Archived decisions

Decision Maker:

Executive Lead Member for Children's Services

Date of Decision:

16 October 2008

Decision Maker:

Cabinet

Date of Decision:

27 October 2008

Decision Title:

Proposal for a new special provision at Crofton School

Decision Reference:

340

Report From:

John Coughlan, Director of Children's Services

Contact name:

Phil Butler

Tel:

01962 847687

Email:

[email protected]

Contact name:

Phil Butler

Tel:

01962 847687

Email:

[email protected]

1) Summary

Hampshire County Council is discussing with Crofton School a proposal to establish at the school, by September 2010 (or as soon as possible after this), provision for young people with a severe Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Crofton School is a mainstream foundation school that caters for 11 to 16 year olds. As a foundation school, Crofton would be responsible for making any statutory proposal in respect of a prescribed alteration of this type. However, in order for the school to be in a position to pursue this proposal, the County Council would need to confirm that capital funding would be available.

The following decision was made by the Executive Lead Member for Children's Services (Education) on 16 October 2008:

1.1. That the Executive Lead Member for Children's Services (Education), in respect of a proposal to establish resourced provision for pupils with severe ASD at Crofton School, seek the agreement of the Cabinet to in principle prudential borrowing of £500,000, chargeable to the Schools Budget, with repayments over 6 years to fund the proposed capital outlay with the balance of capital costs coming from the Schools Access Initiative.

The following decision was made by the Cabinet:

1.2. That Cabinet approve the prudential borrowing referred to in paragraph 1.1 above.

2) Reasons for the decision

2.1. This decision supports the following Hampshire County Council priority:

"Maximising well-being" - because young people with ASD need specialist support if they are to be able to achieve their potential at school and when they enter employment, training or further education. There is insufficient provision for this group of young people in South East Hampshire.


2.2 It also supports the following outcomes of Every Child Matters

· Enjoy and Achieve

· Making a positive contribution

· Achieve economic well-being

The proposed new facility would provide for young people with ASD to be educated in a school where there is a whole-staff awareness of their needs and where the staff are supported by appropriately qualified and experienced specialist colleagues. This would lead to the young people being better understood with consequent improvements for their progress and the qualifications they achieve. It is also anticipated that there would be a reduction in the number of appeals to the special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal, a reduction in the need for specialist residential school placements which involve the young people having to be educated away from home and their local community and a reduction in the number of young people with ASD in South East Hampshire who leave school without entering further education, employment or training.

3) Other options considered and rejected:

3.1. In the past, the option of establishing similar provision on other mainstream school sites in South East Hampshire has been considered but Crofton shares a site with Baycroft School which is a special secondary school for children with moderate learning difficulties; some of the children at Baycroft School are affected by ASD and so it is anticipated there would be opportunities to share expertise and resources between a special school and mainstream provision in a way that would be less practicable elsewhere.

3.2. The other option is not to further develop provision for ASD children in South East Hampshire. However, the provision at Crofton School would represent a significant part of our strategy to provide a comprehensive and flexible service covering all ages from pre-school to 19 years and beyond. In fact the County Council's strategy is incomplete without it and this makes us vulnerable at Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunals and does not provide equality of opportunity across the authority since there is already similar provision to that proposed at Crofton School in the North and West of the County.

4) Conflicts of Interest:

4.1. None

5) Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee:

5.1 None

6) Any reasons for the matter being dealt with if urgent :

None

7) Statement from the Decision Maker:

Approved by:

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Date: 27 October 2008

Councillor T.K. Thornber, CBE

Chairman of the Cabinet