- Start date
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Monday 26 February 2024
- End date
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Friday 5 April 2024
- Information
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Notice is hereby given for related proposals in accordance with Section 19 (1) of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 and the statutory guidance for proposers and decision makers ‘Making significant changes (‘prescribed alterations’) to maintained schools, January 2023’ that Central Bedfordshire Council, Priory House, Monks Walk, Chicksands, Shefford, Beds SG17 5TQ intends to make a prescribed alteration to Shefford Lower School, School Lane,Shefford, SG17 5XA from 1 September 2024.
This statutory consultation invites interested parties to respond to making significant changes (‘prescribed alterations of the maintained schools’) to the proposed establishment of a new SEMH Provision creating 12 places at Shefford Lower School. These changes are due to be implemented from the 1 September 2024.
In January 2023, Executive considered the future of specialist school place provision. Executive recognised the need for more places following feedback from parents and updated forecasts. It was agreed to continue work on the delivery of the short to medium-term need for additional places within Central Bedfordshire, whilst working on the strategic specialist place plan to meet longer term need.
Central Bedfordshire Council proposes to create a new Additional Resource Provision (ARP) for 12 places at Shefford Lower School. The provision will support pupils with Social, Emotional and Mental health (SEMH).
The decision to establish this provision is to enable Central Bedfordshire Council to meet the increasing demand for SEMH places within the area.
In order to establish an additional resource provision at Shefford Lower School, the Department for Education requires Central Bedfordshire Council to publish a proposal to make a prescribed alterations as set out in the guidance (Making significant changes (‘prescribed alterations’) to maintained schools).
SEMH proposal at Shefford Lower School
Shefford Lower School is a three-form entry lower school and as part of the local housing developments in the area, a parcel of land has been secured under developer contributions to enable the school to expand and deliver a new SEMH ARP provision.
ARPs are centres attached to mainstream schools across Central Bedfordshire. Pupils attending the ARPs have access to a mainstream curriculum and a safe space to be in where their needs are met. This school is a mainstream school that will have an additional resource provision offering up to 12 pupil places.
The school receives place funding for each funded place within the ARP as well as ‘top up’ funding from the local authority who maintains the EHCP of each child within the ARP.
This is a new provision in partnership with the school and is part of the Specialist School Place Plan 2022 – 2030.
A new purpose-built 12 place provision with outdoor space will be located on the school site, subject to planning.
SEND policy
The proposal set out in this report align to Central Bedfordshire Council commitment to the principles approved by Executive on the 9 January 2024.
Principles
Promote inclusion in mainstream settings to support pupils identified with SEND Support and those with EHCPs where those pupils can access the curriculum and their other needs can be met through reasonable adjustments.
- agree a strategic approach to ARPs and their number/designation/location/ size / entry and exit strategies
- develop robust collaborative working with ARPs to ensure that there are clear accountability processes linked to appropriate revenue funding
- increase places available in special schools and address accommodation shortfall / suitability so that they can meet the needs of our children and young people with the most complex needs
- embed culture / processes that share and develop expertise, capacity and resilience across our schools, including strong leadership, secure safeguarding, quality assurance, and appropriate levels of staffing with identified development
On the 9 January 2024, Executive approved the launch of a full statutory consultation, on the establishment of the SEMH provision at Shefford Lower School.
The proposals set out to meets a key priority of Central Bedfordshire Council SEND Strategy 2022-25.
SEND strategy plan
Ensuring suitable educational provision
We want children, where possible to attend school as close to where they live as possible. If a child or young person requires specialist provision, we want to be able to identify this quickly and secure places that allow for them to move quickly into this provision. We will work closely with our special schools to continue to provide high quality provision.
Increased specialist educational places in the local area so that children can stay in their local community when appropriate.
Inclusive mainstream education with the right resources and training to support children at the point at which needs are identified.
Regular and high-quality reviews of plans for children and young people to ensure educational provision is based on their needs and aspirations as they change over time.
Central Bedfordshire Council has a statutory duty to provide school places for all children, including those who have special educational needs and/or a disability. There is a duty to ensure that a school place is in place to meet this demand within the Special Education Needs and Disability (SEND) sector.
Central Bedfordshire Council is committed to ensuring that all children can access high-quality education, as near to their family and local community as possible. This is outlined in the co-produced (Council and NHS) Specialist Place Plan 2023.
The Specialist School Place Plan 2022 – 2030 was reviewed by Overview and Scrutiny in October 2023 and has been revised to take account of a growing need for specialist provision as well as the prevalence of different types of need. Autism continues to be the main area of special educational need of children and young people with SEND in Central Bedfordshire with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs coming second.
Objectives – including how the proposal would increase educational standards and parental choice
The objective of the proposal is to ensure that Central Bedfordshire Council can continue to fulfil its statutory duty to provide sufficient school places for children with special educational needs in Central Bedfordshire.
