Education Other Than At School (EOTAS*) service

Draft Paper for consultation (in conjunction with the report of the EOTAS Best Value Review)

Towards a Strategic Framework

Context:

There is a renewed national focus upon securing the safety and meeting the needs of our most vulnerable children. The Green Paper "Every Child Matters" and the Children Bill emphasise our collective responsibility to ensure that children experiencing difficulties at school receive help before the problem reaches crisis point, so that rather than experiencing educational failure they have the opportunity to maximise their potential.

The legal duties of the Local Education Authority with regard to those children who by reason of illness, exclusion from school or otherwise, may not receive suitable education are specified in the Education Act 1996. It is, however, more than a matter of legal responsibility. It is a matter of moral purpose, a commitment to the rights of every child. The success of the LEA will increasingly be measured by its ability to ensure the safety, secure the education and enhance the life chances of those children at risk of exclusion, for whatever reason, from high quality education in schools.

Positioning:

EOTAS evolved not as a consistent, countywide service but as a collective of locally negotiated arrangements, provisions and initiatives. A great deal of innovative and effective work went on but strategically this was untenable. Following reorganisation, the structure for a county service has been put in place. The service must now be clear about its purpose, values and ways of working and communicate this to all EOTAS staff, schools and other services. This requires cultural as well as organisational change. Principal areas of change will be:

· Reactive ----------------------------· Proactive

· Last Resort -------------------------· Early Intervention

· Alternative provision -------------· Sustaining school placement

· Local custom and practice--------· Service policies, protocols and procedures

· Support -----------------------------· Monitor and Challenge

· Isolated -----------------------------· Integrated

· Legal Requirement ---------------· Moral Purpose: every child matters

· Crisis Management ---------------· Leadership and empowerment

These are all shifts along a continuum. It is the nature of all EOTAS work that there will be unexpected requirements and demands requiring immediate responses. There will also continue to be a need for variance and flexibility to meet local needs and circumstances. However, there will be shared values and a clarity of purpose underpinning the strategic framework that gives the service the security and confidence to work with schools as an authoritative, assertive and innovative partner.

Vision:

EOTAS will work in partnership with schools to ensure that whatever the difficulties experienced and presented by a child at risk of exclusion, his or her entitlement to a high quality education is guaranteed. Every child does, indeed, matter. The vision for EOTAS is to be an excellent service to pupils, parents and schools based upon a number of core values and principles.

Value 1:

All pupils are valued irrespective of their needs, behaviour or background and must not be denied the opportunity to enjoy and achieve, stay healthy and safe, make a positive contribution to their community and enjoy economic well-being.

In order to achieve this EOTAS will:

· Work with pupils as individuals with unique learning characteristics and recognise that one size does not fit all

· Actively care about pupils and listen to what they have to say

· Engage with pupils in identifying the barriers to their learning and participation and then find ways to overcome them

· Recognise their need, at times, for additional support to enable them to reintegrate into their local school and community

· Provide access to high quality and relevant education programmes that respond to needs and help them re engage with learning

Value 2:

Schools are where pupils should be for all or most of their education as research evidence conclusively demonstrates that the life chances of those pupils whose education is disrupted and who spend too much time out of school are significantly reduced.

In order to achieve this EOTAS will:

· Be the first point of contact for schools when they identify pupils at risk of exclusion

· Intervene as early as possible to work alongside teachers and teaching assistants and identify strategies for engaging pupils at risk

· Draw in and coordinate the work of colleagues from other support services

· Monitor and evaluate the work undertaken in schools to develop a clear understanding of the most effective means of intervention and support

· Support and challenge schools in order that barriers to learning and participation are identified and addressed

Value 3:

EOTAS is not a destination in itself and is not a permanent alternative to school. EOTAS is a service that works in partnership with schools to minimise the risk of pupils experiencing extended disruption to the time spent in a school.

Where pupils are out of school EOTAS will:

· Assess their needs and the reasons for the breakdown of their school placement in order to develop a high quality curriculum.

· Address individual needs through time limited modular programmes at Key Stages 1 to 3 and flexible education, training and work placement programmes at Key Stage 4

· Prepare for successful reintegration into school or, for some Key Stage 4 pupils, progression into further education.

