11 June 2015 weekly update

Dear Colleagues

Progress on the SEND Strategy

Kent's SEN and Disability (SEND) Strategy was launched in January 2014 and this is an update on the progress we have been making. The Strategy is the County Council's policy to expand and improve our provision and outcomes for SEND pupils and our plan for delivering the special educational needs requirements of the Children and Families Act, which came into force from September 2014.

The Strategy is dependent on good SEN practice in every school and a stronger commitment to inclusion and better support for all pupils in mainstream schools, particularly those with autism, speech and language difficulties and behavioural needs. It also includes priorities to improve and expand provision in mainstream and Special schools, to ensure pupils can be educated closer to home and to reduce out of county placements.  A key aim of the strategy is to ensure young people with learning difficulties and those with disabilities are engaged in purposeful education and training up to age 25, and achieve good outcomes.

In June 2015, 82.5% of pupils attend a good or outstanding Kent school, which is an increase of 5.5% from the previous year (77%). This includes 80% of Primary pupils, 85% of Secondary pupils, 94% of pupils attending Special schools and 96% of pupils attending a PRU. This equates to significantly more children and young people (15,000) receiving a better education in Kent compared with the previous year.

The attainment and progress of pupils with special educational needs in Kent is significantly above or in line with national attainment levels. It is recognised that there is a gap between the attainment of pupils with SEN and that of other learners. These gaps in 2014 remained largely the same as in 2013, which was disappointing. However pupils with SEN in Kent are performing better than similar children nationally. In 2014at Key Stage 2, 50% of pupils at school action achieved Level 4 in Reading, Writing and Maths compared with 47% nationally. Of those at school action plus 42% achieved Level 4 compared with 36% nationally.  Both these results are significantly above national performance.  The children with more complex needs, with a Statement, achieved in line with the national level; 13% compared with 15% nationally. We have set ourselves a target for 2015 of 16%.

Secondary pupils in Kent at school action also achieved better outcomes than similar pupils nationally. In 2014, 33% attained 5 or more A-C grade GCSEs (including English and Maths) which was well above the national average of 24%. Similarly at school action plus 24% of pupils achieved this standard compared to 20% nationally. 8% of Kent pupils with a Statement attained 5 or more A-C grade GCSEs, which was in line with the national average.

The Local Offer for SEND provision is now on the Kent.gov website. This covers provision by schools, early years providers, FE colleges, health and social care services, including services that promote transition to adulthood, short break services and services commissioned by health service Clinical Commissioning Groups.  The Local Offer was developed through co-production with parents, carers and partner agencies.  We have established a multi-agency steering group to monitor the quality and relevance of information for families and the content of the Local Offer is being regularly improved. 

Since implementing the Strategy we have made good progress in improving performance in completing SEN statutory assessments in 26 weeks, reaching 92% in Kent compared to 82% nationally. However from September 2014, the new EHCP assessment process requires completion in 20 weeks and it is evident from data published by the DfE in May that the impact of dual systems and preparation for statutory changes has reduced performance nationally.  

Nationally there are now 4205 children and young people subject to Education, Health and Care Plans compared to 235,980 with Statements. In Kent there are now 230 EHCPs. This is a new process and will take time to become embedded.  The completion time of 20 weeks is a challenge. We remain committed to high quality personalised plans co-produced with families. We have received positive feedback on this approach through Ofsted's discussions with parents and pupils during the recent pilot inspection.

All local authorities are required to transition existing Statements by 2018. Nationally, 1.2% of all statements had been transferred to plans by January 2015. To date Kent has transferred 2.3% of its Statements, which is good progress. We have set ourselves a target to have embedded the new 20 week process firmly by 2016 and be achieving 95% of Education, Health and Care plan (EHC) assessments in 20 weeks. 

New Developments

We are undertaking a county wide strategic needs assessment of children and young people aged 0-25 with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) in order to develop a Kent wide approach to supporting early years settings, children's centres and schools to meet the SLCN of children and young people. This assessment will inform joint commissioning from 2016 and help us to address some of the current health inequalities.

