Contact: Sue Dorney-Smith, Education Officer SEN, tel: 01962 846418, e:mail

[email protected]

Glenn Parkinson, Strategic Planning Officer-Building Planning, tel: 01962 846664, e:mail [email protected]

1 Summary

1.1 The school has become increasingly popular with the result that, although having an accepted capacity of 110, the school currently has 139 pupils on roll. This level of intake has occurred due to pressure from parents and to decisions of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal (SENDIST). As a result, this two form entry school now requires three classes per year group. This increase in number has resulted in the need for additional temporary accommodation at the school and the school is pressing for further accommodation due to pressure on space. Further accommodation will be needed if the current level of admissions is sustained.

1.2 There is therefore a need to take a strategic approach to the future of the school and it is proposed that the Council should plan for a formal increase in capacity to 150 pupils (ie three classes per year group). This would involve consultation with interested parties and, depending on the outcome, the publishing of Public Notices indicating an intention to expand the school.

2 Recommendations

That:

1) the Executive Lead Member for Children's Services (Education) gives permission to consult formally with the governing body, staff and parents of Dove House School and other interested parties, including other local schools, about the proposal to increase the number of pupil places at the school to 150

2) the outcome of that consultation be reported back to the Executive Lead Member for Children's Services (Education) prior to his taking a decision regarding whether or not to publish Public Notices proposing an increase in the number of pupils at the school.

3) Approval is sought from the Executive Member for Policy and Resources for the siting of a further two double temporary classrooms on the Dove House School site until August 2013, in the context of a planned longer-term permanent extension to the school.

3 Background

3.1 Dove House is designated to cater for secondary-aged pupils with moderate learning difficulties (MLD). Dove House is a very good school which makes excellent provision for children with a wide range of learning difficulties, all of whom have statements of special educational need (SEN). The range of needs includes:

· children with low ability (traditional MLD)

· those with a complex range of needs (for example MLD with attendant physical/sensory difficulties)

· children of varying ability but complex autistic spectrum disorders (ASD).

3.2 The school has a deserved reputation for its work with children with complex ASD including those with `Asperger's Syndrome'. It gained specialist school status for maths and computing in January 2007 commencing September 2007. An OFSTED inspection was carried out in May 2007 and the report describes Dove House as `an outstanding school where pupils thrive and make exceptionally good progress'.

3.3 The school has become tremendously popular with local parents and, as a consequence, is significantly over subscribed. A number of requests for places are also received on a regular basis from parents of children with ASD who live outside of the Basingstoke area.

3.4 An absolute capacity for the school is difficult to ascertain as current accommodation standards are much more rigorous than those which applied when the school was built/designated. A recent assessment of the accommodation, which includes five temporary classrooms (one single and two double), suggests a capacity of 110 pupils (see Appendix B) though the accommodation falls short of that which would be needed to build a similar school of that size today.

3.5 Children are placed in special schools by the local authority and local authorities are routinely allowed to place children up to 10% over the agreed capacity of a special school. In practice therefore, with an accepted capacity of 110 the SEN Service could expect to place up to around 120 children in Dove House.

3.6 A capacity of 110 allows comfortably for two classes in each of the five secondary year groups as around 10 pupils to a class group is the generally accepted norm for this type of special school. Until relatively recently the accommodation has matched demand and the school normally ran two classes per year group. Given the popularity of the school some class groups had grown to 11,12 or 13 children.

3.7 The situation has changed and the current number on roll is 139 with two classes in each of Years 10 and 11 but three classes in each of Years 7, 8 and 9, ie thirteen class groups rather than 10. The current class make up is:

3.8 The current organisation illustrates the effect of the increasing pressure for places with too many pupils for two class groups in each of the younger Year 7, 8 and 9 year groups and the school needing to run three classes rather than two.

3.9 The current Year 9 year group joined the school in September 2005. At the time considerable efforts were made to limit the intake to two classes. However, six sets of parents appealed to the SENDIST for a place at the school. Following the unsuccessful defence of the first three appeals a decision was taken to admit the remaining three children. The admission of 27 children the following year avoided further parental appeals.

3.10 Last year was exceptional with 53 formal referrals made for places in Year 7 for September 2007. By careful negotiation with parents, it has proved possible to manage this with very few appeals to SENDIST. The three hearings that were nevertheless defended by the local authority were all found in favour of the parents.

3.11 This recent significant increase in pupil numbers has presented a significant challenge for the school management as qualified, experienced staff are difficult to recruit.

4 Current situation

4.1 The SEN casework team has been receiving referrals for Year 7 places for Dove House in September 2008 for some time. The deadline date for informing parents of phase transfer decisions for children with Statements of special educational need is not until 15 February and inevitably therefore referrals/requests will continue to be received throughout the autumn term. However it is already clear that it will be impossible to restrict the numbers to an intake of two classes and that to avoid considerable parental frustration three class groups will be needed. The school would then have 14 classes, one more than currently.

4.2 If, as we can anticipate, there is a need to admit three classes in September 2009 the school will then have a full three classes in each year group, ie 15 classes.

4.3 There is no doubt that a number of the additional children's special educational needs could also be met in local mainstream secondary schools and expanding a special school goes against the trend towards increasing inclusion and might appear to be in tension with Hampshire's aim of including children with special educational needs in mainstream schools wherever possible. However, parents have a right to appeal to SENDIST against the school named in Part 4 of their child's Statement and increasingly parents are willing to exercise that right.