*There is a strong case for renaming the service and then re-launching it. Education "other than at school" is only one part of the service and the name EOTAS does not properly reflect the preventative interventions that should, increasingly, become the core work of the service..

Section 1: EOTAS Service - Aims, Objectives and Tasks

Aim

To work in partnership with schools to ensure that all young people have the same entitlement to high quality education in school and to minimise the risk of exclusion. Where pupils are at risk of being or have been excluded from schools, for whatever reasons, to provide them with the skills and motivation to reintegrate into school and access opportunities for life long learning.

Objective 1

Develop the partnership with schools:

· Agree with schools a whole authority statement of intent that clearly identifies the shared responsibility of schools and the County Council for minimising the risk of exclusion and the actions that will be taken to achieve this outcome

· Develop and disseminate the EOTAS strategy

· Define and share with schools the roles and responsibilities of all staff working in EOTAS

· Ensure that schools have one point of contact so that the referral pathway is clear and unambiguous and appropriate action is guaranteed

· Develop a coherent and transparent set of triggers for differentiated levels of support and intervention by EOTAS

· Establish headteacher led reintegration panels across all areas of the county

· Enhance school ownership and responsibility for EOTAS provision by re-launching centre management committees with an extended brief to oversee all behaviour support activities

· Ensure that the LEA's role in supporting, monitoring and evaluating school improvement includes a sharper focus on behaviour and inclusion

Objective 2

Minimise the risk of exclusion:

· Reduce the number of permanent exclusions by brokering support that enables pupils to remain on the school roll whilst their needs, and the school's concerns, are addressed through outreach by behaviour support staff

· Reduce the number of permanent exclusions by brokering support that enables pupils to remain on the school roll whilst their needs, and the school's concerns, are addressed through in-reach to the Centres for short term placement and reintegration support

· Reduce the number of permanent exclusions by brokering support that enables pupils to remain on the school roll whilst their needs, and the school's concerns, are addressed through locally negotiated and LEA coordinated school transfer

· As a matter of urgency, establish comprehensive electronic information management systems to enable pupils at risk of exclusion to be identified early and tracked so that support and intervention can be evaluated and improved and no child is `lost' or is ever off roll

· Develop a much clearer map of multi agency resources and build the relationship with CAMHS

· Ensure that multi agency responses to vulnerable pupils are coordinated and managed effectively by ensuring that the one point of contact has the authority to prioritise the work of those services engaged at the local level, regardless of service organisational boundaries

Objective 3

Provide pupils with the necessary skills and motivation to remain in the school community and, if excluded, to reintegrate successfully:

· Clearly identify the role of Education Centres as one part of a continuum of support and not a destination

· Develop EOTAS curriculum packages that do not seek to replicate the National Curriculum but focus on core skills, self esteem, emotional literacy and personal responsibility

· Develop a virtual learning environment which provides access to high quality teaching and curriculum resources

· Develop in-reach programmes in the Education Centres for pupils who remain on the school roll and retain contact with school staff but require short term, intensive support

· Integrate the work of EBD and MLD special schools into the system of behaviour support

· Develop the partnership between school based and EOTAS staff through shared development and training opportunities

· Provide EOTAS staff with access to professional leadership and development through HIAS

· Engage strategically with the Youth Service in developing learning resources

· Work with the Education Welfare Service to identify and address attendance issues

· Use study support, out of school hours learning opportunities and outdoor education as key elements of individualised programmes

Objective 4

Access opportunities for lifelong learning:

· Build a strategic relationship with Connexions

· Develop a county wide strategy for engaging with FE Colleges and the LSC so that opportunities for accessing College placements are available in all parts of the County

· Further develop work related learning programmes and partnerships with the business community in conjunction with Trident, LSC and EBP for pupils approaching the end of their compulsory education

· Develop relationships and access the provision and advice of nationally funded initiatives, voluntary and charity organisations - eg ContinYou (formerly the CEDC and Education Extra); Playing For Success; Prince's Trust etc - focussed on community and lifelong education

Section 2 : EOTAS Action Plan

Objective 1:

Develop the partnership with schools:

Action: Agree with schools a whole authority statement of intent that clearly identifies the shared responsibility of schools and the County Council for minimising the risk of exclusion and the actions that will be taken to achieve this outcome

