Issue details

Proposed decision:

(i)       Issue a public notice to establish a 16 place Specialist Resourced Provision (SRP) for Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at Garlinge Primary School & Nursery from September 2021.

And, subject to no objections being received to the public notice

(ii)       Establish a 16 place Specialist Resourced Provision (SRP) for Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at Garlinge Primary School & Nursery from September 2021.

This decision is conditional upon planning permission being granted where required.

Reason for the decision:

The Children, Young People and Education Committee report for Garlinge SRP will inform the committee of a decision that will need to be taken by the Member for Education and Skills after the March CYPE committee but before the next CYPE committee date in June. The decision cannot wait until the June committee date because May is the latest point at which the decision can be made and allow sufficient time for the statutory process to be completed for a September 2021 opening.

The decision is required as part of the statutory process to publish the public notice enabling the establishment of the 16 place SRP at Garlinge Primary School and Nursery for September 2021.

Background:

The Local Authority is responsible for maintaining Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) for children and young people between the ages of 0-25 years.  As of January 2020, this totalled 13,499 children and young people with an EHCP.  This is an increase of 1,736 since January 2019, an increase of 14.8% compared to 10% nationally.

The number of pupils in the Thanet District with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) in January 2020 was 16,000. This was an increase of 16% from 2019. 2% of Kent’s EHCP cohort live in Thanet district and as at January 2020, 5.5% of the pupils aged 5-19 years in Thanet (maintained and independent) were subject to an EHCP. Pupils with an EHCP in Kent are less likely to be educated in a maintained mainstream school than would be expected nationally. A number of students with an EHCP require a higher level of support than can be provided in mainstream schools, but their needs are not so complex that a special school placement is appropriate. For these students a range of Specialist Resourced Provisions (SRPs) which are based in mainstream schools with places reserved for students with an EHCP are established. The establishment of SRPs attached to mainstream schools is part of the continuum of provision to enable pupils to be included within mainstream settings.

Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) remains the most common primary need type with 41.2% of children and young people aged 0-25 years having an EHCP with this primary need identified in Kent.  This is an increase from 40.3% in January 2019. Nationally ASD is also the most common primary need, but Kent’s percentage is significantly higher than the national figure of 30%

Currently we are establishing an SRP for ASD for 16 pupils at Holy Trinity and St Johns Primary School. This proposal will complement the provision at Holy Trinity and St. John’s Primary School and provide additional capacity and choice for parents in the Thanet district. A 20 place Secondary SRP for ASD is also planned for the new secondary school in Thanet which will work closely with the two primary SRPs

Options:

Options regarding the establishment of SRPs have been fully investigated with the SEN team and Garlinge Primary School and Nursery was considered to be the best option (in addition to the approved SRP at Holy Trinity and St. John’s primary School) for the establishment of an SRP for ASD for 16 children  The school’s governing body is fully  supportive of the proposals. This additional provision will enable choice for parents in Thanet with a child who requires additional support from an SRP provision.

•         How the proposed decision meets the objectives of ‘Increasing Opportunities, Improving Outcomes: Kent County Council’s Strategic Statement (2015-2020)’

This proposal will help to secure our ambition “to ensure that Kent’s young people have access to the education, work and skills opportunities necessary to support Kent business to grow and be increasingly competitive in the national and international economy”

The proposal also supports the ‘Strategy for children and young people with Special Educational Needs 2017-19.The aim of the SEND strategy is to improve the educational, health and emotional wellbeing outcomes for all of Kent's children and young people with special educational needs and those who are disabled.

Kent’s Strategy set out an intention to provide additional places for pupils with the following need types: Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Speech Language and Communication Needs (ASD), and Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH).

The Commissioning Plan for Education Provision in Kent 2021-2025 sets out our commissioning intentions to meet the need for specialist provisions across Kent. A mixture of new schools, expansion of existing and the establishment of satellites and SRPs will be commissioned across Kent to meet the need.