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Agenda item

Alternative Provision for Young People with Additional Needs (Caroline Simmonds)

Minutes:

Ian Pearson introduced the report that aimed to give an update on the proposals for Alternative Education Provision: Education Plan for young people with additional needs.

Ian Pearson highlighted that the main change was the increase in secondary school places. Home Education would remain within  Alternative Provision services in 2017/18, but this would be reviewed..

The table under paragraph 6.4 set out the costs of the proposed model including additional costs to schools. The estimated saving to the High Needs Budget (compared to the 2016/17 budget) would be £589,000.

When the Heads Funding Group had considered the information they had proposed two recommendations:

i)             That Home Education is reviewed prior to the 2018/19 financial year with the aim of looking to see how costs can be reduced.

ii)            That the staffing model for the new service is further reviewed before the 2018/19 financial year to see how costs to schools can be reduced to avoid the level of increase set out in paragraph 6.4 of the report.

Keith Watts referred to the recommendation (ii) and felt that it should read that ‘costs to schools might be reduced’ rather than ‘can be reduced’. Keith Watts also raised the issue of unqualified teachers and asked whether this was legal (Post meeting note: staffing in the proposed new PRU structure is in line with the latest regulation for the employment of unqualified teachers). 

Keith Harvey proposed that the Forum agree the recommendations by the HFG and this was seconded by Chris Prosser and at the vote the motion was carried.

RESOLVED that the Schools’ Forum agreed the recommendations by the HFG set out in section nine of the report, subject to the wording being amended as suggested by Keith Watts.

Supporting documents: