Minutes:
The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, People, on the
application process for a special free school for pupils with Social, Emotional
and Mental Health Needs (SEMH).
It was reported that in July 2018, the Department for Education invited
local authorities to make application to establish special or alternative
provision for free schools in their borough. To give a regional footprint to
specialist provision, guidance encouraged authorities to seek partners in
neighbouring authorities as part of the bid.
The Board was advised that local authorities were responsible for
securing provision for children and young people with Education, Health and
Care Plans (EHC), funded from their high needs budget. Halton and St Helens
Councils had identified insufficient provision for pupils with SEMH issues and
as a result, had placed pupils in expensive independent provision. This meant
that many pupils were educated away from their local community, travelling long
distances to school, which in turn impacted on their ability to develop
friendships; it also reduced the opportunity for transition back into
mainstream education.
It was therefore proposed that Halton and St Helens Councils submit a
bid to open a co-educational, special free school which would offer a quality
educational experience for fifty pupils with SEMH, as well as catering for a
range of other issues including Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Reason(s) for
Decision
To provide a more
inclusive offer for pupils with SEMH, giving them the opportunity to be
educated with support alongside their peers.
Alternative
Options Considered and Rejected
Not submitting an
application for a joint free school. However, lack of provision had an impact
on the educational outcomes of pupils that need the support.
Implementation
Date
Notification as to
whether the bid had been successful would be announced by the DfE in Spring 2019.
RESOLVED: That the Board
1) approve
an application to establish a new joint special free school in Halton shared
with St Helens Borough Council; and
2) agree
the location of the school within Halton.