Memorandum submitted by Rathbone
1. RATHBONE—WHO
WE ARE
AND WHAT
WE DO
— Rathbone is a charity working in
Scotland, England and Wales. We operate from 70 centres and projects.
We support over 13,500 young people and adults every year and
we employ 1,200 staff. Rathbone is dedicated to working with young
people who very often have not been successful in their secondary
education. Many such young people require access to education
and training opportunities that are tailored specifically to their
learning and social support needs.
— The charity works in the main with
young people who at 16 leave school without having attained a
level 2 or equivalent qualification. The range of Rathbone provision
encompasses learners working at or below level 2 basic and key
skills as well as young people who have progressed to apprenticeship
learning at level 3. The majority of the Rathbone learner group
will have prior attainment levels well below the level 2 benchmark
threshold. The charity works also with young people who are NEET
at 16.
— At Rathbone, we make every attempt
to personalise the support that we provide in order to enable
each of our clients to get the most out of their time with us.
We are also committed to supporting young people who are executed
form school. Rathbone works also with young people who are subject
to the provisions of the youth justice system. Rathbone staff
have been at the forefront of innovative initiatives to encourage
young people who are not in education, employment or training
to recommit to positive activities. Seven out of 10 of those with
whom we work in this way progress into positive further training
or education outcomes.
— Eighteen of the Rathbone centres
currently make provision for young people who are 14+ are either
partially or wholly excluded from school In these centres Rathbone
works with LEAs and schools to provide alternatives to school
whilst enabling the young people concerned to follow elements
of the Key Stage 4 curriculum along with other activities that
are work and PSD related.
— Some of the Rathbone learner group
have learning difficulties. Most however have learning support
needs that arise from other behavioural and social factors. For
these reasons virtually all of the learner cohort are endorsed
by Connexions and therefore attract additional learning and social
support needs funding form the LSC and its equivalents in Wales
and Scotland.
2. PROVISION
FOR SEN PUPILS
IN MAINSTREAM
SCHOOLS: AVAILABILITY
OF RESOURCES
AND EXPERTISE;
DIFFERENT MODELS
OF PROVISION
— Rathbone is acutely aware of the
wide range of responses applied to meeting the needs of pupils
with SEN through our work with 18 LEAs for 14-16 young people
at risk of or excluded from formal education and through the large
number of young people placed on LSC funded vocational and pre-vocational
courses from across 14 LSCs.
— Much of the information that we receive
regarding these learners, who often have been both educationally
and socially excluded, is limited in most cases and vague in others.
What is always clear is that the young person has had consistent
issues with the formal system for some considerable time. It would
seem that despite the best efforts of the main-steam staff the
offer is not appropriate for a considerable proportion of young
people.
— The increased flexibility at KS4
is now adding to the administrative burden of the staff in relation
to these learners and it is often only through liaison and partnership
with other agencies that provision can be found to meet learner
need.
— Resources for teaching and learning
are very costly in terms of expertise and assessment across the
wide and diverse umbrella of the SEN population. Despite all the
TTA investment in standards for SEN we still have too few qualified
practitioners. The 14-19 increased flexibility offer is posing
challenges with many FE and work based staff not having equivalent
qualification, remuneration and opportunity for CPD to those of
staff in schools. LLUK is addressing this issue but in the mean
time the learners suffer from a lack of specialist intervention.
3. PROVISION
FOR SEN PUPILS
IN SPECIAL
SCHOOLS
— Rathbone responds to a small proportion
of learners who primarily are designated as EDSD and have gone
through the special school route. Many join us without any real
experience of work related learning and the vast majority have
significant and often profound needs in relation to language,
communication, literacy and numeracy.
— The developments of specialist teachers
offering support in CPD and good practice is welcome but does
not extend to the work based learning sector. Further liaison
in the local partnership/ business/voluntary communities would
be welcome.
— This is an expensive resource which
we believe should be reserved for the most profound disabilities
and only where appropriate. Resources could be re focussed into
provision that is alternative and more appropriately meets need.
4. RAISING STANDARDS
OF ACHIEVEMENT
FOR SEN PUPILS
— We believe the levels of achievement
are too low for this group of learners. There has been little
progression for most learners over time. We acknowledge that the
learning process will be slower for these learners; however currently
too many fail and many do not make enough progress to function
effectively in society. It is not that they cannot. It is that
which is on offer is not appropriate.
— We believe that achievement is ad
hoc and partial unless professional assessment and the planning
of personalised programmes of learning are provided by trained
specialists. This does not happen often enough in the current
system.
5. THE SYSTEMS
OF STATEMENTS
OF NEED
FOR SEN PUPILS
(`THE STATEMENTING
PROCESS')
— Our view is that the current system
is too costly, over-bureaucratic and is a barrier to progression
for the majority of young people who are subject to it. It meets
the needs of a limited number of profoundly affected young people.
— Rathbone believes that all young
people with an identified need should have access to funds to
support their learning, wherever it is located. Innovative new
ideas about allocating such funds should be developed on a regional
basis to ensure equity and impartiality.
6. THE ROLE
OF PARENTS
IN DECISIONS
ABOUT THEIR
CHILDREN'S
EDUCATION
— We believe that parents play a key
role in the education of their children, at all stages of the
learning journey. Involvement in the foundation, primary stage
is vital and should be integral to the personalised programme.
From KS4 onwards the involvement is important but should be proportionate
to need and on a reducing scale.
— The provision of independent advice
lines and advocacy services in LEAs is good practice and should,
we believe be continued into work based learning in the form of
IAG, which also protects through its advocacy role and independent
status.
7. HOW SPECIAL
EDUCATIONAL NEEDS
ARE DEFINED
— The definition of SEN is complex
and confused across the services working with young people. Current
legislation does not help. The move to 14-19 provision also adds
complexity to an already confused situation. Having two sets of
terminology is absurd. We believe that all learners within the
criteria defined by the Common Inspection Framework (CIF) for
schools and learning and skills should be the same. We suggest
that it should be learners with difficulties and or disabilities
and that they all are entitled to a personalised learning plan
to meet their individual need.
8. PROVISION
FOR DIFFERENT
TYPES AND
LEVELS OF
SEN, INCLUDING EMOTIONAL,
BEHAVIOURAL AND
SOCIAL DIFFICULTIES
(EBSD)
— The Rathbone client group often fall
into this category, whether they have been statemented or not.
They are mostly defined as NEET.
— We are clear that when they reach
us effective learning has not taken place for the majority of
this group. Our facilitation of learning is more effective for
this hard to reach group because we put the learner at the heart
of our response. We do not succeed with all, but those we work
with have enhanced life chances.
— We believe that a personalised learning
framework is essential offering clear boundaries, expectations
and entitlements for learning. We are continuing to develop models
to deliver to this diverse and disparate client group.
9. THE LEGISLATIVE
FRAMEWORK FOR
SEN PROVISION AND
THE EFFECTS
OF THE
DISABILITY ACT
2001, WHICH EXTENDED
THE DISABILITY
DISCRIMINATION ACT
TO EDUCATION
— We welcome the latest legislation
bringing educational provision within the remit of prejudicial
and discriminatory practice. This development has highlighted
the costs of such responsibilities.
— We believe that rationalisation of
the SEN/statementing process will maximise the use of funding
and resources and more effectively fulfil the aspirations of the
legislation, moving us closer to a more equitable offer for all
learners.
October 2005
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