Select Committee on Northern Ireland Affairs Minutes of Evidence



FURTHER MEMORANDUM FROM THE WESTERN EDUCATION AND LIBRARY BOARD

PUPILS WITH STATEMENTS OF SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS:

1. On what basis do you calculate funding for placements for children with statements of special educational needs in: (a) special schools and (b) mainstream schools?

    (a)  Within the Western Education and Library Board there is currently no local management of schools formula in place for special schools/units. The budget for special schools continues to be held centrally. Thus, funding of placement of children with special educational needs is not calculated on a unit cost basis. Within the special education sector, provision is made and costed on the following basis:

      —  Schools for children with severe learning difficulties have a staffing ratio of 1 teacher: 8 pupils and one classroom assistant.

      —  Schools/units for children with moderate learning difficulties have the following staffing ratios:

      —  At key stages 1/2, 1 teacher: 10/12 pupils, and one classroom assistant.

      —  At key stages 3/4, 1 teacher: 12/15 pupils.

      —  Partially Hearing Units have a staffing ratio of 1 teacher: 7/8 pupils, and one classroom assistant.

      —  Language Units have staffing ratio of 1 teacher: 8/9 pupils, and one classroom assistant.

    (b)  For pupils with statements of special educational needs in mainstream schools, funding is calculated on the basis of age weighted pupil unit (AWPU) related to the relevant Key Stage, with the additional resources required to meet the provision specified in their statements being funded through the centrally held budget.

2. Please describe the criteria that assist you in making different allocations to different schools.

  Funding is allocated to special schools/units in accordance with the criteria detailed in response to 1(a) above. The differential allocations reflect:

    —  Complexity of special educational needs.

    —  Age/developmental level of child.

3. How do you evaluate the effectiveness of different placements for children with statements of special educational needs?

  From September 1998, there is a requirement that a child's statement of special educational needs should incorporate detailed objectives which the provision is intended to meet. Subsequently, schools are required to set specific targets to endeavour to meet these objectives. Statements are reviewed annually, when progress in relation to these targets is evaluated and further targets set. The Board recognises that the annual review procedure is crucially important in terms of evaluating both the effectiveness of provision and its continued appropriateness. The Board is currently considering the recruitment of an officer with specific responsibility for attending annual reviews, to ensure that such reviews are both focused and consistently rigorous in terms of evaluating the effectiveness of provision. The involvement of a Board officer in all such reviews should enable the Special Education Department to monitor and ensure the most efficient use of its resources.

PUPILS WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS WITHOUT STATEMENTS:

4. What are the reporting arrangements in respect of how schools use the funding for non-statemented pupils with special educational needs?

  Within the Western Education and Library Board, funding for non-statemented pupils with SEN is delegated to schools within their overall school budget and is thus not "ring-fenced". To date, schools have had autonomy in terms of how the special needs component of their overall budget has been allocated. However, as from September 1998, having regard to the provisions of the Code of Practice, schools will be required, in their annual report to parents, to account for how this special needs component has been used and how such expenditure relates to the school's overall special needs policy.

DEFINITIONS

5. How do you interpret and apply the definitions of "special education provision" and "special educational needs" (as set out in the Education (NI) Order 1996) for your Board area?

    (a)  The Board defines special educational provision as that which is not normally available within mainstream schools. Bearing in mind the provisions of the Code of Practice, the Board advocates, and makes provision for, extensive strategies of intervention with pupils who have special educational needs, prior to carrying out a formal assessment. The Board has a range of peripatetic and outreach services which provide support to pupils at the equivalent of Stage 3 of the Code of Practice without the need for a statement of special educational needs. These services include:

      —  Home teaching support for pre-school children with special education needs.

      —  Outreach support for pupils with moderate learning difficulties.

      —  Specialist teaching support for pupils with specific learning difficulties.

      —  Outreach support for pupils with specific language impairment.

      —  Outreach support for pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

      —  Specialist teaching support for pupils with sensory impairment.

      Pupils who require provision which is not normally available will have a statement of special educational needs. Provision which is not normally available would include:

      —  Attendance at a special school or unit.

      —  Support of a classroom assistant within mainstream school.

      —  Longer term specialist teaching or outreach support within mainstream school.

      —  Specialist teaching equipment/resources, e.g., CCTV, radio aids, computer technology.

    (b)  The Board accepts that up to 20 per cent of the school population may have special educational needs at some point in their school career. The needs of the vast majority of these pupils are expected to be met by mainstream schools from within their own resources. A smaller number of pupils, estimated to be around two per cent or less, will have more complex needs which will require a statement of special educational needs.

      Within the Western Education and Library Board, two per cent of pupils currently have statements of special educational needs. This figure is consistent with the most recent Government guidelines with respect to statementing procedures (Green Paper: Excellence for All: Suggested target of overall statementing level is 1.5-2 per cent). The Board's formal assessment and statementing policy and procedures are kept under close review in order to maintain consistency, enable the closest possible adherence to government guidelines and ensure that the most specialised resources are reserved for pupils with the most complex needs.

6. Do you apply the definitions differentially for the various categories of special education needs as defined in the forthcoming Code of Practice? If so how?

