HERTFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
EDUCATION PANEL
THURSDAY18JULY 2006AT2.00 PM / Agenda Item No:
4

UPDATE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF PREVENTATIVE PROVISION FOR PUPILS AT RISK OF EXCLUSION FROM SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND PROVISION FOR EXCLUDED PUPILS

Report of the Director, Children, Schools and Families

Author: Jan Hardy, Head of Inclusion and Pupil Progress

Tel:01582 830158

Executive Member:David Lloyd

  1. Purpose of the report

1.1This report provides an update on work in progress to:

  • strengthen the role of preventative services to support schools in behaviour management;
  • develop alternative Key Stage 4 provision for excluded pupils or those at risk of exclusion through the creation of Key Stage 4 learning centres.
  1. Summary

2.1The report describes:

  • a model for the alignment of behaviour support teams (BSTs) and education support centres (ESCs) to ensure effective coordination and a single point of access to preventative services;
  • progress on the development of Key Stage 4 learning centres.
  1. Conclusions

3.1Work is in progress which aims to provide a more effective preventative support service for schools and to expand capacity to make good quality and appropriate provision for excluded pupils unlikely to return to school.

4.Background

4.1On 14 July 2005 the Education Panel considered a report on the strengthening of preventative provision for pupils at risk of exclusion and provision for excluded pupils. It was agreed that:work needed to be undertaken to provide a fully integrated preventative service through a single point of access; that current separate referral processes for support from the behaviour support teams (BST) be discontinued; officers work to develop headteacher and school leadership involvement in management of the combined resource.

4.2It was also agreed that youth programmes unit (YPU) provision be used as a basis for the development of key stage 4 learning centres for excluded pupils for whom a return to mainstream school is unsustainable. It was noted that the development of learning centres would reduce the current pressure on education support services (ESCs) and allow a stronger focus on preventative work, particularly at key stage 3, including respite provision.

4.3Since July 2005 there has been extensive consultation and planning work with schools and other stakeholders. It has been a priority to secure secondary headteacher support for the development of the key stage 4 centres, which are to be funded from the school block in order to ensure that excluded pupils’ receive the statutory entitlement to 25 hours provision per week. Headteachers have recognised that if these centres are to be successful and not overwhelmed by demand,then preventative work needs to be strengthened.

5Preventative Provision

5.1There has been substantial discussion with headteachers of the need to review the structure and delivery of behaviour support services.

5.2A workshop was held on the 16 May, involving primary and secondary headteachers, heads of ESCs and other stakeholders to consider the issues and to agree a model to be taken to wider stakeholder groups for consultation.

5.3The issues

The workshop identified a number of elements of the overall service which are not working well and also gaps in current provision:

  • access to BST support and coordination of support across services;
  • alternative provision for secondary excluded pupils and respite provision for pupils at risk;
  • support for transition and for re-integration;
  • quality/skills (mixed experiences and reports) and capacity;
  • specialist support for school based provision (PSB support seen as a good practice example);
  • transparency regarding funding criteria for learning support units and nurture groups;
  • tracking and data;
  • clarity about services available to schools;
  • outreach from other sources – e.g. EBD schools;
  • supporting and disseminating good practice in schools.

5.4Some of these issues will need to be tackled as individual projects. However, it was felt that more fundamentally there needs to be a change in the organisation and management of the support services to provide better coordination and achieve more coherent service delivery. Workshop participants reached agreement that we should reorganise current services to achieve a single point of access, ‘one stop shop’. A proposed structure is set out in the diagram below.

Proposed model with single point of access to services

* supported by school based support in LSUs and Nurture Groups

5.5It was also agreed that consideration be given to the future location of the current advisory capacity in BST. One option would be to place these posts in the standards and school effectiveness group in order to provide a more strategic approach to support for school systemic work, including joined up working with schools, strategy consultants and school effectiveness advisers.

5.6Workshop participants felt that this model offers a number of strengths and opportunities:

  • a single point of access for pupil support services;
  • a structure to provide better coordination;
  • the potential to provide a focus on strategic whole school issues;
  • a focus for school cluster and partnership working;
  • reduction in bureaucracy;
  • stronger links to schools.

5.7The group also recognised a number of points for further and more detailed consideration:

  • the separation of advisory capacity from pupil support work;
  • links with EBD schools;
  • ensuring that the structure supports schools in working together and sharing best practice;
  • the inclusion of specialist EPs in the local structure.

5.8The group felt that the proposed model outlined above had sufficient strengths and potential to take forward for consultation with headteacher forums and more open consultation with schools and other stakeholders. Accordingly, consultation meetings have been arranged with headteacher representative groups, school governors and CSF stakeholder groups.

6Key stage 4 Learning Centre Development

6.1Capital and revenue funding has been agreed for three key stage 4 centres:

  • in Potters Bar serving the Borehamwood, Potters Bar, Welwyn and Hatfield 14-19 strategic partnership area (SAPG);
  • at West Herts college in Hemel Hempstead serving Dacorum SAPG;
  • and at the Barncroft Centre in Hitchin serving North Herts and Stevenage SAPG.

Alignment with the 14-19 SAPGs will help to ensure that young people can benefit from the expansion of vocational provision that the 14-19 strategy will provide. All of the SAPGs have included the key stage 4 developments in their early planning. Phase 1 centres will develop over the school year 06-07 and will be fully up and running from September 07.

6.2In phase 2 centres will be developed in:

  • Watford serving the Watford and Three Rivers SAPG;
  • St Albans SAPG
  • Hoddesdon , Cheshunt, Broxbourn, Hertford and Ware SAPG

The needs of young people in the Bishops Stortford, Sawbridgeworth SAPG area will be met through neighbouring areas.

It is planned that Phase 2 centres will be developed over the 07-08 school year, to be fully functional from September 08.

6.3A management structure and governance has been agreed that will make the key stage 4 centres an extension of existing ESCs. This will ensure the best possible coordination and coherence of provision. Detailed planning of the staffing structure and of transition is taking place in local planning groups consisting of headteachers, heads of ESCs, YPU managers and other stakeholders. Management committees, including local headteachers and local members with CSF officers will continue to ensure that the provision meets local needs.

  1. Conclusion

The work in progress to expand provision for excluded pupils and to strengthen support for preventative work in schools is on track and should start to impact on provision during the next academic year.

Background Information referred to by the author whilst compiling this report

CSF Education Panel 27 January 2005 – The Impact of the behaviour and Achievement strategy

CSF Education Panel 14 July 2005 – The Further Development of Preventative Provision for Pupils at Risk of Exclusion from Secondary Schools and provision for Excluded Pupils

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060718 Preventative Provision for Pupils at Risk