Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Children, Education and Young People’s Services & SEND Improvement

Forward Plan Ref: 2025/020

Contact: Jane Elvidge, Interim Manager – SEND Strategic Early Intervention Team (Jane.Elvidge@oxfordshire.gov.uk)

Report by Director of Children’s Services (CA10).

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to

a)    Approve Oxfordshire County Council (“the Council”) continuing to fund 20 existing Enhanced Pathways to enable the Council to meet the increasing numbers and complexities of children and young people with Special Educational Needs in mainstream schools and to realise probable savings through this spend to save model. 

b)    Approve the Council to fund a further 20 Enhanced Pathways to double to reach of the project to enable the Council to offer a more equitable offer across the county to meet the increasing numbers and complexities of children and young people with Special Educational Needs in mainstream schools and to realise probable savings through this spend to save model.

c)    Approve the Council’s budgetary commitment for a period of 3 years for each Enhanced Pathway (barring significant changes to central government funding of SEND during that period).

d)    Commit to consider and review opportunities to upscale the Enhanced Pathways programme over the coming years in line with the impact evidence provided.

Recommendations approved.

Cabinet had before it a report which sought approval to expand the funding for the Enhanced Pathway project, which was part of the SEND transformation programme.

Councillor Kate Gregory, Cabinet Member for SEND Improvement, presented the report.  She explained that Enhanced Pathways provided teacher-led support in mainstream schools for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The initiative offered a bespoke curriculum to meet their needs at mainstream schools. The programme started in 2020-21 and had shown promising results, as evidenced by the case studies detailed in the report.

The programme was fully funded by the Dedicated Schools Grant. The report sought approval for the continuation of funding for the 20 existing Enhanced Pathways, approval for funding an additional 20 Enhanced Pathways to expand the project, and a commitment to a three-year funding period. It also proposed exploring opportunities to scale the programme in the future.

During discussion, members expressed support for the project, noting that it allowed more children to stay in their communities, which was beneficial for families with multiple children.  They referred to the importance of ensuring that the funding was used for staff development to benefit teachers, teaching assistants, children, and the rest of the school.

They also pointed out the advantages for children in maintaining friendships within their local area and the positive impact on their social development.

Councillor Gregory moved and Councillor Howson seconded the recommendations, and they were approved.

RESOLVED to:-

a)    approve Oxfordshire County Council (“the Council”) continuing to fund 20 existing Enhanced Pathways to enable the Council to meet the increasing numbers and complexities of children and young people with Special Educational Needs in mainstream schools and to realise probable savings through this spend to save model. 

b)    approve the Council to fund a further 20 Enhanced Pathways to double to reach of the project to enable the Council to offer a more equitable offer across the county to meet the increasing numbers and complexities of children and young people with Special Educational Needs in mainstream schools and to realise probable savings through this spend to save model. 

c)     approve the Council’s budgetary commitment for a period of 3 years for each Enhanced Pathway (barring significant changes to central government funding of SEND during that period).

d)    commit to consider and review opportunities to upscale the Enhanced Pathways programme over the coming years in line with the impact evidence provided.