  The Board accepts the definitions for the various categories of special educational needs as defined in the Code of Practice. As indicated previously, the Board expects that the majority of all children with special educational needs will have their needs addressed by their school from within its own resources. Thus, prior to formal assessment in any individual case, the school will be expected to produce evidence of support at the various stages of the Code of Practice before the Board would consider initiating a statutory assessment.

  There are however, exceptional cases where certain categories of special educational needs are given differential consideration. Thus, in the case of children with very complex and/or long term needs, the most appropriate response is to move to Stages Four and Five of the Code of Practice immediately. These exceptional cases would include:

    —  Children with profound and multiple disabilities.

    —  Children with physical disabilities whose access needs dictate significant adaptations to school buildings and ancillary support with regard to mobility and personal needs.

    —  Children with severe and permanent sensory impairments.

  It is usually evident in such cases, given the significance of the child's difficulties at the outset, that it would be inappropriate and would place the child at significant risk to do other than initiate a formal assessment without delay.

INTEGRATION/EXCLUSION

7. What steps has the Board taken towards promoting the integration of pupils with statements of special educational needs into mainstream schools?

  The Western Education and Library Board is committed to a policy of inclusive education for all pupils with the exception of a small minority with very complex needs. Statistics for the 1996-97 school year reveal that out of a total number of 1,385 pupils with statements, 445 attend mainstream schools, and 60 attend special units attached to mainstream schools. Just under one third of all pupils with statements attend mainstream schools. The Board has responded positively to increased parental demand for mainstream placements for children with special needs across the full spectrum. Expenditure for the 1996-97 school year on classroom assistants to support the integration of children with special needs amounted to £1,525,258.57.

  The majority of children with sensory difficulties and physical disabilities attend mainstream schools and this trend is reflected in the relatively small numbers of pupils in attendance at residential schools outside the Board's area. The Board has also made very significant investment in making schools accessible to children with physical disabilities. It also has well-established peripatetic specialist teaching services to support the integration of children with sensory problems within mainstream schools.

  The Board is a strong advocate of early identification and intervention with children who have special educational needs in order to prevent escalation of their difficulties to levels where mainstream provision may be inadequate. The Board's outreach and peripatetic services play a major role in implementing the Board's policy in this respect and these services are made available to schools extensively at Stage 3 of the Code of Practice without the need for formal assessment and statementing.

8. How many children of school age in the Board's area are receiving education otherwise than at school (EOTAS)? What is the cost of this provision? On average what percentage of full-time education does education otherwise provide? What is the nature of this provision?

  Children receiving education otherwise than at school:

Home Tuition:

  During the 1997-98 school year a total of 102 pupils were provided with home tuition, for varying periods of time, as their particular needs dictated.

Cost:

  The total cost of home tuition for 1997-98 school year was £350,000.

Percentage of Full-Time Education

  Pupils at Key Stage 1-2 are provided with on average 5-6 hours tuition weekly: this represents approximately 25-30 per cent of full-time education.

  Pupils at Key Stages 2-3 are on average provided with 8 hours home tuition weekly: this represents approximately 35 per cent of full-time education.

  Pupils are provided with home tuition on a short-term or long-term basis because of illness. Home tuition is also provided to pupils who are out of school on a long-term basis.

  Home tuition may take the form of tuition through the Hospital School, individual tuition in pupil's own home, or group tuition at a central base or location.

CO -OPERATION

9. What arrangements are there for co-operation between your Board and Health and Social Services Boards? If there are difficulties, please give examples.

  The Western Education and Library Board is committed to working in close partnership with all relevant agencies in order to promote the needs and welfare of its pupils. Partnership with the local Health and Social Services Board is extensive and currently has a variety of dimensions.

    —  At a strategic level, the Board has senior officer representation on the Area Children and Young Persons' Committee, an inter-agency group which aims to co-ordinate overall policy and services for young people.

    —  The Board is also represented on the Area Child Protection Committee, through its designated officer, who also participates in local child protection panels. The Board places very high priority on collaboration with the Health and Social Services Board in order to meet its responsibilities in the area of child protection and extensive inter-agency training and support for schools in the area of child protection is also in place.

    —  Board officers participate, on a regular basis, in multi-disciplinary case conferences with Health and Social Services Board staff including Clinical Medical Officers, Medical Consultants, Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Services, Paediatric Services, and with other professionals allied to medicine.

    —  A senior Board officer is also a member of a regional review group which is investigating overall strategies for the co-ordination of services between Education and Library Boards and Health and Social Services Boards.

  Where difficulties in terms of co-operation do exist they tend to be related to the time commitment required for effective co-operation. Difficulties around funding arrangements may also be an issue at times, particularly when decisions are required as to which agency should have the key role in funding.

10. Are there any agreed policies between the Education and Library Board and the appropriate Health and Social Services Board regarding health and social services provision for children with special educational needs?

  The Area Children and Young Persons' Committee has just recently been established. It is expected that the Board will have a major input into the formulation of Children Services Plans.

  The regional review group, referred to in response to question nine has also produced a draft agreement setting out principles for co-operation and co-ordination of services between Education and Library Boards and Health and Social Services Boards.

9 July 1998


 
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