Purpose : for Decision
REPORT TO
THE CABINET
Date: 23 MAY
2006
Subject: SCHOOL EXCLUSION
CENTRE – POLICY COMMISSION BLUE PAPER
Report of: REPORT OF THE CABINET HOLDER FOR CHILDREN
IMPLEMENTATION
DATE: 2 June 2006
SUMMARY / PURPOSE
1.
To agree the
recommendations of the Policy Commission for Children and School Results, for
pupils with emotional, social and behavioural difficulties who are excluded or
at risk of exclusion from schools. The
recommendations fulfil the Administration’s manifesto commitment that there
should be an exclusions centre on the Island.
BACKGROUND
2.
This issue was placed
on the agenda of the Policy Commission for Children and School Results to
respond to the Administration’s manifesto commitment to investigate the
provision of a school exclusion centre.
The Policy Commission identified and confirmed that the existing Pupil
Referral Units fulfil the functions of an exclusion centre. The Commission went on to explore other ways
in which the needs of young people with emotional, social and behavioural
difficulties, particularly those who are excluded or at risk of exclusion from
schools, might be met. Further detail
about the background to the recommendations of this report can be found in the
appended Blue Paper.
STRATEGIC CONTEXT
3.
Improving Outcomes for
Children and Young People is one of the 5 strategic objectives in the Council’s
Aim High Strategy. The actions to
achieve this objective are in the statutory Children and Young People’s Plan,
for which the second priority is “to improve emotional well-being and mental
health”.
CONSULTATION
4.
The Commission has consulted widely through formal and
informal meetings, public advertisement, and written correspondence with:
·
School Governing Bodies
·
Head Teachers
·
the local community
as
detailed within the Blue Paper.
FINANCIAL/BUDGET
IMPLICATIONS
5.
The financial
implications are explored in the appended blue paper. The annual revenue costs can be summarised as follows:
|
Pupil Referral Units: |
£420,546 |
|
Behaviour Support
services: |
£213,595 |
|
Education out of school: |
£137,435 |
|
|
|
|
Enhancement of WISE
provision: |
£135,000 |
|
Establishment of dedicated
centre for medically related difficulties: |
£98,000 |
|
Establishment of
cluster-based resource centres: |
£98,000 per centre. |
In addition, schools receive £2,409,902 via their budgets to support special educational needs, including emotional, social and behavioural difficulties.
6.
The estimated capital cost
for a new purpose built facility would range from £1.7m for a 40 place unit to
£2.5m for a 60 place unit. This does not include the costs of land purchase.
Revenue costs would range from a minimum of £700,000 for a 40 place unit to
£1.1m for a 60 place unit.
7.
If the unit was to provide a new 20 place
residential facility an additional minimum capital cost of £3.2m would be
required. The additional revenue costs would be dependant upon the needs of the
individual pupil but based on an average for mainland placements would be in
the region of £100,000 plus per pupil.
LEGAL IMPLICATIONS
8.
The statutory requirement is for 25 hours tuition a week.
Without this provision too many pupils can experience reduced timetables with
the risk to the Council of not meeting statutory provision and not raising
standards in those pupils who tend to achieve less well.
9.
School exclusion centres as such are not
defined within current guidance or legislation, therefore in any such
development there needs to be a clear understanding of what a school exclusion
centre is; under whose management it would fall and what the criteria would be
for admission and re-integration. A further important consideration is how such
a centre would be funded.
10.
In 2002 the Department for Education and
Skills (DfES) required all ‘off school site centres’ that provided education
and training for pupils for more than 5 pupils on a full time basis to be
registered with them. This was partly to ensure all centres were known and also
to ensure they were open to Ofsted inspection.
11.
The existing Pupil Referral Units currently perform many of
the functions that would be undertaken at a new purpose built facility. They
have been modelled to meet Ofsted requirements.
OPTIONS
A.
To accept the recommendations set out in the Blue Paper and
adopt them as the basis of policy development.
§
a dedicated Education Centre for pupils with medically
related difficulties;
§
the extension of WISE facilities;
§
the three year development of cluster based resource centres
for pupils who are excluded or at risk of exclusion and those with significant
social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.
B.
To refer the matter back to the Policy Commission for
Children and School Results and request it to carry out further work.
C.
To defer any decision on this matter to a future meeting.
D.
To do nothing.
12.
Permanent exclusion figures from schools on the
Island are low. In 2004/5 nine pupils were permanently excluded one of whom was
from a residential school for pupils with behavioural difficulties. The Isle of
Wight is featured in the DfES ‘best practice’ website in maintaining a low
figure.
13.
Whist the poor behaviour of a few students
can be extremely disruptive, the idea that all students who exhibit poor
behaviour from time to time should be excluded from school into a specialist
centre is likely to be unrealistic even if considered desirable.
|
RECOMMENDATIONS
14. OPTION A - To accept the recommendations
set out in the Blue Paper and adopt them as the basis of policy development. |
15. As
contained within the Blue Paper page 9.
16.
Policy
Commission Blue Paper – School Exclusion Centre.
Contact Point
: Cllr Melanie Swan –
Commissioner for Children and School Results
|
MR KEITH
SIMMONDS Head of
Learning Effectiveness |
COUNCILLOR
PATRICK JOYCE Cabinet
Member for Children |