Improving the education of secondary age children with SEN

Overview

Improving the education of children with special educational needs (SEN) is a key priority in the new Children and Young People's Plan. It is part of an investment programme to provide better resources for all children in Richmond upon Thames. This consultation sets out proposals to improve the provision for children with SEN in our mainstream secondary schools.

The consultation form was available to complete online and the following drop-in sessions were available for people wishing to find out more information about the proposals:

17 March - 10am-5pm (42 York Street, Twickenham, TW1 3BW)

23 March - 5pm-8.30pm (Regal House, TW1 3QB)

What happens next

Around 1,000 copies of the consultation document were distributed to parents, governors, staff, the voluntary sector and neighbouring authorities. There were 25 responses from members of the public and they were generally supportive of the proposals.

Key themes in the responses were:

- The need for adequate speech and language therapy and occupational therapy in the new provisions.

- The perceived lack of suitable provision for children with physical disabilities and the failure to address this in the Authority's proposals.

- The uneven distribution of statemented pupils currently attending the authority's schools.

- Special schools will need additional resources if they are to support mainstream schools.

- The need for whole school training in schools where new provisions are established.

- Some children with SEN may find large secondary schools overwhelming and strategies will have to be put in place to deal with this.

What has happened as a result?

All the proposals set out in the consultation document are being implemented although, following discussion with headteachers and to take account of possible budget pressures, some implementation dates have been changed as follows:

Grey Court School: Speech Language and Communication Needs - September 2011

Hampton Academy: Speech Language and Communication Needs/Autistic Spectrum Condition focus - September 2012

Teddington School: Specific Learning Difficulties - September 2010

In the case of many of the proposals the publication of statutory notices is required, giving members of the public further opportunity to make representations.