SUPPLEMENTARY MEMORANDUM FROM THE NORTH
EASTERN EDUCATION AND LIBRARY BOARD
LOCAL MANAGEMENT OF SPECIAL SCHOOLS AND LOCAL
MANAGEMENT OF SPECIAL EDUCATION
This memorandum is submitted to clarify the
issues raised by the Committee on funding of special education,
and particularly of local management and delegation of finance.
The principle of local management of schools
and delegation of resources has brought considerable benefits
to many mainstream schools, such as increased opportunities for
local decision-making and management, and the ability of local
management to match local priorities to resourcing.
Local Management of Special Schools (LMSS) is
the equivalent for Special Schools of Local Management of Schools
(LMS) in mainstream schools. As special schools differ significantly
from mainstream/ordinary schools, LMSS may require a formula separate
from LMS which reflects the historic funding of the special schools.
LMSS, however, only affects the funding of pupils with statements
who attend special schools and therefore does not take account
of the pupils with statements attending special units or mainstream
schools. Consequently LMSS only delegates part of the funding
available for pupils with statements of special educational needs
and does not achieve maximum delegation.
In Local Management of Special Education (LMSE),
the resources for special educational provision follow the pupils
and are used by the schools to meet the special educational needs
identified in the statement. In practice, the statement of special
educational needs would identify the needs, specify the provision
and the funding allocated for making the provision and so the
pupil could attend a school which would agree to meet the identified
needs within the allocated funding.
LMSE is a more comprehensive approach to the
allocation of funds to meet the identified educational needs of
the individual pupil.
The key to successful devolvement of funds is
an effective system of monitoring and accountability. The annual
review of the statement would have an important part to play in
such a system.
Any new model of funding must ensure that there
is a significant educational improvement for all pupils.
13 August 1998
| 
