1. education
2. school

Minutes
Inclusion Group
Meeting Date: Wednesday 4th March 2015
8.00am – 9.30am: Bassett Green Primary School
Present:
Liz Filer (Chair)
Clare Bailey
Marie Bishop
Hayley Forbes
Damian Pratt
Helen Scales
Jackie Hurden
Deb Sutton
Rosie Brooks
Leo Tarry
Clare Belli
Ian Howie
Anna Adams
Billy Davies
Valentine Primary
Bitterne C of E Primary
Valentine Primary
The Compass School
Valentine Primary
Thornhill Primary
Valentine Primary
Bassett Green Primary
St Mary’s Primary
Great Oaks School
Springwell School
Portswood Primary School
Portswood Primary School
St Denys Primary School
Apologies:
Mark Berry, Alison Parsons
1. Welcome
Liz Filer welcomed everyone to the meeting.
2. Minutes of Last Meeting
These were agreed.
3. Changes to Outreach
Clare Belli was invited to update the group regarding changes to Outreach as
Springwell School is to become a Teaching School. It was explained that PHIG would
stay. However, the model would be changing to an income generating one. Three
children per year would be ‘free’. More children would need to be paid for. Springwell
would work with the Local Authority to lead and manage the Outreach team (to
include other Special Schools such as Vermont). The team would work for half a day
a week in their schools in order that they stay up to date with current practice.
LF pointed out that the purpose of PHIG was to monitor and oversee Outreach as the
intention was to build capacity in schools. Clare explained that Springwell would now
assume this role and already kept information on this (e.g. what schools accessed
the service). There will also be a piece of work around accountability of schools in
order that work is not repeated.
There will be set criteria and different levels of support on offer. For example children
in Reception will be a priority. The aim is for the changes to be up and running by
Good or better learning for every child, for every lesson
September. Information on the new process will be disseminated through
Headteachers.
It was noted that CYPDS can no longer simply say ‘go to Outreach’ as an alternative
to an EHC plan as this will have funding implications. It was also noted that these
changes would have wider implications for any school stretched for resources.
2.
PEP Project
LF had spoken with Varina Emblem and explained that the nature of the involvement
of the PTSA group was not appropriate. The Head of the Virtual School was no
longer in post. The survey had received 21 replies from the 100 sent out and it was
agreed to retain this information. There had been no further updates from Varina
regarding this work.
ACTION: LF to chase up the status of this work.
3.
Inclusion Conference
The two main wishes from the conference were:
- More time for sessions.
- Practical activities
It was noted how well attended the conference was but it was not yet known whether
it broke even.
The booklet produced was a great way of communicating the content of sessions.
With advance warning the conference could be used by schools as an Inset day as it
hit lots of CPD in one day.
January was a good time of year to hold the conference.
It was agreed to hold the conference again next year to maintain momentum.
Compass School did a fantastic job of organising the day. Gemma Fuge had also
commented that the organisation had worked well.
The rolling lunch was a success also.
A date was agreed for next year: Friday 22nd January 2016
Guest speakers were discussed, perhaps around areas such as mental health,
parenting and attachment.
ACTION: Members of the group to investigate guest speakers and to return
with a price in time for the next meeting.
Sessions would need to be slightly longer next time in order that there could be
practical activities – 1 hour was suggested.
‘SEN fair’ would be a good idea – i.e. inviting companies to have a stand. Other
suggestions included voluntary services, NSPCC, fostering service, Hampshire
Autistic Society. There would be a charge to attend if they were not a charity.
Good or better learning for every child, for every lesson
Ideas around content or who could deliver sessions:
- Outreach
- EHCP plans
- Developments around SEND
- EP service
- Sensory/processing (Orchard Centre)
- Therapeutic services
- Children’s Services
- Mindfulness (making use of the Headstart project)
- Child sexual exploitation
- Female Genital Mutilation
- Foetal alcohol syndrome
- Domestic violence delivered by Women’s Aid
- Play therapy
- Non-violent resistance delivered by BRS
- Speech & language
- Mental health (Julie Wharton to deliver?)
Invites should be extended to Social Care, Theresa Levy and Alison Elliott (both from
SCC).
4.
PTSA Inclusion Cluster Meetings
Feedback from the conference was that staff wanted more opportunities to get
together in clusters. As such it was proposed to hold cluster meetings in the Summer
Term open to anybody. They would be a place for people to ‘come and talk’ with tea
and biscuits!
The agenda would be as follows:
1) Sharing concerns and good practice
2) EHCP’s – share successes and concerns. Anonymised successful and
unsuccessful applications could be brought and discussed.
Dates, times and venues were agreed as follows:
4pm to 5.30pm
Thursday June 4th 2015
Cantell School and Valentine Primary School
Tuesday June 9th 2015
St Denys Primary School and Fairisle Junior School
Schools can attend the venue most suitable for them.
ACTION: Jackie Hurden to prepare flyer to send out to schools.
4.
Support of 1:1 children without an EHCP/Statement
A recent survey of 24 PTSA Primary/Infant/Junior schools had revealed that 79
children in Southampton were being supported on a 1:1 basis without an
EHCP/statement.
Good or better learning for every child, for every lesson
Schools were in danger of being ‘victims of their own success’ – i.e. by supporting
these children successfully they may be preventing an EHCP application being
successful.
Delays are still an issue at the Local Authority – it was reported that applications from
April 2014 still had no final outcome. There were also concerns that applications
were not being date stamped. It was noted that the new EHCPs were requiring an
increased workload from the same staffing level in the Local Authority.
Concerns were also expressed from a previous Assessment Co-ordinator that the
decision making process may be arbitrary. The picture of success from schools was
also variable in respect of whether an application was successful.
It was stated that the support currently being offered by schools to provide 1:1 to
children without an EHCP/Statement was saving the Local Authority a lot of money.
This would be on top of savings where children were supported in excess of hours on
the plan (i.e. where the school provides 25 hours of support for a child with a plan
stating 20 hours).
Secondary schools would in most cases not provide support unless the child has a
plan, so problems are potentially being stored up for the future.
ACTIONS: LF to e-mail Chairs of Secondary & Primary Heads Conference and
arrange to send out the same two questions to all Southampton schools.
Meeting to be arranged with Robert Hardy to share this information.
5. Any other business
None
6. Agenda for Next Meeting
- Conference
- EHCP work update
- Cluster meetings preparation
The date for the next meeting:
8am – 9.30am on Tuesday 5th May 2015 - Valentine Primary School
Good or better learning for every child, for every lesson