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ITEM EX5

EXECUTIVE - 7 APRIL 2004

DEVELOPMENT OF COUNTYWIDE SPECIAL SCHOOL PROVISION INCLUDING WOODEATON MANOR AND IFFLEY MEAD SCHOOLS

Report by Director for Learning & Culture and Director for Social & Health Care

Introduction

1. On 14 January 2004 the Executive approved consultation with schools, parents and partners on the following proposals:
   
   

1. the amalgamation of Woodeaton Manor and Iffley Mead Schools to provide for up to 119 children with moderate learning difficulties/complex needs; to be achieved, in view of the number of pupils currently in each of the two schools and in order to minimise disruption for children, by transferring pupils with moderate learning difficulties from Woodeaton Manor (14 in September 2004) to Iffley Mead School;
2. increasing the secondary special school provision for pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties from 78 to 100 places, arranged on two school sites, to be achieved by:
   
   

1. maintaining Northfield School on its current site for 60 pupils and developing additional provision for 40 pupils requiring therapeutic support on the Woodeaton site; or
2. relocating Northfield School to the Woodeaton Manor site and developing additional EBD special school provision for 40-60 pupils elsewhere in the county;
   
   
3. developing residential provision for 20 pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties on the Woodeaton Manor site, to be jointly funded and managed with Social & Health Care to provide consistency and continuity of provision;
4. using the resources released from the closure of the residential provision at Northfield Hostel (£200,000 revenue per annum plus capital) to support the development of community special schools for children with severe learning difficulties and to carry out any necessary building works at Woodeaton Manor, Iffley Mead or community special schools.
   
   

Background

2. In line with the national position, the number of children in the county’s two special schools for children with moderate learning difficulties/complex needs has fallen over recent years. It would now be possible to meet the needs of children with MLD/complex needs in one rather than two schools.
3. There is a need to increase the number of special school places for pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties and to develop a more flexible range of provision. The recent Ofsted inspection of Northfield School highlights concern about the wide range of children’s needs at the school. Vulnerable pupils with emotional and social difficulties are educated alongside pupils with challenging behaviour. There is a need to develop provision which is more closely tailored to the particular needs of different groups of children.
4. There is a need to refocus the County’s residential provision to meet the needs of pupils who have the greatest needs and are therefore at most risk of requiring out-county placement, i.e. those with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

Consultation Process

5. Consultation questionnaires and response sheets were distributed widely to:

Parents of children at Woodeaton Manor, Iffley Mead and Northfield Schools
Staff of Woodeaton Manor, Iffley Mead and Northfield Schools
Governors of Woodeaton Manor, Iffley Mead and Northfield Schools
Headteachers of Oxfordshire schools
Chairs of Governors of Oxfordshire schools
Chief Executives of District Councils
Woodeaton Parish Council
Diocesan Councils
Secretaries of Unions (ATL, COTO, NAHT, NASUWT, NUT, SHA, UNISON)
Head of SEN and Social Inclusion Services
Chief Executives, NHS Trusts
Other Local Education Authorities.

Meetings were held with the staff and governors of Woodeaton Manor, Iffley Mead and Northfield Schools. In addition, three public meetings were held at each of the schools during the week beginning 23 February 2004.

Responses to Consultation Questionnaires

6. 204 completed consultation questionnaires were received, as follows
   
   

Headteachers/Teachers/Teaching Assistants/School Support Staff	80
Governors	12
Learning & Culture Support Services	10
Teacher Associations	1
Parents	13
Parish Council/Other LEA	2
NHS Trust	1
Members of the Public	85
Total	204

Responses to Proposals

(a) Amalgamation of Woodeaton Manor and Iffley Mead Schools.

7. The majority of respondents (65%) support this proposal. There was particular support from headteachers and teachers. There were only a small number of responses from parents of children affected, with only three parents who do not support the proposal. The most significant opposition to the proposals came from members of the public, including 57 responses from residents of Woodeaton.