Central Bedfordshire Council and the Governing Body of Shefford Lower school have carefully considered the expansion of the school’s capacity to establish the SEMH provision, which will provide the additional 12 places and believe that it would bring potential benefits to the school and the local community including:
- ensuring that local children with special educational needs can attend their local school
- the expanded school would continue to have the same values, ethos and links with the town that currently exist
- an increase would build upon an Ofsted ‘good’ school which is already very much part of the community providing the opportunity for the wider and expanding community to benefit
- an opportunity to continue to raise standards of attainment, building on existing best practice and extending it to more children
- facilitate more school-based SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disability) provision
The proposed change would not adversely affect parental choice within the town. This is due to parents being unable to express a choice for SEN provisions via school admissions. Placements are allocated by the local authority and parents express a preference for their child with an EHC Plan, to be considered for a space at the school via the SEND Team at CBC. The offer of placement is determined based on if the school would be:
- suitable for the age, ability, aptitude or SEN of the child or young person, or
- the attendance of the child or young person there would be incompatible with the efficient education of others, or the efficient use of resources
The effect on other educational institutions within the area
There would be no adverse effect on other similar provisions within the area.
Project costs and indication of how these would be met
The expansion to Shefford Lower School to create a 12 place additional resource provision for SEMH will require a feasibility study to understand the accommodation and infrastructure required.
CBC have agreed to fund the additional places from September 2024.
Education standards and diversity of provision
Shefford Lower School is an Ofsted ‘good’ school. Central Bedfordshire Council supports school expansions where schools are rated Good and above.
The development of the ARP at Shefford Lower school would enhance the offer of special educational provision within the local area for children for which the ARP is intended to cater (SEMH needs). This will not affect the education for other children as these spaces are additional to the mainstream spaces the school already offers to local children.
School size
The school is a three-form entry lower school situated on School Lane,Shefford, admitting pupils aged between 3-9 with a PAN of 90. As of autumn 2023, there are 450 on roll.
Proposed admission arrangements
The admission arrangements for the school will not change. Central Bedfordshire Council special educational needs and disabilities team will continue to be the admitting authority for the ARP provision for the school.
National curriculum
Shefford Lower school will continue to provide the age-appropriate National Curriculum for all children attending this school, including the children who attend the ARP. However, these children may require reasonable adjustments to be made, to enable them to access the curriculum offer.
Equal opportunity issues
Central Bedfordshire Council has a statutory duty to promote equality of opportunity, eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and foster good relations in respect of nine protected characteristics: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. To consider local needs and implications, an Equality Impact Assessment will be carried out in respect of the proposal.
Central Bedfordshire Council has a statutory duty to ensure there are sufficient special school places for children that need them. Age and disability are key considerations in respect of this duty and for the Special School Places strategy.
There are no planned changes - there would be a continuation of the school’s current policies and procedures to ensure there is no discrimination and to promote equal opportunities and foster good relations.
Community cohesion
The establishment of the SEMH provision at Shefford lower school will enable more children with SEMH difficulties to receive their educational locally and not have to travel further in Central Bedfordshire or outside the local authority to access educational provision.
Travel and accessibility
The proposed increase in numbers would affect the number of staff employed at the school and is likely to add to the numbers of vehicles needing access to the school.
School premises and playing fields
The additional numbers have no adverse effects on the school premises or playing fields.
Proposed stages for implementation
Timeline for decision making
As the schools are maintained schools, Central Bedfordshire Council is the responsible body in terms of leading on any statutory processes. The Department for Education’s (DfE) Statutory guidance for proposers and decision makers: Making significant changes (prescribed alterations) to maintained schools (PDF) outlines the process.
The statutory process for making prescribed alterations to schools
The process has 4 stages:
- stage 1: publication (statutory proposal/notice
- stage 2: representation (formal consultation)
- stage 3: decision
- stage 4: implementation
Although there is no longer a statutory ‘pre-publication’ consultation period for prescribed alteration changes, there is a strong expectation from the DfE that the local authority will consult interested parties in developing their proposal prior to publication.
The programme for the decision-making process if the proposal is supported to launch a statutory consultation
- Executive Committee meeting: Seek approval to launch a statutory consultation for new special school places, and ARP provision at Shefford Lower School
- statutory consultation (February/April)
- overview and scrutiny committee meeting: Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee consulted (February)
- overview and scrutiny committee meeting: Report to Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee for recommendation to Executive (April)
- Executive Committee meeting: Determination – Report to Executive to consider all responses and determine proposal (June)
If the change is approved by Central Bedfordshire Council, it is anticipated that it would be implemented from 1 September 2024.
Related documents
- Statutory notice
- Give feedback
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This formal consultation commences on 26 February 2024 and closes on 5 April 2024.
Following the close of the consultation, the Council’s Executive will be asked to consider the responses received and determine the proposal at the meeting to be held on 4 June 2024.