Children's Services Management Team sponsor:

Pam Robinson - Deputy Director of Children's Services

Telephone: 01962 847991; e-mail: [email protected]

Contact: Eric Smith : Education Officer SEN Telephone: 01962 846245; e-mail: [email protected]

1 Summary

1.1 On 15 December 2005, the Executive Member with special responsibility for education authorised consultations on key issues relating to the provision for deaf and hearing impaired (HI) children. This report outlines the outcomes of these consultations and provides details of the comments received on the issues and the options for the future pattern of provision for deaf and HI children.

1.2 A consultation document (Appendix 1, which can also be found at www.hants.gov.uk/education/consultation/deafandhearingimpaired.pdf) was published in February 2006 and widely circulated to schools with resourced provision for deaf and HI children, to parents of pupils attending those schools and to other interested parties. Meetings were arranged at which the issues were explained and opportunity given for discussion and expression of views on the issues and options. A list of respondents is attached (Appendix 2).

Communication Policy

1.3 The consultation document included a draft Communication Policy. The adoption of a policy by the Children's Services Department is intended to achieve consistency in the advice provided by support services to parents and to staff working with deaf and HI children. It reflects the principle that parents should be fully involved in decisions affecting the communication modes which their child may use and be given information which enables them to participate fully in those decisions.

1.4 The Policy recognises that there is a range of communication modes that may be appropriate for deaf and HI children. Some children may successfully develop and learn through a single communication mode (e.g. speaking and listening) whilst other children may require the support of more than one mode through their development and in future life.

1.5 The draft Communication Policy received substantial support.

Proposed pattern of resourced provision

1.6 Resourced provision for deaf and HI children in mainstream schools has been established in Hampshire over some years. Currently separate provision exists for children using auditory/oral communication from provision for children using sign. A substantial number of respondents to the consultation support the proposal that provision be integrated, enabling all resourced provision to offer a wider range of communication modes. Some deaf/HI children benefit from learning and using different modes through their education and development, and some may use different modes in different situations. Currently, children in auditory/oral provision may need to change school if they need to learn and use sign.

1.7 The pattern of pupil numbers in resourced schools (set out in the consultation document; Appendix 1) shows that there has been an overall decline in pupil numbers in recent years and that this trend has particularly affected two of the three schools currently offering sign. Current (September 2006) numbers are included in Appendix 4.

1.8 The consultation document proposed that the pattern of resourced provision be reviewed, to achieve, wherever possible:

· provision which will be able to offer both auditory/oral and signed modes of communication;

· viability of numbers, to maintain security of staffing and, wherever possible, of pupil peer group;

· geographical spread and accessibility;

· continuity between primary and secondary linked schools;

· provision of outreach to children and young people in other schools and settings.

These criteria were generally endorsed as an appropriate basis for establishing the future pattern of provision. Options for the future organisation of resourced provision were considered and the report outlines the views expressed on each option.

Provision for pre-school children and their families

1.9 There has been general support for the principle that the County Council provides access to comprehensive support and advice services for parents of deaf and HI children and makes communication support available to pre-school children and their families in line with the Communication Policy.

Appendices

1.10 The following appendices are included in the report:

2 Consultation proposals

2.1 On 15 December 2005, the Executive Member with special responsibility for Education received a report of the Director of Children's Services setting out a number of issues relating to education provision for deaf and hearing impaired children. Consultations were authorised to take place with appropriate headteachers, governing bodies and staff of Hampshire schools, with relevant County Council services and with parents, children and other interested parties on the proposed:

· Communication policy to underpin provision for deaf and HI pupils;

· Pattern of resourced provision for deaf and HI pupils in mainstream schools;

· Support for pre-school children and their families.

A consultation document was issued in February 2006 (copy attached at Appendix 1).

2.2 The Communication Policy seeks to ensure that families receive comprehensive and consistent information regarding the range of communication options available to them and their child, in order that they may be fully involved in decisions affecting their child. Staff in education settings should also receive support, advice and training regarding the communication needs of the child and the communication approaches that should be available. (A glossary of the main communication modes for the deaf and hearing impaired is included at Annexe 3 of Appendix 1.)

2.3 Pattern of resourced provision: the consultation document proposed that resourced provision for deaf and HI children in Hampshire schools should be reviewed, to achieve provisions which can all offer a range of communication modes. The pattern of provision should also ensure, wherever possible: viability of pupil numbers and of staffing; geographical spread and accessibility; continuity between primary and secondary linked schools; and ability to offer outreach to children in other education settings.

2.4 Support for pre-school children and their families: comments were invited on the principle that services for pre-school children and their families should be developed in line with the Communication Policy, providing access to comprehensive advice and communication support.