· Write draft statement

· Finalise in EOTAS Strategy Group

· Secure Inclusion BMT approval

· Secure EDMT approval

· Take to Inclusion Standing Committee

· Consultation with Headteacher Executives and Hampshire Governors Forum

· Disseminate to schools

· Disseminate to Branch Management Teams

Action: Develop and disseminate the EOTAS strategy

· Finalise strategy in EOTAS Strategy Group

· Secure Inclusion BMT approval

· Secure EDMT approval

· Take to Inclusion Standing Committee

· Consultation with Headteacher Executives and Hampshire Governors Forum

· Disseminate to schools

Action: Define and share with schools the roles and responsibilities of all staff working in EOTAS

· Produce organisational chart and role/responsibility profiles

· Secure Inclusion BMT approval

· Secure the understanding and commitment of EOTAS staff to the expectations arising from greater transparency and accountability

· Disseminate to schools alongside EOTAS Strategy

Action: Ensure that schools have one point of contact so that the referral pathway is clear and unambiguous and appropriate action is guaranteed

· Share concept with EOTAS Strategy Group and ensure that the approach is consistent with LEA planning for the Green Paper

· Clarify role, responsibility and span of control of named contact

· Take advice from Education Personnel re implications for all current staff

· Devise and pilot interim model based on existing organisational structure and current post-holders

· Secure the understanding and commitment of EOTAS staff to the expectations arising from a one stop referral process

· Develop model in line with Green Paper requirements

Action: Develop a coherent and transparent set of triggers for differentiated levels of support and intervention by EOTAS

· Build on existing BST criteria for outreach support and ensure consistent, county wide application

· Develop new criteria for accessing in-reach placement

· Share the criteria with schools and other support services

Action: Establish headteacher led reintegration panels across all areas of the county

· Demonstrate effectiveness of existing panels and provide EDMT with the evidence

· Secure EDMT approval for implementation across the County

· Clarify with Secondary Heads Executive the terms of reference and membership of the panels

· Secure the agreement of Inclusion Standing Committee

· Roll out across the county following discussion at local headteacher conferences

Action: Enhance school ownership and responsibility for EOTAS provision by re-launching the centre management committees with an extended brief to oversee all behaviour support activities

· Write new County terms of reference and plan re-launch, and re-naming of committees

· Secure the agreement of Inclusion Standing Committee

· Establish county wide, twice termly meetings timetable

· Establish reporting schedule and common report format to cover all behaviour support activities

Action: Ensure that the LEA's role in supporting, monitoring and evaluating school improvement includes a sharper focus on behaviour and inclusion

· Establish joint working group, EOTAS and HIAS, to review school categorisation process to sharpen the focus on behaviour and inclusion as key dimensions of school improvement

· Develop more rigorous and robust pupil tracking systems to identify formal and informal exclusion

· Establish a timetable for EOTAS reports to Standards and Improvement BMT

· Establish a timetable for EOTAS reports to EDMT

· Establish systematic meetings between SIMs and EOTAS lead officers in each of the three areas to share information on school performance

· Develop a county strategy for reviewing, challenging and intervening in schools where the excessive use of exclusive practices impacts unfairly on individual pupils and neighbouring schools

Objective 2:

Minimise the risk of exclusion:

Action: Reduce the number of permanent exclusions by brokering support that enables pupils to remain on the school roll whilst their needs, and the school's concerns, are addressed through outreach by behaviour support staff

· Build on the success of the Behaviour Support Team in the areas and disseminate good practice and develop consistent practice across the county

· Develop secondary outreach by redefining the role of all EOTAS teachers and deploying staff more flexibly between the Centres and the support teams

· Identify, contribute to and learn from good outreach practice in special schools and ensure there is coordinated work between EOTAS and other outreach providers

· Identify, contribute to and learn from leading practitioners in mainstream school

· Through the named contact, draw in other professionals to ensure that outreach is a coordinated, multi skilled approach to address learning and behavioural needs

Action: Reduce the number of permanent exclusions by brokering support that enables pupils to remain on the school roll whilst their needs, and the school's concerns, are addressed through in-reach to the Centres for short term placement and reintegration support

· Research successful in-reach practice in other LEAs and develop a County model based on clear evidence of good practice

· Pilot an in-reach programme at one Centre and use action research to further inform and consolidate the County model

