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Contents

Section Number Section Title Page Number

1 Introduction 3

2 Purpose 4

3 Vision 4

4 Guiding Principles 7

5 Population Profile 9

6 SEN – National and Local Context 11

7 Disability 16

8 Exclusions 17

9 Post 16 Education and Training 20

10 Attainment & Persistent Absence 21

11 Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) 25

12 Emotional Well-being and Mental Health 27

13 Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) 30

14 Resources & Funding 32

15 Current Provision 39

16 Governance 49

17 Key Priorities 50

Appendix A Annual SEN Report 2016

Appendix B Vulnerable Pupils Report 2015

Appendix C Action Plan 2017 -2019 (Working Draft)

Appendix D Commissioning Plan 2017-2019 TBC

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1. IntroductionIn order to deliver joined up services in Liverpool that can best respond to the needs of children,

young people and families, we require an integrated approach to planning and commissioning. Our

Commissioning and Sufficiency Strategy sets out the strategic intention for the commissioning and

planning of services for children and young people 0-25 years in response to agreed priorities set

out in the Children and Young People’s Plan, the Health and Wellbeing Strategy and the Local

Safeguarding Children’s Board’s Business Plan.

The overarching aim of this strategy is to contribute to the improvement of educational, health and

emotional wellbeing outcomes for those children and young people who have special educational

needs or who are disabled (SEND). It is recognised that the terms ‘special educational need’ and

‘disability’ encompass children and young people with a broad range of needs. For some, the focus

of support will be wholly educational whilst, for others, their families will need support from a number

of statutory services and this may continue throughout their childhood and possibly into adulthood.

For the purposes of this strategy, the following standard definitions are used:

Special Educational Need:

a) A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for spe-

cial educational provision to be made for him or her.

b) A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability or

has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or

has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind

generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16

institutions

c) For children aged two or more, special educational provision is educational or training provision

that is additional to or different from that made generally for other children or young people of the

same age by mainstream schools, maintained nursery schools, mainstream post-16 institutions or

by relevant early years providers. For a child under two years of age, special educational provision

means educational provision of any kind.

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d) A child under compulsory school age has special educational needs if he or she is likely to fall

within the definition in paragraph (b) above when they reach compulsory school age or would do so

if special educational provision was not made for them.

e) Post-16 institutions often use the term learning difficulties and disabilities (LDD). The term SEN is

used across the 0-25 age range but includes LDD. (SEN Code of Practice, 2014)

Disabilitya) The person has a physical or mental impairment, and

b) the impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on the person’s ability to carry out

normal day-to-day activities (The Equality Act 2010).

2. Purpose of the strategyThe purpose of this strategy is to set out

the types of needs and demand for services

the resources available and funding arrangements

the types of services we will commission

the outcomes we wish to achieve for our children and young people

our commissioning intentions

3. VisionA key aim and priority of the City Council is to empower people to enjoy the best possible quality of

life and reach their full potential by.

Reducing inequalities by improving life chances and protecting and

promoting good health

Giving children the best possible start in life

Raising skills and educational attainment for all age groups

Promoting independence and independent living

Protecting and supporting our most vulnerable residents

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We will commission services that improving the outcomes for children and young people. We com-

mission services that are needs led, efficient, effective and child and young person centred across

the continuum of need (universal, targeted and specialist provision), making the best use of re-

sources.

The diagram below outlines Liverpool’s tiered approach to commissioning which corresponds with

the ‘Levels of Need Framework.

What to expect during the Graduated Approach

Effective Inclusive Classrooms The teachers notice some difficulties

Teacher and Teaching Assistant work to differentiate tasks as appropriate

Staff analyse tracking data

A conversation with the SENCO takes place

The SENCO should consider checklists/audit of current provision

Discuss with the child/young person and with their parents/carers and record any concerns raised

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Compare with school assessment and information on how the child/young person is developing

Focused Intervention/Low Level Support This is the point we should be removing barriers to learning and achievement

Intervention is put in place to meet the need of the child/young person in some cases intervention may be used to get a more accurate picture of the individual needs

Personalisation begins and a clear picture of intervention and the desired outcomes are developed

Discuss in Progress Meetings and with parents/carers

Specific Provision/High Level Support Personalisation continues and provision maps capture the individual support that is made to

meet the outcomes

Consider referral to External Agencies (Early Years and Primary Colleagues may discuss at Consortia)

External Agency Act on the advice and link advice to target/goal/short term outcome setting and put in place

more specialised intervention programmes and support that is designed to secure progress both academically and socially.

Discuss progress at Review Meetings and continue to personalise provision available

High Needs Top-up Funding Review Banding Document and gather evidence of need see Banding/Top-up Guidance.

Completion of High Needs/Top-Up Request

Costed Provision Map submitted

Gather evidence for EHC Needs Assessment Tracking Data and progress on previous targets/goals/short term outcomes

All about me forms available from the Local Offer and completed by the parents and child/young person

Completion of EHC Assessment Request submitting further evidence of the individual needs based on previous Assess, Plan, Do, Review cycles, see guidance document for each Broad Area of Need

4. Guiding Principles- 6 -

This Strategy rests on key principles which provide a strategic framework:

a) Outcome Led: Commissioned services will provide evidence of required levels of

impact and outcome and focus on the needs of children and young people rather than

services structures or processes.

b) Evidence Based: Commissioning will be informed by local evidence/analysis of need

service provision using key strategies such as the Local Offer and reviews.

