outside area, but the school considers that it can continue to operate effectively within this area.

4.7 A number of parents have asked why Cherbourg Primary School has been proposed for this provision and whether other schools were considered or invited. Cherbourg Primary School was approached by officers in the SEN Service as it is recognised as being committed to supporting and including pupils with SEN and for having successful experience in managing and educating children with significant emotional and behavioural difficulties. As the headteacher, staff and governors responded positively to the proposal, no other schools were similarly approached. Local schools have been consulted on the Cherbourg proposal, and none has offered an alternative.

4.8 At the meeting for parents, the headteacher of Cherbourg Primary School stated that the provision would fit the ethos of the school. She and the SEN Co-ordinator had visited one of the County's existing EBD resourced schools, and the staff have been receiving long-running support and training in managing behaviour. She noted that the admission of the pupils would be phased, to assist their assimilation as part of the whole school. The school is concerned for the development of individual children and works well with support agencies. She stated that she was proud of the support the school receives from parents and would be open to parents' views.

4.9 The County Council's Social Services Department fully supports the proposal, "as a much needed resource in this part of the County". Support was also received from the governing body of neighbouring infant and junior schools and the headteacher of a neighbouring primary school. The governing body of Alderman Quilley Secondary School has expressed reservations; they are concerned that the school could be the chosen secondary school for more pupils with significant EBD transferring from Cherbourg Primary School, for whom no additional funding will be provided. They nevertheless recognised the benefit of a resourced provision being established at Cherbourg Primary school. It is not the intention or expectation of the SEN Service that the pupils from the resourced provision should transfer to Alderman Quilley School; pupils leaving the resourced provision at Cherbourg Primary School may transfer to a special school for EBD pupils or they may continue their education in a mainstream school, at their local school. Parents nevertheless have the right to express a preference for the school their child should attend and the LEA or foundation or aided school, as admission authority, has to process their application in accordance with the published admissions policy. Funding to mainstream schools for pupils with special educational needs is made in accordance with the County Council's scheme for the local management of schools (LMS).

4.10 The proposal to develop resourced provision for EBD was considered by the Curriculum Committee of Cherbourg Primary School's governing body on 17 June 2003 and again by the full governing body on 3 July. The minutes of the latter meeting notes that "the teachers have expressed a keenness for the unit". The governors agreed that the proposal should be opened out to wider consultation. At their meeting on 3 December 2003, the governing body considered the responses of parents during the consultation. They confirmed their support for the proposal, with the condition that the school is provided with an additional full size classroom to replace the room which will be used for the resourced provision.

5. Financial considerations

5.1 Resourced provision in mainstream schools is funded by an agreed place number (APN). Cherbourg Primary School would receive an additional allocation in its annual budget share of £59,078, based on seven EBD places, at 2003/2004 costs. This development will be funded by increasing the school's delegated budget and will not cause central expenditure to rise. Pupils placed in the provision will normally have been attending a mainstream school, supported at the School Action Plus level of the SEN Code of Practice or with a statement of SEN, funded through the SEN Audit element of the County LMS Scheme. The additional cost of the APN at Cherbourg Primary School will, therefore, be off-set in part by a reduction in the SEN funding at each pupil's previous school. Some pupils may have been excluded from school as a result of their behaviour and be tutored through the Education Other Than At School (EOTAS) Service. The cost of EBD resourced provision is less than EOTAS tuition, and is more cost effective provision.

5.2 The Capital cost arising from this proposal (see para. 3.3 above) is estimated to be £250,000. Provision for this project in the 2004/2005 capital programme is recommended elsewhere on this agenda (item 8). It is anticipated that this work will be linked to the replacement of the school's staffroom for which funding has already been allocated.

6. Conclusion

6.1 Parents of pupils attending Cherbourg Primary School have had opportunity to hear about the proposed development of resourced provision for EBD pupils and to ask questions and comment on it. Careful account of the reservations and concerns expressed by parents has been taken by the headteacher and governing body of the school and by officers. There is confidence that the skills and training of the staff, the leadership and management of the headteacher and the support services from the County Council and other agencies will ensure that pupils and staff at the school do not experience significant disruption or disadvantage from the additional pupils. They will have the benefit of dedicated accommodation and staffing to ensure that their needs are met in the context of the mainstream school.

6.2 It is acknowledged that the overall site of the school is limited. However, the school has been working effectively and serving its community well within these constraints. The school staff and governing body believe that this development and the associated building extension will not be detrimental to its operation but that all children should benefit from this provision.

6.3 The proposed provision at Cherbourg Primary School is consistent with equivalent provision elsewhere in the County. It will make a significant contribution to ensuring a continuum of provision for a vulnerable group of children for whom similar facilities are not currently available in this area of the County.

6.4 This project will be a high priority for inclusion in the County's Capital Programme (New Deal for Schools) in 2004/2005. Notices of the County Council's intention to proceed with the "prescribed alteration" of Cherbourg Primary School will not be published until the Capital funding is identified.

Recommendation

To recommend to the Executive Member for Education that, subject to the necessary funding being allocated in the County's capital programme for 2004/2005 to create an additional classroom, notices be published of the County Council's intention to establish from September 2004 resourced provision for up to seven pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties at Cherbourg Primary School, Eastleigh, with the understanding that pupils will not be admitted until the accommodation is completed (during 2004/2005); and

to recommend to the Executive Member for Education that funding for the additional accommodation of the size requested by the governing body be considered a high priority in the County's capital programme 2004/2005.

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