Issue - meetings

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

Forward Plan Ref: 2022/064

Contact: Kate Bradley, Head of SEND, 07584 262422

Report by Corporate Director for Children’s Service (CA11).

To update on the SEND Review:right support, right place, right time and to agree the SEND top-up funding for Schools.

TheCabinetisRECOMMENDED to

a)                Agree to continue the currentenhancementinTop-Upfundingfor EarlyYearssettings, mainstreamPrimary,mainstreamSecondaryandSpecial School forecast at approximately £4.1M for academic year 2022-23.

b)                Agree an approach that timetables the 2023-24 Top-Up funding decision as part of the Councils annual budget setting process to allow schools more time for planning

Recommendations agreed

Cabinet had before it a report on providing Top-Upfundingfor EarlyYearssettings, mainstreamPrimary,mainstreamSecondaryandSpecial Schools.

Carole Thomson, Chair of the Oxfordshire Schools’ Forum, stated that the consultation process on this item had fallen well short of what was required by the Department’s good practice guide.  The Forum’s meeting on 26 April was presented with a totally changed paper published just three working days before the meeting.  It was promised that information would be circulated to Headteachers but this did not happen.  If the Council was to implement its SEND Strategy it was essentially to adopt a policy of investing to save in our mainstream schools.  There was no increased funding for special schools who may no longer be able to employ sufficient staff.  The Schools’ Forum was fully supportive of recommendation b).

Councillor Liz Brighouse, Cabinet Member for Children, Education & Young People’s Services, stated that she had attended the Schools’ Forum and heard the concerns expressed at this paper.  However, this paper was just extending a policy already in place.  She agreed that there was a need to consult with schools on how to take it further than this and that the Council needed to consider, in making its budget for next year, how it could provide the funds to support the strategy.  This administration was committed to building our own special schools and children’s homes to avoid sending children out-of-county.

Kevin Gordon, Corporate Director for Children’s Services, added that significant reform was expected in this area as recognised in a recent Green Paper.  In the meantime, this temporary measure was needed.  He was pleased that, even with a deficit in the High Needs Block, it had been possible to invest in some additional top-ups.

Councillor Brighouse moved the recommendations, Councillor Phillips seconded and they were agreed.

RESOLVED: to

a)                Agree to continue the currentenhancementinTop-Upfundingfor EarlyYearssettings, mainstreamPrimary,mainstreamSecondaryandSpecial School forecast at approximately £4.1M for academic year 2022-23.

b)                Agree an approach that timetables the 2023-24 Top-Up funding decision as part of the Councils annual budget setting process to allow schools more time for planning