2.5 In addition to the three open meetings referred to in the consultation document, officers have met to discuss the issues with the County Deaf and HI Group, and with headteachers and teachers in charge of resourced provision for deaf and HI pupils. An offer was also made to arrange other meetings at schools' requests. This offer was taken up by the governors and staff of Park View Infant and Woodcot Primary schools, and by staff, governors and parents at Medstead Primary School.

3 Background

3.1 Hampshire has six primary phase (including infant and junior) and four secondary mainstream schools with resourced provision for pupils who use auditory/oral means of communication. Two primary and one secondary school provide for pupils who use sign language as their main, or as a significant means of, communication. (A list of schools is attached: Appendix 4. A map showing their location is also attached at Annexe 2 of the attached consultation document.)

3.2 Deaf/HI children and families may also receive the support of a number of services provided by the County Council. The Specialist Teacher Advisory (STA) Service provides support to children and advice to parents and to staff in schools and other early years and education settings, in meeting the needs of deaf and HI children. The current caseload of the STA Services is approximately 900 children.

3.3 Seventy children currently (September 2006) attend Hampshire resourced provision for deaf and HI children. This is a reduction from 79 in January 2000.

3.4 There has been a reduction in recent years in the number of children and young people in Hampshire who use British Sign Language (BSL) as their main mode of communication. The increased number of children receiving cochlear implants is believed to have contributed to this trend. The introduction of newborn screening and consequent early identification of hearing impairment and early intervention may enable more deaf/HI children to develop better auditory/oral skills.

4 Summary of responses

4.1 Comments were invited using a pro-forma. Responses are summarised in Appendix 3. A list of respondents who completed the pro-forma or provided written responses is also attached (Appendix 2). In the attached summary responses have been grouped (where appropriate) according to: parents; staff and governors of resourced schools; others. Parents' responses include some from parents of children with severe/profound hearing impairment who meet the County Council's criteria for placement in resourced schools but have chosen not to use resourced provision (or are still at pre-school) as well as parents of children attending resourced schools. `Others' comprise mainly professionals and voluntary and statutory organisations; responses from the Hampshire Deaf Association and from the Elizabeth Foundation have been identified. (The full list of representative groups/ organisations is shown in Appendix 2.)

4.2 In the attached summary of responses, no attempt has been given to `weight' individual views or comments. Parents' responses may be from individual parents or from both parents of the same child; schools' responses may include individual staff and governors, alongside `corporate' responses on behalf of staff or governors; other responses may be on behalf of an organisation/service or individual professional.

4.3 A commentary on the key issues raised during the consultation is provided in Appendix 4.

5 Local MPs and County Councillors

5.1 No comments have been sought or received from MPs.

5.2 Individual County Councillors were not consulted as the consultation was county-wide. Representations have been made on behalf of Medstead Primary School by Cllr. Mark Kemp-Gee.

6 The Way Forward

Communication Policy

6.1 The draft Policy included in the consultation documents was substantially endorsed. A proposed Policy is attached (Appendix 6). Some amendments have been made to the earlier draft, to take account of comments received and in the light of the publication earlier this year by DfES, with the support of Sure Start and the Department of Health, of a professional handbook: "Informed Choice, families and deaf children". The publication was produced in Early Support by The National Deaf Children's Society and The University of Manchester in consultation with families and professionals who work with families.

6.2 The adoption of a Communication Policy by the Children's Services Department will help to achieve consistency in the advice provided by support services to parents and to other staff working with deaf and HI children. The proposed policy reflects the principle that parents should be fully involved in decisions regarding their child's communication modes and should be provided with unbiased information and advice to help them contribute to these decisions.

Proposed pattern of resourced provision

6.3 Number of resourced schools: in January 2006, a total of 62.5 full time equivalent children were attending eleven resourced schools. This equates to an average of 5.5 pupils per school (range: 2 - 15) and 0.5 per age group per school. If this same number of children was attending schools in three pyramids of linked schools (Options 1a, 1b and 2), the averages would be slightly less than seven per school (assuming three pyramids of infant/junior/secondary school) and slightly less than two per age group.

6.4 Whilst these numbers may be relatively low (and there will be variations across the schools) in terms of meeting the requirement for viable peer groups, they would achieve financial viability. Reduction to two pyramids would significantly increase potential travel time and cost, and compromise the principle of accessibility throughout the County.

6.5 In order to achieve geographical spread and accessibility and to acknowledge the pattern of existing provisions, three groups or pyramids of linked schools are proposed.

