Meeting documents

To consider presentation from Dr Rob Hart, Assistant Director, Inclusion, Mr Phil Curd, Strategic Manager and Ms Emily Walters, Head of Virtual School.

An overview presentation will be given at the meeting to draw out the main points.

The Chair welcomed the following to the meeting for this agenda item - the Council’s Assistant Director, Inclusion, Dr Rob Hart, Mr Phil Curd, Strategic Manager, Access & Additional Learning Needs and Ms Emily Walters, Head Virtual School & Learning Support. Prior to the meeting, the Board had received more detailed PowerPoint information on inclusion and engagement in education. This agenda item linked with the previous agenda item on the Inclusion Inquiry.

At the meeting, the presenters gave an overview PowerPoint presentation which drew out the main points and issues, covering the following - school attendance, exclusions and suspensions and elective home education, and the role of the Inclusion Partnership Boards; details on key priorities of supporting inclusion and ensuring a consistent and inclusive offer for all children and young people; information on supporting the most vulnerable and role of the Virtual School which can offer support to schools and settings across a broad range of needs.

Dr Hart outlined some key messages – that this is ‘work in progress’ and there is still a long way to go. He referred to the impact of the pandemic, and growing challenges and levels of need and outlined what are focussing on - in terms of the right support offer, easy to access, a relationship-based approach, working with families and schools and a partnership approach, with schools working together to support and challenge. Dr Hart referred to the more detailed slide pack which provided more information and details on these points.

The Chair thanked Dr Hart, Ms Walters and Mr Curd for the detailed information and for the overview presentation. The Board then discussed the presentation, covering the following – rationale for Inclusion Inquiry and focus on SEND; transition; data on young people not in education, training or employment (NEETs); Parent Carer Forum; anxiety amongst children and young people and families; linking support / role of voluntary sector; how parents and carers’ views were included in the Inclusion Inquiry; what ‘success’ / ‘improvement’ will look like; information on pupil referral units; elective home education.

In response, Dr Hart explained that the rationale for the Inclusion Inquiry being set up was the WSoA, which identified that children and young people on SEN were missing out on education as they have been disproportionately impacted and the focus is on engagement and hearing the voices of children and young people as well. Mr Walton said that the data dashboard, referred to in the previous agenda item, will really help and will be a real strength going forward as will the Inclusion Partnership Boards. Dr Hart also said that the Parent Carer Forum has been instrumental in the work around the development of an outcomes framework. The vital work of the PSFA was highlighted and Mr Curd referred to the work of education safeguarding and early help front door and about the work with pupils who are electively home educated. Dr Hart also talked about the focus on early intervention and for schools, parents etc to have confidence in the process and support and decisions being taken.

The Chair thanked all the speakers for the excellent presentation and full discussion and the following matters need to be followed up – how best to share best practice and being open and transparent (data offer), signposting, how bring everyone together.