· Develop the protocols and procedures

· As the number of permanent exclusions declines, roll out provision across the County under the control of the named contact

· Develop a process of continuous review by the Centre Management Committees based on tracking information and inspection reports

Action: Reduce the number of permanent exclusions by brokering support that enables pupils to remain on the school roll whilst their needs, and the school's concerns, are addressed through locally negotiated - and LEA coordinated - school transfer

· Establish draft criteria, protocols and procedures, in consultation with County Admissions Team and the Parent Partnership Service, for LEA brokered transfers

· Secure Inclusion and Schools BMT approval

· Report to Inclusion Standing Committee

· Consult with Headteacher Executives and Hampshire Governors Forum

· Implement locally, under the control of the named contact and with clear lines of communication to parents and Parent Partnership, the Admissions Team and other involved support services

· Develop a process of continuous review by the Centre Management Committees based on tracking information and inspection reports

Action: As a matter of urgency, establish comprehensive electronic information management systems to enable pupils at risk of exclusion to be identified early and tracked so that support and intervention can be evaluated and improved and no child is `lost' or is ever off roll

· Require that the preferred IT provider delivers the promised data base by (?) or seek an immediate alternative

· Provide training for all staff involved in data input, report production and management information analysis

· Transfer existing data to the new data base

Action: Develop a much clearer map/directory of multi agency resources and build the relationship with CAMHS

· Identify all service providers and develop a comprehensive map/directory with named contacts

· Meet regularly with the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services and gain a clear understanding of the criteria used for working with young people and what input could be provided to EOTAS

· In the light of the Green Paper recommendations, but mindful of current data protection legislation, ensure compliance with developments in information sharing between agencies

Action: Ensure that multi agency responses to vulnerable pupils are coordinated and managed effectively by ensuring that the one point of contact has the authority to prioritise the work of those services engaged at the local level, regardless of service organisational boundaries

· Develop a job description for the post-holder, with clear accountabilities and terms of reference

· Clarify with all service providers releasing staff time into the EOTAS teams - education, social services and health - the nature of matrix management that allows the post-holder to prioritise work locally whilst staff continue to receive their professional leadership through their own service

· Develop local teams through professional training opportunities

Objective 3:

Provide pupils with the necessary skills and motivation to remain in the school community and, if excluded, to reintegrate successfully:

Action: Clearly identify the role of Education Centres as one part of a continuum of support and not a destination

· Reiterate through the LEA Statement of Intent, the EOTAS strategy, job descriptions, the terms of reference of the Centre Management Committees and all communications with schools and colleagues, that the role of the Centres has changed

· Through the DfES, seek to redefine the Centres so that they are not identified as PRUs and are thus not inspected as schools

Action: Develop EOTAS curriculum packages that do not seek to replicate the National Curriculum but focus on core skills, self esteem, emotional literacy and personal responsibility

· Research successful approaches to teaching and learning that motivate and re-engage pupils and help them to address barriers to participation and success in school

· With HIAS, develop an EOTAS Curriculum Statement that clearly identifies the principles and intentions underpinning the curriculum

· Build on existing good practice, in EOTAS, in mainstream and special schools, and develop a bank of learning programmes of study and e-learning materials that focus on building academic and social confidence and personal responsibility

Action: Develop a virtual learning environment which provides access to high quality teaching and curriculum resources

· Establish a team to develop and implement a Hampshire virtual learning environment

· Continue to contribute to the partnership of (currently 25) LEAs which are working co-operatively to develop e-learning resources and practices under the umbrella of Nisai-Iris Education Ltd (the Nisai-Iris Partnership).