	Support	Do Not Support
Headteachers/Teachers/Teaching Assistants/Support Staff	71	6
Governors	9	3
Learning & Culture Support Services	10	0
Teacher Associations	1	0
Parents	9	3
Members of the Public	27	58
Other	2	1
Total	129 65%	71 35%

(b)(1) Increase the secondary special school provision for pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties from 78 to 100 places, to be achieved by maintaining Northfield School on its current site for 60 pupils and developing additional provision for 40 pupils requiring therapeutic support on the Woodeaton site.

8. The overall response to this proposal is more balanced, with 56% of respondents supporting the proposal and 44% responses against. Again, there was significant support for this proposal from headteachers and teachers, including the NASUWT. There were only a small number of returns from parents of children affected, with only one parent who do not support the proposals. Again, the most significant opposition to the proposals came from members of the public, including 57 responses from residents of Woodeaton.

	Support	Do Not Support
Headteachers/Teachers/Teaching Assistants/Support Staff	47	14
Governors	8	2
Learning & Culture Support Services	6	3
Teacher Associations	1	0
Parents	8	1
Members of the Public	26	57
Other	2	1
Total	98 56%	78 44%

(b)(2) Increase the secondary special school provision for pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties from 78 to 100 places by relocating Northfield School to the Woodeaton Manor site and developing additional EBD special school provision for 40-60 pupils elsewhere in the county.

9. The majority of respondents (70%) do not support this option. Headteachers and teachers were divided in their support for it. Again, there were only small number of responses from parents, but the majority of parents of children affected do not support this option. The overwhelming majority of members of the public do not support this option.

	Support	Do Not Support
Headteachers/Teachers/Teaching Assistants/Support Staff	37	27
Governors	2	7
Learning & Culture Support Services	4	0
Teacher Associations	0	1
Parents	3	6
Members of the Public	3	79
Other	2	1
Total	51 30%	121 70%

(c) Develop residential provision for 20 pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties on the Woodeaton Manor site, to be jointly funded and managed with Social & Health Care to provide consistency and continuity of provision.

10. There was overall support for this proposal, particularly from headteachers and teachers. The most significant opposition was from members of the public, including 57 residents of Woodeaton
    
    

    	Support	Do Not Support
    Headteachers/Teachers/Teaching Assistants/Support Staff	50	12
    Governors	9	2
    Learning & Culture Support Services	10	0
    Teacher Associations	1	0
    Parents	9	1
    Members of the Public	21	61
    Other	2	1
    Total	112

59%

77 41%

(d) Use the resources released from the closure of the residential provision at Northfield Hostel (£200,000 revenue per annum plus capital) to support the development of community special schools for children with severe learning difficulties and to carry out any necessary building works at Woodeaton Manor, Iffley Mead or community special schools.

11. There is overall support for this proposal, particularly from headteachers and teachers. Two parents of children affected do not support this proposal. The most significant opposition was from members of the public, including 57 residents from Woodeaton.
    
    

	Support	Do Not Support
Headteachers/Teachers/Teaching Assistants/Support Staff	65	4
Governors	9	2
Learning & Culture Support Services	5	5
Teacher Associations	0	1
Parents	8	2
Member of Public	28	57
Other	2	1
Total	117 62%	72 38%

Collective Responses

1. NASUWT

12. The NASUWT supports the proposals to:

• amalgamate Woodeaton and Iffley Mead Schools on the Iffley Mead site;
• develop provision for pupils requiring therapeutic support, including residential provision, at Woodeaton.

b. Oxfordshire Governors’ Association (OGA)

13. The Oxfordshire Governors’ Association supports the proposals to:

• amalgamate Woodeaton and Iffley Mead Schools on the Iffley Mead site;
• increase special school provision for EBD, though OGA note that an increase of 22 places may not be sufficient;
• develop provision (day and residential) for vulnerable EBD pupils at Woodeaton.

c. Woodeaton Governors

14. At the Executive meeting on 14 January 2004, Woodeaton staff and governors proposed that Woodeaton Manor School should be redesignated to become an EBD school, including a residential facility, specialising in the vulnerable and fragile aspects of the EBD continuum.

