Agenda item

PT introduced the report which dealt with the need to academise Havering’s Pupil Referral Service and the funding implications of the proposed new arrangements around support for vulnerable children at risk of exclusion, or who have been excluded from school.

Initial discussion focussed on primary provision. Under the new proposals the Primary PRU (based at The James Oglethorpe School site) would be replaced by a new model, which would focus on early intervention and building behaviour confidence in all of our primary schools. The LA would continue to provide outreach support and training for primary schools to this end. The current budget for the Primary PRU would be used to support an enhanced outreach service. Three children’s centres would be made available for primary schools to refer pupils for part time intervention and support work off site. The current budget could be used to redeploy existing Primary PRU staff with experience in teaching pupils with challenging behaviour. Two early help officers could also be appointed to address any parenting/family issues in relation to these pupils.

Last year there had been just two permanent exclusions from primary schools, the new provision would focus on preventing the need for permanent exclusions but funding would be held centrally to allow for up to four primary exclusions to be commissioned out-of-borough.

NE informed the Forum that the model had changed over the past year and none of his primary colleagues were happy with this model which they did not believe would work.

In response PT accepted that the model had changed and that this had been necessary due to the fact that no primary schools had been willing to implement the original proposals.

MP confirmed that we are where we are today because no one was prepared to take the original proposals forward.

NE added that we were putting a lot of resources in to the secondary sector but nothing had been said about early help and there were insufficient resources to support the primary sector. This model would lead to more permanent exclusions. This is not a model wanted by the Primary Heads; the cost of failure would have to come out of the High Needs block.

PT acknowledged the concerns but wanted to remind colleagues that the LA had been prepared to invest in a new primary assessment provision at Harold Court Primary School along with funding to support nurture groups based in some mainstream primary schools.  In addition PT advised the Forum that Frances Bardsley Academy had agreed to take on responsibility for hosting the Medical Needs provision including the TUPE responsibilities for appropriate staff. A new build would be provided on site in due course and 18 places had been commissioned at a cost of £16k per place. They would assume responsibility from September at the current facility, subject to agreement to fund a new build.  Primary pupils would be included in the support provided by this newly commissioned provision.

PT advised that negotiations were nearing conclusion with Olive Academies Trust and the signing of an Academies Order was imminent. Under the proposals Olive Academy would take over the KS3 and KS4 provision. They would be offered a long lease on the Birnam Wood site for a facility for up to 35 pupils who were either excluded or at risk of exclusion and a separate KS3 intervention facility at the Petersfield Depot (subject to planning and a satisfactory refurbishment of the site). The Trust were willing to take over responsibility for running the PRS from September, provided they received ‘a letter of comfort’ from the Council to confirm that the above facilities would be available and that the LA would pay for the agreed number of places to be commissioned for KS3 and KS4 pupils. 

Following negotiations with the Trust, the cost per pupil place had been agreed at a level suggested in discussions with secondary head teachers, and represented a saving as compared with current costs of commissioning places from the Havering PRS. The proposed costs ranged from £15k per place to £18k per place. The current cost of the Havering PRS service was £19K per place.

In addition to the KS3 and KS4 places commissioned from the Olive Academy it would be necessary to retain some of the current PRS budget as there might be a need to commission some places out-of-borough where pupils are permanently excluded and cannot be accommodated in borough.

PT informed the Forum that the proposals included the closure of the Albert Road site and the movement of KS4 provision to the Birnam Wood site. The intention was to fund at the current rate from September 2016 to March 2017, after which exclusion Places would be more expensive that intervention places.

NE sought clarity as to the Capital costs and the Forum was told that works to the Petersfield site were estimated at £600K/£700k with the works at Birnam Wood being costed at £400k. Beyond that there was a commitment from the Chief Executive to expand Birnam Wood. The cost would be met from the capital programme.

The Forum:

1.    Approved the retention of £300k to support an enhanced LA Behaviour Support/Outreach team for primary provision, subject to annual review;

2.    Approved the retention by the Local Authority of sufficient funding to allow for the commissioning of places out of borough for permanently excluded pupils;

3.    In the light of the Education Excellence Everywhere White Paper, agreed to devolving funds to secondary schools to explore models for supporting excluded/at risk pupils, thus reducing the need to purchase additional places out of borough.