Agenda item

Ms J Frost presented the report.

The report gave an update on the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and High Needs Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG).

The percentage of pupils with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) remained stable since reporting in January 2022.  The percentage of pupils who had been identified as requiring SEN support had increased since January 2022. 

The most common Primary Need recorded in North Lincolnshire primary schools was speech, language and communications need.  In North Lincolnshire secondary schools, the most common Primary Need was social, emotional and mental health.

Next steps and priorities for inclusion meetings with headteachers were being organised to identify where the focus needed to be on developing local provision for inclusion bases within schools.  The first meeting for secondary headteachers was anticipated for early May 2022, invites would go out shortly.  Further discussions were taking place with primary headteachers to identify primary schools who may wish to open a similar base to support need and earlier support.

There remained increased pressure around social, emotional and mental health needs and the Tuition and Medical Needs Education Team (TAMNET) were identifying increased referrals for this area. 

Overall, DSG high needs showed a projected underspend, which would enable a potential funding return into high needs reserves.  Alternative provision budgets at year end were underspent for the first time in a number of years.  This was partly due to the pandemic and the reduction in permanent exclusions.

Ms Frost advised that she believed there was an opportunity to review element three top up funding for children with an EHCP as it had not been reviewed for two years.  Different formulas were being modelled, which would be shared with Schools Forum in the future.

However, Mr D Chaplin advised caution as it was likely that the uplift on high needs funding would decrease after the next couple of years.  Ms T Elliott explained that the projected underspend would move into reserves and the supplementary grant allocated to mainstream schools for special schools had gone into the DSG and would be allocated directly to special schools.  Discussion ensued with regard to funding elements in relation to high needs.

Ms Frost advised that a new formula was to be introduced by the Department for Education for import/export and would be adjusted mid-year.  Ms Elliott explained that the council would be aware of any adjustments at the end of July and had included it in the funding forecast.

Mr B Lawrance queried how the percentage of pupils with an EHCP who attend special schools in North Lincolnshire compared nationally.  Ms Frost advised that almost a third of young people with an EHCP attended special schools either in North Lincolnshire or out of area, which was similar in comparison with other areas.  There were more young people in a mainstream setting with additional help.  Given the work completed to support individual provision within North Lincolnshire there had been a massive reduction in pupils having to travel farther afield, which removed the need for residential provision.

Resolved – (a) That Headteachers, Principals continued to work with the council to implement and embed the area-wide solutions, ensuring that children and young people’s needs remained central; (b) that Headteachers and Principals work with council officers to investigate funding models for Inclusion Hubs and explore opportunities for specialist units/resourced provision within primary and secondary mainstream schools, and (c) that top up funding for mainstream Education, Health and Care Plan be reviewed.