Public Meetings

(a) Northfield

15. The public meeting at Northfield School was attended by only four members of the public, including two parents and two residents of Woodeaton. The parent indicated that she has been reassured by what she had heard.

(b) Iffley Mead

16. The public meeting at Iffley Mead was also only attended by four members of the public, including two parents and two residents of Woodeaton. The focus of the meeting was answering questions raised about the proposals under consideration.

(c) Woodeaton

17. The public meeting at Woodeaton was attended by six parents and thirty-three residents of Woodeaton. The parents expressed their concerns at the proposal which would seek to maintain Iffley Mead as the countywide special school in preference to Woodeaton. The parents also expressed concern about the difficulties they perceived in securing a place at either Woodeaton or Iffley Mead Schools.
18. A detailed response to the consultation has been produced by the Woodeaton Parish Council, summarising the concerns and questions raised at the public meeting. This has been circulated to Members of the Executive and is available in the Members’ Resource Centre.

Further Work in Relation to the Suitability of the Woodeaton Manor Building for the Proposed Options

19. The County Council takes very seriously its obligations towards Woodeaton Manor School as a Grade II* listed building. Members of the Executive asked officers to carry out further work on the suitability of Woodeaton Manor for the options under consideration. This work has now been carried out, in consultation with English Heritage, the Oxford Preservation Trust, District and County Planning Officers and Premises Development Officers
    (see Annex 1, Appendix 1, Appendix 2, Appendix 3 and Appendix 4 for copies of reports).
20. Woodeaton Manor is a Grade II* listed building. It is currently designated for 80 day and 35 residential pupils with moderate learning difficulties. The proposals under consideration are for Woodeaton to accommodate 40-60 day pupils and 20 residential pupils, either:
    
    

1. 40 pupils requiring therapeutic support; or
2. 40-60 pupils with the full range of emotional and behavioural difficulties.
   
   
21. The Oxford Preservation Trust emphasise how impressed they are with the thought that the current staff at the school have given to the use of the spaces, thereby minimising damage to the fine interiors wherever possible. They express their concern at the use of the building as a school and note that they would be even more concerned "…… if a decision was made which would intensify the use and increase pressures on it".
22. English Heritage commends the school and the County Council on the care they have bestowed upon this important house over the years. In their view, the option of educating the full range of pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties at Woodeaton, either day or residential, is entirely unacceptable and should be immediately ruled out. They note that the option of educating vulnerable pupils at Woodeaton is also unacceptable "in principle because once the school is under the EBD umbrella it would in our view be difficult to control the kind of pupils allowed to attend Woodeaton".
23. The County Council’s Principal Planning Officer is also concerned at the use of Woodeaton Manor School for the full range of pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties, either day or residential. However, he indicates that he would support the use of Woodeaton for 40 emotionally vulnerable pupils provided that:

- the children would create no more risk to the fabric of the building than those already there;

- either existing staff would be there, who have a knowledge and respect for the building, or new staff who have the same high standards.

24. A suitability survey of Woodeaton Manor School for pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties was carried out by officers of the County’s Premises Development Team. This survey confirms the suitability of Woodeaton for 40 vulnerable pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties, including residential provision for 17 pupils. A copy of the survey report is available in the Members’ Resource Centre.
25. English Heritage, District and County Planning Officers and Oxford Preservation Trust all recommend that a Conservation Plan should be commissioned and carried out before any final decision is made about the future of the school.

Quarry

26. There is a large, active quarry immediately adjacent to the school. There is a parking area, a post and rail fence, a playing field, a second post and rail fence, a grove, a track, a four strand wire fence and a steep bank between the house and the quarry. A recent risk assessment has been carried out in relation to the quarry, with the conclusion that the risks are acceptable, but that the risk can be reduced further by the provision of an additional, 2m high fence, along the southern aspect of the track between the house and the quarry. Officers have already given instructions for this work to be carried out.