We have developed a joined up approach across social care and education to introduce personal budgets, which we are extending to health, to deliver personal budgets specified in EHC plans. We have already introduced Personal Transport Budgets for families as an alternative to the existing service and over 100 families are participating in the scheme.

Our Strategy set out an intention to provide at least 275 additional places for pupils with autism (ASD) or behavioural, emotional and social needs (BESN) and increase Special school places from 3491 to over 3700 by 2016.  We have achieved a total of 3555 places which is an increase of 229 additional places since October 2014.  This figure is expected to rise by a further 21 places once statutory proposals for Grange Park School have concluded in the autumn term. The total number of places will therefore be 3576, as set out in our Education Commissioning Plan.

A programme is in place to expand and improve the quality of Special School accommodation through rebuilding, refurbishment and remodelling of the ten remaining schools to benefit from the Special School Review. £41.25m is currently committed to investing in the Special School capital programme, which is underway.

We have established satellite provision for three of our PSCN Special Schools.  These satellites are based on mainstream school sites.  Pupils who attend will be on the roll of the Special Schools, but will integrate into the mainstream provision, with support, where this is appropriate for individual pupils.  

The SEND Strategy identified Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as the most prevalent need type in Kent, and Behavioural, Emotional and Social Needs (BESN) as the second most prevalent need type. This remains the case. We continue to work on establishing further Special School satellites to meet these needs in a local mainstream school.

Across Kent there are six new Primary schools opening from September 2015 each of which will provide SEN specialist resourced provision for ASD, BESN and SLCN. 

The Strategy sets out action to ensuring access to an appropriate route for 16-24 year olds. The Skills and Employability Service has been working with 52 vulnerable young people with SEND, supporting them into post 16 education, training and apprenticeships. This number exceeds the target of 30 for this year.

The post 16 programme for BESN (behavioural, emotional and social needs) learners has been successful in reducing NEETS for this vulnerable group. The service has supported 173 young people from BESN Special Schools over the past year with 70% of these learners remaining in education or taking up apprenticeships.   New supported employment pathways are being developed by the Kent Supported Employment Team. This new programme has begun at Grange Park and Ifield Special Schools and is working with learners to support them into employment with training.

A key focus of the Strategy has been to improve outreach work from Special schools in supporting pupils with SEN and disabilities in mainstream schools. Through the work of the devolved Specialist Teaching and Learning Service and the LIFT process we are increasing the level of expertise in mainstream schools. September to November 2014 data shows 97% of interventions had some level of impact; with 86% good or better. Feedback from schools showed that 87% of schools rated the overall impact of STLS intervention on progress of the child as good, very good or excellent.

Information regarding the LIFT and STLS has been included on the KELSI website. Schools now have good up to date guidance through the Local Inclusion Forum Team meetings (LIFTs). We are continuing to develop the devolved model for the Specialist Teaching and Learning Service through the partnership model with the 12 lead Special Schools (one in each district) to improve support to mainstream schools for special educational needs.

Ofsted Pilot

In March 2015, the DfE outlined its intention to put in place new inspection arrangements for the SEND reforms in the Children and Families Act 2014.   Ofsted invited Kent to participate in a pilot inspection in developing the new inspection framework. In May a fieldwork team of HMI and CQC (health and social care inspectors) visited Early Years settings, schools and colleges as well as hosting a webinar for parents. 

The findings were positive. Kent's SEND Strategy was acknowledged by the team as well articulated and aspirational with smart targets.  Kent's Parent Carer Forum was recognised as having a strong role. Our approach to EHCPs was seen as truly child centred at all age phases although the inspectors recognised the demands of converting 7,000 Statements to EHC Plans. They reported positive views of parents and young people about their engagement in the new EHC planning process but also noted their criticism about the health inequalities which currently exist in accessing services in different districts of Kent, and challenged us to improve this situation. The inspection pilot exercise was not graded and will be unreported and the new inspection framework will be introduced from 2016.

Patrick Leeson
Corporate Director Education and Young People's Services