Agenda item

Jeanne Pratt, Care Wellbeing and Learning

The Schools Forum received a report to provide an update on existing services (FAP, EP and Primary Behaviour Support) that is  currently fund through de-delegation. So that maintained primary schools  can consider further de-delegation for the 2019/20 financial year.

Revenue funding arrangements for schools have changed following the school funding review which started in 2013/14.  It is permissible for LA’s to hold budgets centrally for the provision of some services to schools.  This funding was previously centrally held has been delegated to schools on a per pupil basis.

There are, however, some areas that schools have the option for de-delegation.

These are:-

·         Contingencies, (including support for schools in financial difficulties, new/closing/amalgamating schools, closing school deficits)

·         Behaviour Support Services

·         Support for minority ethnic minority pupils or underachieving groups

·         Free School Meals (FSM) eligibility

·         Insurance

·         Library and museum services

·         Licences/subscriptions

·         Staff costs – supply cover (long term sickness, maternity, trade union and public duties)

For each of these area, it would be for the Schools Forum members in the relevant phase (primary or secondary) to decide whether that service should be retained centrally for maintained schools.

The Primary Behaviour Support Team work with primary schools, mainly, but not exclusively on early intervention in the area of behaviour.  At the request of Headteachers in September 2018 a Rapid Response Service was developed to meet the needs of children in ‘crisis’.  The team consists of 5 Special Needs teachers assistants and 2 teachers.  4 of the teaching 5 of the teaching assistants are on permanent contracts and 1 is on a year fixed term contract.  The team work principally with primary aged children in their schools setting offering direct interventions and support with children alongside consultancy for primary Headteachers and teaching staff.  This work includes assessment of pupils’ needs, strategies, whole class modelling, small group and individual support and training for staff where this is identified as a need.  Referrals to the team continue to rise, in the academic year 2017/18 the team worked with 90 children, which is an increase on the 81 from the previous academic year.

During the 2017/18 academic year 70% of primary schools received input from the team, which is an increase from 67% of schools the previous year.

Staff provide transition support in the summer term for Y6 children to aid in their successful transition to secondary school, all of which to date have made successful transitions into secondary school.

Staff also work alongside the primary Fair Access process in both the referring and receiving schools, supporting managed moves which have enabled moves to be successful.

The teaching assistant who was agreed on a 1-year fixed term contract has a skill set in mental health.  She has brought a therapeutic dimension of support into the team.

Every local authority is required to have in place a Fair Access Protocol (Schools Admission Code 2012 article 3.9) developed in partnership and agreed with the majority of its schools, in which all schools (including Academies) must participate since it is binding on all schools.

In 2014 the Schools Forum agreed to de-delegate funds for an Educational Psychologist to work to the primary Fair Access Panel.

In 2017/18 academic year there were 155 referrals to the primary Fair Access Panel which is a steady increase from the 143 referrals made in 2016/17, the 102 children referred in 2015/16 and the 60 children referred in 2014/15.

Over the past two years there has been a steady increase in the need for EP assessment for the children placed by the panel.

Schools forum is asked to approve the de-delegation of funding for 2019/20.  Proposed de-delegation values are

·         Fair Access Educational Psychologist        £5.00 per pupil (Primary only)

·         Primary Behaviour Support (5TA’s)            £4.00 per pupil (Primary only)

·         Primary Behaviour Support (5TA’s)            £26.00 per low prior attainment                                                                   pupil (Primary only)

RESOLVED -  That the de-delegation of funds to continue with the Primary Fair Access Educational Psychologist and the Primary Behaviour Support Team special needs assistants were  approved.