By Richard Stainthorp
At the RBC Policy Committee on 26th November I asked the following question of Ashley Pearce, the new Lead Councillor for Education about the provision for students with Special Educational Needs:
“The Government’s own figures show over 4,000 children with Education, Health and Care Plans have no educational provision, the number of children with complex needs is rising, demand for special school places is rising all at a time when Government funding for education per pupil has been falling. Can you update me with what provision is being made in Reading to help our students with Special Educational Needs?”
And received the following answer:
“Reading Borough Council have been very closely involved in the development of strategy for SEND to help prepare for Reading children’s needs into the future. This has involved a careful analysis of data which is recording the changing SEND needs of pupils in the borough. It has also involved discussion and planning for the expansion of provision in Reading for those children in Reading who have a range of complex SEND
needs. We are currently working with The Blessed Hugh Farringdon School on a capital build programme to double their provision for autistic pupils. We have agreed an extension to provision at The Avenue Special School for a further 25 students. We have advanced plans for the relocation and expansion of Phoenix College to increase numbers, and also to enable the school to admit female students. In October this year, ACE agreed a plan to increase the number of places for autistic children in mainstream primary schools by opening two mainstream autism units to enhance the current single provision we have at Christ the King Primary School. Schools are currently considering submitting expressions of interest to host these. The local authority has also, with the support of both Wokingham and West Berkshire Councils, put a case to the government for funding for a new 150 place special school to be hosted in Reading, and that will commission places from our neighbouring local authorities but also with a significant number of places for Reading children.
All these projects will collectively provide an additional 170 specialist places for Reading pupils within the borough over the next 3 years. This will have a significant impact on improving the diversity of provision, and range of places locally for our children into the future. We are working to improve school capacity to support children with SEND and challenging behaviours in all our schools and are, as part of our strategy, launching a major initiative with schools based around a therapeutic approach to managing behaviour in schools. This builds upon our cross service work with the police and other agencies and aims to reduce the risk of exclusion of those pupils with multiple and complex needs.”