Agenda item

Paul Tinsley, Education Inclusion Manager and Virtual Head Teacher and Penelope Denny, Lead Professional, Attendance and Behaviour and Traveller Support Service presented this item.

The Forum received a report that informed of the arrangements for alternative provision for primary age pupils following the closure of the Havering Pupil Referral Service (PRS) and the offered through the In-Reach service.

The Schools Funding Forum had agreed that funding previously allocated to the PRS be reallocated to resource new models of provision.  In the case of Primary school provision, it had originally been planned to resource a school based Assessment Unit for pupils who presented higher levels of challenging behaviour. 

The report stated that Governors at the school ear-marked for the provision had decided not to proceed with the proposal and as such this necessitated an alternative approach to supporting schools for the current financial year.

The report outlined the challenges in managing the transition whilst the opportunities to work more effectively with the vulnerable children and families were explored. 

The report noted that children were best educated within a mainstream school context, but it was clear that many Head Teachers favoured the need for ‘off site intervention’ facilities where behaviour in school escalated or when pupils commit serious ‘one off’ misdemeanours.

The Forum was informed that in the secondary sector, a new partnership with Olive Academies Trust and a range of other alternative providers was in place to support intervention.

The Forum noted that following the closure of the Havering Pupil Referral Service, the three staff formerly employed within the Primary PRU (Oglethorpe) had moved to the local authority and were employed in the Attendance, Behaviour and Traveller Support Team. 

The Forum had previously agreed, on an interim basis, that a budget of £300k could be allocated to resource support services in relation to primary aged pupils at risk of permanent exclusion or who were permanently excluded.  As a result, a new In Reach Service had been created to respond to primary school concerns where pupils were presenting with challenging behaviours, despite any intervention put in place by the school itself.  In addition to the new support, a range of other support/intervention had been developed with indicative funding for each as follows:

• In Reach Support Team (£120k)
• Two Early Help Officers have been commissioned from the Early Help Service to support primary schools, especially where there are issues related to parenting.(£70k)
• An off-site Transition Programme has been established  at Lambourne End to support schools where primary aged pupils require intervention (£60k)
• Development of an off-site classroom at the Ingrebourne Children’s Centre (£7k)
• A partnership with two schools initially regarding funding places in their established nurture provisions or the use of their facilities. (£20k)
• Funding set aside for permanent exclusions (£23k).  Some of this funding has been used to support primary schools in relation to pupils who were excluded but also to support schools to keep pupils at imminent risk of permanent exclusion.  Primary IYFAP has been the moderator of this allocation of resource

The report indicated that Primary schools could also make application to the Social Inclusion Fund to support school based interventions with pupils at risk of exclusion.

Members of the Schools Funding Forum were generally in favour of early intervention to avoid the case of permanent exclusion in secondary schools.

The Forum noted the level of resource allocated for primary school behaviour support in the light of increasing demand on services and statutory responsibilities.