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Implications:
Financial:
The initial cost of providing the ARP (set up as a pilot project in September 2008) was
£141,500. This provided funding for a specialist teacher and three teaching assistants,
together with training and resources and also for some building works to provide access to
toilets for both staff and pupils in the ARP. This was funded from the Dedicated Schools
Grant and also the schools devolved formula capital. The proposal was approved in
principle by the schools’ forum on 25 April 2008. The base was planned to operate initially
as a pilot project from September 2008 with a view to it being established as a fully
operational permanent base for September 2009.
Funding in the future will form part of the devolved budget share for the schools from the
Dedicated schools Grant.
Legal
The proposals have been established in accordance with S.19 of the Education and
Inspections Act 2006 – a prescribed alteration to a maintained school – and the required
procedural and consultation requirements have been followed for implementation in the
Autumn term 2009.
The alteration is in accordance with the statutory framework of inclusion of children with
special educational needs (SEN) into mainstream school. The proposal complies with the
SEN Code of Practice. An LEA must ensure (i) the promotion of high standards, (ii) fair
access and inclusion for all children in educational opportunities and (iii) promotion of the
fulfillment by every child of their educational potential. Schools and local authority’s have
specific duties under education and disability law to ensure that pupils with SENs are
identified, assessed and provided for and that they are not discriminated against because
they have a special need. The establishment of this provision will assist the authority in
complying with the above provisions.
Risk Management:
The number of children identified as autistic is increasing. We are in line nationally with
this increased number. All Local Authorities are reporting significant pressure to meet the
needs of this increased number of children with complex needs. We believe all children
in our Local Authority should be able to access the appropriate educational provision that
meets their needs. In order to ensure this is a reality we are looking at ways to expand our
additional resourced provisions.
Further, placing children with the most challenging needs in non-specialist mainstream
settings can have an adverse effect on the education of those and other children.
Social Inclusion and Diversity:
In accordance with the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, the Council has introduced
a Policy Proofing process to assess the impacts of all new and revised policies in terms of
race equality, gender, disability, sexuality, faith, age and community cohesion.
This proposal would assist the council in ensuring that pupils with complex autism have
access to the specialist provision they need. Without a suitable additional provision these
children would not make the progress they should and some would be at risk of exclusion
from their mainstream provision,
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