6.6 In the south, Wallisdean Infant and Junior and Neville Lovett Secondary schools have resourced provision and are linked schools. Woodcot Primary School has resourced provision offering signed communication. Two pupils were attending this provision in January 2006 and five pupils in September 2006. The consultation document (para. 4.13) noted that the retention of provision at Woodcot Primary School would not be compatible with the criteria set out in para. 1.8 above.

6.7 In the west/centre of the County, The Westgate and Henry Beaufort secondary schools in Winchester have resourced provision, but neither has a linked primary phase school with resourced provision. A number of respondents to the consultation agreed that this represented a gap in the County's provision. Currently (September 2006) The Westgate School has one pupil in the resourced provision, and Henry Beaufort School has seven pupils. The establishment of a primary school (or infant and junior schools) with resourced provision would establish provision in linked schools. It is recommended that this be in a school linked to Henry Beaufort School and that The Westgate and Henry Beaufort schools' provisions should amalgamate in Henry Beaufort School.

6.8 In the north of the County, there are two pyramids of schools resourced for deaf and HI pupils: Park View schools/Aldworth Science College and Manor/Cove schools (as well as Medstead Primary School). Maintaining only one pyramid would be compatible with the criteria set out in para. 1.8 above.

6.9 There are currently (September 2006) 11 children (10 fte) attending resourced provision at the Park View schools/Aldworth College and 15 children at the Manor/Cove schools. Some children from Surrey are normally placed at the Manor/Cove schools' provision.

6.10 In terms of geographical accessibility, children living in the Basingstoke area can access provision in either Farnborough or (subject to para. 6.7 above) Winchester. Closure of the resourced provision in the Park View schools and Aldworth Science College is therefore proposed.

6.11 Medstead Primary School has received many expressions of support during the consultation. The school has staff with expertise in signing and the quality of the school's provision has been commended by parents. The non-maintained pre-school on the school site has also gained experience of supporting deaf children and staff work closely with the resourced provision in the primary school.

6.12 The provision at Medstead Primary School does not meet all the criteria set out in para. 1.8 above. Whilst the school does not currently cater for deaf pupils who use an exclusively auditory/oral mode of communication, the resourced provision develops children's listening and speech, as well as signed communication.

6.13 The school currently (September 2006) has five deaf pupils on roll. This does not equate to the average number (two per age group) which the consultation has sought to achieve. This number does, however, achieve financial viability; the school employs two full-time teachers of the deaf.

6.14 Medstead Primary School is located fairly centrally within the County, but is within a mainly rural area, the closest urban area being Alton. Pupils typically travel a considerable distance to the school.

6.15 The provision at Medstead Primary School does not meet the key criterion of continuity between primary and secondary linked schools. Many respondents associated with the school have questioned the importance of this criterion, several advocating for pupils at secondary age to have access to independent (or non-maintained) special schools for the deaf, in addition to or in preference to the option of attending resourced provision in maintained, mainstream schools

6.16 A decision on whether to maintain the resourced provision at Medstead Primary School at the present time should take account of the extent to which the school meets the key criteria above but also the support shown for the school and the impact of the wider re-organisation (if agreed) on other resourced provision. It is considered appropriate to maintain provision at Medstead, at least until existing auditory/oral provisions which will continue have developed appropriate expertise in providing the wider range of communication modes, when a further review may be appropriate.

Support for pre-school children and their families

6.17 There was overwhelming support for the proposal that the County Council should provide access to comprehensive support and advice services and ensure that communication support is available to pre-school children and their families, in line with the Communication Policy.

6.18 The County Council's Children's Services Department will continue to develop its support services for pre-school deaf and HI children and their families, to ensure that provision is developed in line with the proposed Communication Policy. This development will take place in liaison with Children's Centres and the voluntary sector.

Summary of the way forward

6.19 Taking account of the issues raised in the consultation and the responses received, it is recommended that:

· The proposed Communication Policy (Appendix 6) is endorsed and forms the basis for the County's strategic development of services and provision for deaf and HI children;

· resourced provision is developed to provide a range of communication modes, including both auditory/oral and signed methodologies in all provisions;

· resourced provision be consolidated in three pyramids: in the north, south and west of the County;

· resourced provisions at Park View Infant & Junior schools and Aldworth Science College be closed w.e.f. August 2008;

· resourced provision at Woodcot Primary School be closed w.e.f. August 2008.

· resourced provision at The Westgate School be closed w.e.f. August 2008;

· headteachers and governing bodies of primary (including infant and junior) schools linked to Henry Beaufort School be invited to consider developing resourced provision, to open in September 2008 (or as soon after as possible), and a proposal be made to the Executive Member in 2007 for the designation of a primary (or infant and junior) school for development of resourced provision.

· Resourced provision be retained at Medstead Primary School. Whilst it is noted that this provision does not meet all the criteria set out in para. 1.8 above, it will be maintained until any further review of deaf and HI provision.