Action: Develop in-reach programmes in the Education Centres for pupils who remain on the school roll and retain contact with school staff but require short term, intensive support

· Establish with schools, as part of the in-reach criteria and procedures, the need to have named staff members, allocated time and resource, to support the pupil throughout the in-reach programme and the reintegration process

· Ensure that there is a clear exit strategy to which all parties sign up to so that expectations are explicit and responsibility is shared

· Base all teaching and learning in the Centres on the EOTAS Curriculum Statement that will be sufficiently flexible to meet individual needs

Action: Integrate the work of EBD and MLD special schools into the system of behaviour support

· Explore with Inclusion and Standards and Improvement Management Team, the viability of developing in-reach and outreach provision within the EBD and MLD schools

· Establish a joint working group with special school heads currently engaged in out-reach work to identify opportunities for coordinated work

· Identify opportunities for joint staff development and the sharing of expertise

· Prepare a consultation paper for discussion with Special Heads Executive/Conference

· Establish a pilot scheme in order to develop practice and gauge the potential for effective collaboration

Action: Develop the partnership between school based and EOTAS staff through shared development and training opportunities

· Ensure that staff access training through Key Stage 3 strategy

· Identify partner schools, possibly as part of the extended school or the specialist school initiatives, to develop shared training and development opportunities including secondments

· Develop Centres as off-site training venues for developing behaviour management expertise for school staff

Action: Provide EOTAS staff with access to professional leadership and development through HIAS

· Formally recognise the Senior Inspector (SEN) as professional leader for EOTAS teachers with responsibility for developing programmes of professional development

· Provide opportunities for EOTAS staff to access specialist support and training from HIAS subject and phase teams

Action: Engage strategically with the Youth Service in developing learning resources

· Establish task group of senior managers from both services to identify young people and particular communities whose needs would be best met through joint working and develop a strategic plan to advance joint working

· Explore the use of Centres as out of hours accommodation for Youth Service work

· Explore how current initiatives (eg Trailblazers; work with the University of the First Age) can be developed with EOTAS

· Report to Inclusion and Lifelong Learning BMTs with recommendations

· Initiate pilot projects to evaluate potential for further development

Action: Use study support, out of school hours learning opportunities and outdoor education as key elements of individualised programmes

· Identify with Lifelong Learning Branch opportunities for developing study

support and out of hours learning for pupils as part of their EOTAS programme in the Centres

· Identify with schools opportunities to use study support, outdoor education and other out of hours learning opportunities as a part of a negotiated programme for sustaining a school placement

· Provide specialist schools and extended schools advice and support so that they make full use of such additional learning opportunities as part of their commitment to the wider community

Action: Work with the Education Welfare Service to address and identify attendance issues

· Establish regular meetings between attached EWO and Education Centre staff to analyse data on non-attendance

· Establish systems to enable the early identification of and reasons for non-attendance

· Plan interventions to secure improved levels of attendance

Objective 4:

Access opportunities for lifelong learning:

Action: Build a strategic relationship with Connexions

· Ensure that there is EOTAS representation at meetings of Connexions and ensure that all pupils engaged with EOTAS are prioritised

· Clarify the role and responsibilities of Connexions Advisers and integrate their work into the EOTAS programmes for individual pupils

Action: Develop a county-wide strategy for engaging with FE Colleges and the LSC so that opportunities for accessing College placements are available in all parts of the County

· Work with the Schools Branch and the Lifelong Learning Branch to identify the best means of engaging strategically with colleges and the LSC

· Initiate a county level forum for developing a coordinated approach to meeting the needs of excluded pupils at KS4

Action: Further develop work related learning programmes and partnerships with the business community in conjunction with Trident, LSC and EBP for pupils approaching the end of their compulsory education

· Research how other LEAs have engaged their business communities in identifying a shared responsibility and mutual interest in reducing social and educational exclusion

· Engage with the Hampshire business community to develop programmes and provision to support social and educational inclusion

Action: Develop relationships and access the provision and advice of nationally funded initiatives, voluntary and charity organisations - eg ContinYou (formerly the CEDC and Education Extra); Playing For Success; Prince's Trust - focussed on community and lifelong education

· Research opportunities for engaging with voluntary bodies

· Explore links with the Portsmouth and Southampton Playing for Success initiatives

GLOSSARY OF ACRONYMS:

BMT Branch Management Team

CAMHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service

CEDC Community Education Development Centre

DfES Department for Education and Skills

EBD Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties

EBP Education Business Partnership

EDMT Education Department Management Team

EOTAS Education Other Than At School

EWO Education Welfare Officer

FE Further Education

HIAS Hampshire Inspection and Advisory Service

KS4 Key Stage 4

LEA Local Education Authority

LSC Learning and Skills Council

MLD Moderate Learning Difficulties

PRU Pupil Referral Unit

SEN Special Educational Needs

SIM School Improvement Manager