4.4 The headteacher has expressed concern about the current situation where he has 140 children in a building assessed as having an agreed capacity of 110 and which, even with an additional 10% of pupils, might only be expected to stretch to around 120. He believes there is an unacceptable pressure on the accommodation with a consequent pressure on school resources, for example the school's specialist facilities. Nevertheless SENDIST appeal hearings which have been vigorously defended on the basis of overcrowding have been unsuccessful.

4.5 Given the current situation and the anticipated demand for a further increase in numbers, there is a need to take a strategic decision about the future of the school. The issue was discussed at Children and Families Branch Management Team and was subsequently discussed with representatives from Education and Inclusion Branch. There is agreement between key officers in the two branches that we should plan for a formal increase in the school's capacity to 150 pupils (ie to regularise an increase which in practice is seen as inevitable). Informal discussions with both the headteacher and the school's governing body have indicated broad support for this proposal and the proposal also has the support of members of Children's Services Management Team.

4.6 If the numbers at the school are formally increased, further staff can be recruited in a planned way rather than as an urgent response to parental pressure and SENDIST decisions.

4.7 In order to plan for an increase in pupil numbers it is necessary to consult the governing body, staff and parents of the school and a number of other interested parties and, depending on the outcome, to publish Public Notices of the County Council's proposal to increase the number of pupils at the school. Any person may then object to or comment on the proposal, and the comments/objections must be taken into account by the County Council when it determines the proposal. There is a limited right of appeal for certain bodies against the Council's decision.

4.8 If the process goes ahead and is successful, an increase in capacity to 150 would involve providing additional accommodation.

4.9 This increase in capacity to 150 is seen as the sensible limit in the current building and would necessitate a further four class bases and leave the school with nine temporary classrooms by September 2009. Under the circumstances, providing a permanent extension to the school building should be considered as this would be preferable to retaining additional temporary buildings on the site. This might be achieved through the possible sale of part of the school site, or in the longer term through Build Schools for the Future investment.

4.10 As the school has a capacity of 110 with 139 currently on roll, there is a significant shortage of teaching accommodation and facilities for staff are also stretched. An additional double temporary classroom is required to accommodate existing pupils and a further double temporary classroom would be needed to cater for the expanding school population to 150 pupils.

4.11 For efficiency purposes it is preferable for all of the temporary accommodation to be placed on site together. To assist planning and avoid the need for further reporting, it is therefore recommended that approval is sought now from the Executive Member for Policy and Resources, for the siting of two double temporary classrooms on Dove House School site until August 2013. Should this proposal not go ahead the situation will need to be reviewed.

4.12 Meanwhile, even if this proposal is accepted, it is possible that some parents may be dissatisfied that their child has not been offered a place within the 30 proposed for September 2008 and may lodge an appeal and contact local county councillors and MPs.

4.13 If the proposal is not accepted, there will need to be an attempt over time to return to a school organisation of two classes per year group. However it can be anticipated that this would lead to considerable parental dissatisfaction and prove extremely difficult in the light of the recent trend in decision making by SENDIST.

5 Consultation

5.1 There has been informal consultation with the headteacher and governing body of Dove House School who have indicated broad support for the proposal. This report seeks permission to carry out the wider formal consultation that is needed before a decision can be taken over whether or not to publish Public Notices. This will involve parents and staff of the school, other schools in the area and other interested parties.

6 Legal implications

In order to expand the school there is a legal requirement to carry out the consultation described in 5.1 above and to publish Public Notices, taking account of any objections or comments made before determining the proposals.

7 Financial implications

7.1 Placing additional temporary classrooms on the Dove House site will be a call on the temporary classroom hire budget. Providing additional permanent accommodation on the site could only be achieved if significant capital funding is identified. It is possible that this could be achieved through a sale of surplus land at the school, which is being investigated, or later through the Building Schools for the Future programme.

7.2 The increase in the Dove House Agreed Place Number (APN) has put pressure on the part of the overall Schools' Budget which covers the APN for places in special schools and specialist resourced provision and will continue to do so. However the situation is being managed.

8 Personnel implications

8.1 If there is a further increase in pupil numbers, new staff will inevitably need to be recruited by Dove House School and will be employed by the school from its increased budget share but there are no other personnel implications.

9 Impact assessment

9.1 If Dove House is extended more children with special educational needs will benefit from the high quality education provided at the school. Parental satisfaction will be increased.

9.2 Race and equality impact assessment has been considered in the development of this report and no adverse impact has been identified.

10 Crime prevention issues

10.1 Making appropriate specialist provision for secondary-aged children with special educational needs is likely to help lower the potential for disaffection and may contribute to crime prevention.

11 Views of the Local County Councillor

11.1 The views of all County Councillors in the Basingstoke area would be sought during the consultation period.

12 Conclusion

12.1 The quality of education at Dove House is very good and the demand for places is exceptionally high. To lessen a high level of parental frustration, serious consideration should be given to expanding the school.

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.

None

Appendix A

Special schools are funded each year on the basis of an agreed number of places which is determined in the light of demand for places. This is known as the school's Agreed Place Number (APN). Figures for both the school's APN since September 1993 and the actual Number on Roll (NOR) are below. The figures at the start of each academic year give an illustration of past and current trends:

Appendix B

Dove House School - assessment of accommodation based on Building Bulletin 77 and a staffing ratio of 1:10

NB Room numbers refer to cleaning room schedule