· the County Council's Children's Services Department continue to develop support services for pre-school children and their families, which provide access to comprehensive support and advice services for parents of deaf/HI children and provide communication support to those families in line with the Communication Policy.

7 Legal implications

7.1 The Education Act 1996 requires (Section 315(1) ) local authorities to keep under review the arrangements made by them for special educational provision.

7.2 The consultation process fulfilled the requirement of Section 315(2) to consult all schools affected by the review.

8 Financial implications

Revenue

8.1 Adopting the Communication Policy and consequent integration of auditory/oral and signed provisions should not incur additional costs. The existing arrangement (Agreed Place Number) for funding resourced provision takes account of the different costs of provision according to phase and communication mode. Reducing the number of resourced provisions should reduce the need to fund APN in excess of actual pupil numbers in order not to compromise the quality of education in provisions with few pupils.

8.2 The number of pupils attending resourced provision has been declining. It is unclear whether the proposed changes will slow that trend. Provision to meet children's special educational needs is funded through resourced provision or, for children in other mainstream schools, through the County's funding arrangement for SEN. Year by year variations in these numbers are normally accommodated through the careful management of SEN budgets. These proposals should not, by themselves, require more children to receive SEN funding than is currently provided for.

8.3 A reduction in the number of resourced schools may result in some children having a longer home-school journey. There may be a consequent additional transport cost. Wherever possible routes are shared to minimise the number of vehicle journeys.

Capital funding

8.4 The establishment of resourced provision in a primary (or infant and junior) school in Winchester is likely to require capital expenditure. This will be funded from the County's allocation of Schools Access Initiative (SAI) funds which are provided by central government to enable the local authority to improve mainstream schools' accessibility.

8.5 Improvements to resourced provision and improvement of acoustic features of the schools have been undertaken over time, funded by SAI. The quality of physical accommodation and facilities in schools with continuing resourced provision will be kept under review, both by the County and by the schools themselves. Schools have a duty under the Disability Discrimination Act to maintain an Accessibility Plan showing how the school will, over time, improve their environment to increase the extent to which disabled pupils can take advantage of education and associated services.

9 Corporate aims and the five outcomes of the Children Act

9.1 The proposals in this paper support the corporate aims of the County Council. In particular, they contribute to the achievement of:

Aim 1: maximising life opportunities; by supporting the maintenance of high quality educational provision for deaf/HI children.

Aim 5: improving services; by a strategy for the development of support services to deaf/HI children and their families.

9.2 The proposals also contribute to the achievement for deaf and HI children of the five outcomes specified in the Children Act; viz.

· Being healthy

· Staying safe

· Enjoying and achieving

· Making a positive contribution

· Economic well-being.

10 Personnel implications

10.1 If approved, then consultations would start with the relevant parties including the staff themselves and their Trade Union representatives as part of the implementation process and within personnel procedures.

11 Impact assessment

11.1 Race and equality impact has been considered in the development of these recommendations. The potential impact for some children of longer home-school travel will be outweighed by the availability of a wider range of communication modes and more secure sizes of peer groups.

12 Crime prevention issues

12.1 None noted.

Recommendations

That the Executive Member for Children's Services agrees the following:

1. that the Communication Policy forms the basis for the County's strategic development of services and provision for deaf and HI children.

2. that resourced provision for deaf and HI pupils is developed to provide a wide range of communication modes, including both auditory/oral and signed methodologies in all provisions.

3. that resourced provision is consolidated in three school pyramids: in the north, south and west of the County.

4. that further consultations take place with the governing bodies, staff, parents and other interested parties on detailed proposals for the closure of resourced provision for deaf and HI children at Park View Infant, Park View Junior and Woodcot Primary schools and at The Westgate School and Aldworth Science College, with effect from August 2008.

5. that headteachers and governing bodies of primary (including infant and junior) schools linked to Henry Beaufort School be invited to consider developing resourced provision, to open in September 2008 (or as soon after as possible), and consultations take place with the governing body, staff, parents of the school and with other interested parties on detailed proposals for the establishment of resourced provision for deaf and HI children.

6. that a report on the outcome of these consultations be made to the Executive Member for Children's Services in 2007, prior to the publication of statutory proposals.

7. that resourced provision be maintained at Medstead Primary School until any further review of deaf and HI provision.

8. that the County Council's Children's Services Department continue to develop support services for pre-school children and their families, which provide access to comprehensive support and advice services for parents of deaf/HI children and provide communication support to those families in line with the Communication Policy.

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background documents

The following documents discuss facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and have been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB: the list excludes

1. Published works

2. Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

None