Conclusions

27. There is significant support through the consultation process for:

• having one countywide school for pupils with moderate learning difficulties on the Iffley Mead site;
• increasing the level of special school places for pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties from 78 to 100;
• developing provision for 40 vulnerable pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties requiring therapeutic support on the Woodeaton site.

28. There has been extensive consultation to determine the suitability of Woodeaton Manor for any proposed new use. There is considerable praise for the staff of Woodeaton Manor School for the care they have bestowed upon the building. There is clear feedback that Woodeaton Manor does not provide a "resilient and robust environment" for the full range of pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties, either on a day or residential basis. However, the County Council’s Principal Planning Officer indicates that he would support the use of Woodeaton for 40 emotionally vulnerable young people, with the provisos described previously. English Heritage express concern that if Woodeaton were under the EBD umbrella managed by Northfield School, it would be difficult to control the kind of pupils allowed to attend. All of this feedback has been taken into account in the proposals below.
29. In the light of the feedback through the consultation process and the outcome of the review of planning and conservation issues in relation to the Woodeaton Manor building, it is proposed to:
    
    

1. maintain Iffley Mead as a countywide school for up to 119 pupils with moderate learning difficulties;
2. increase the number of secondary special school places for pupils with emotional, social and behavioural difficulties from 80 (April 2004) to 100 by:
   
   

1. maintaining Northfield School as a separate school for 60 pupils with emotional, social and behavioural difficulties, with renewed efforts made to find a new site for Northfield;
2. redesignating Woodeaton Manor as a school for 40 vulnerable pupils with emotional/social difficulties requiring a therapeutic approach;
   
   
3. increase the number of residential places for pupils with emotional, social and behavioural difficulties by:
   
   

1. maintaining Northfield Hostel for 12 pupils;
2. refocusing residential provision at Woodeaton for up to 17 vulnerable pupils with emotional/ social difficulties requiring a therapeutic approach.
   
   
30. A Conservation Plan should be commissioned in relation to the use of Woodeaton Manor School. This would define in detail the significance of the building, would examine its vulnerabilities and define the appropriate policies to manage these vulnerabilities.

Timetable

31. The timetable for further work is as follows:

Statutory Notices 23 April to 23 June 2004

Conservation Plan 20 May 2004

Executive 14 July 2004

School Organisation Committee July 2004

Financial Implications

32. These proposals maintain the overall level of special school places. There is a reduction in places for children with moderate learning difficulties and an increase in places for children with emotional, social and behavioural difficulties. The proposals are cost neutral.
33. The proposed improvements in day and residential in-county provision for pupils with emotional, social and behavioural difficulties are necessary to reduce the upward pressures on the out-county budget, both within Learning & Culture and in Social & Health Care.

RECOMMENDATIONS

34. The Executive is RECOMMENDED to:

1. endorse the overall conclusions in the repot as to the future roles of Iffley Mead, Woodeaton Manor and Northfield;
2. approve the publication of statutory notices in relation to:

(1) the proposal to redesignate Woodeaton Manor as a school for 40 day pupils and 17 residential pupils with emotional/social difficulties requiring a therapeutic approach;

(2) the proposal to reduce the number of pupils at Northfield School from 80 to 60; and

3. commission a Conservation Plan in relation to Woodeaton Manor School.

KEITH BARTLEY
Director for Learning & Culture

CHARLES WADDICOR
Director for Social & Health Care

Background Papers: Consultation replies

Contact Officers:
Gillian Tee, Head of Children’s Services Telephone: 01865 815125
Keith Borien, Senior Education Officer (Premises) Tel: (01865) 428161
Phil Hodgson, Head of Social Care for Children Telephone: 01865 815833

March 2004

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