c) Engagement and Participation of Children and Young People and their Families and Key Stakeholders: As far as practicable commissioning processes

will be inclusive and participatory. There will be on going and effective communication

and engagement with stakeholders this should include service users, providers and

include education, health and social care.

d) Value for Money: Commissioners will spend money wisely. Commissioned services

will be required to demonstrate value for money, proportionate to the nature of the needs

they are addressing whilst improving outcomes for children and young people.

e) Quality Assurance: Commissioned services will have quality assurance processes in

place which ensure the quality of delivery and compliance with inspection frameworks,

statutory guidance policy and legislative procedures. Poor quality and poor value for

money services will be de-commissioned in consultation with those services.

f) Systemic and Integrated Approach: We will ensure that services are efficient, ef-

fective and sustainable.

g) Whole Family/Household Approach and Support for Community Resilience: Commissioned services will support individuals and communities through the use of local

assets to support self-care and promote a whole families/household approach to service

delivery.

h) Social Value: Commissioned services will add social, economic and environmental

value and will be evidenced within planning frameworks for outcomes based care and

demonstrate a commitment to sustainability for the city.

Source: LCC Children & Young People’s Joint Commissioning Strategy

The commissioning process links together the functions of commissioning and procurement. The

series of these activities can be grouped under four key performance management elements of as-

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Commissioning

Legislation and Guidance

Population Needs Assessment

Analysis of data

Gap & Risk Analysis

Commissioning Strategy

Service Design

Review strategy and market performance

Market/Supplier Development

Capacity Building

Manage Provider Relationship

Review of Service Provision

Resource Analysis

Review & Evaluate Performance Feedback into Strategy

Develop specification & contract / SLA

Develop Procurement Plan

Implement Procurement plans

Contract Management

Contract Monitoring

Review individual outcomes

Consult

Options Appraisal Purchasing/Contracting

AssessPlan

Review Do

Decommissioning

sess, plan, do and review. These activities need to be viewed as sequential and of equal import-

ance.

There are many different interpretations of the term ‘commissioning’ with different partner agencies

using the word to mean different things. In Liverpool we have agreed to define commissioning as:

‘the process for deciding how to use the total resource available for children young people and par-

ents and carers in order to improve outcomes in the most efficient, effective, equitable and sustain-

able way’.  Commissioning is the overall process by which needs are identified, services are

planned and delivered. At is simplest:-

Source: Adapted from Institute of Public Care

This strategy is underpinned by data in relation to Special Educational Needs and Disability and

other co-dependencies. With this in mind continued work is required to establish a comprehensive

need assessment to collate and analyse national and locally available data to inform short and long

term commissioning and planning.

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5. Population ProfileLatest population estimates from the Office for National Statistics show there are currently around

470,800 people living in Liverpool - representing a 7% increase in the population since 2001.

Projections suggest the increase will continue in the medium term with the number of residents

increasing by a further 6,400 to 477,185 in 2022.

Whilst Liverpool already has a relatively young population in comparison to other cities, statistics

project an increase in the number of children and young people over the coming decade.

Age Band Males Females Totals

Under 1 2,890 2,800 5,690

1-4 11,220 10,680 21,900

5-9 12,120 11,600 23,720

10-14 11,350 11,290 22,640

15-19 15,300 15,650 30,750

20-24 26,070 26,940 53,010

Totals 78,950 78,960 157,710

Source: Office for National Statistics, 2013 Mid -Year Estimates

By 2022, Liverpool’s population of children and young people aged 0-24 is estimated to increase by

11,040 to a total of 168,750.

The Children and Families Act came into force on the 1st of September 2015. Associated regula-

tions relating to children and young people with SEND and establishes a clear programme of re-

form, including:

To undertake joint assessment, planning and commissioning of services for these children

between education, health and social care to ensure more seamless and integrated support

through a streamlined assessment process and a single plan, (Education, Health and Care

Plan) covering a child and young person from birth to age 25 where applicable.

The 2017 School Census reports 2.3% of pupils attending schools1 in Liverpool as having a State-

ment of Special Educational Needs or an EHCP - this is against a national figure of 2.8% (2016).

Applying 2.3% to the 2013 0-24 population gives a potential cohort of 3469 children and young

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people in the City who could require support or request an EHCP. This is estimated to increase to

3881 by 2022 – an increase of 412 children and young people.

Whilst these estimations are based upon many variables and include application for children pre

and post statutory school age, they are illustrative of the increased pressure that the Act and in-

creased population growth places on current and future services, resources and provision.

Additional factors for consideration and context include:

32% of children in Liverpool live in poverty which is significantly higher than the England

average;

1000 children are in public care again significantly higher than the England average;

The number of 16-18 year olds not in education, employment or training is significantly

higher than the England average;

There are approximately 2105 ‘troubled families’;

There are approximately 3000 young carers in the city;

17.1% of children and young people are from BME groups

http://liverpool.gov.uk/council/strategies-plans-and-policies/adult-services-and-health/joint-strategic-

needs-assessment/

1 LA maintained schools, academies and free schools

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6. SEN - National and Local Context

The Special Educational Needs January 2017 report (Appendix A) provides a detailed profile of pu-

pils with SEN attending Liverpool schools – including academies and free schools. Information is

sourced from the January schools census returns and it should be noted that it excludes children

and young people attending schools in other authorities, non maintained independent schools and

alternative provision. In summary:

The number of pupils with special educational needs in Liverpool maintained schools has

decreased from 17069 (25%) pupils in 2011 to 12507 (18%) in 2017.

However, the number of pupils with Statements or EHCPs has increased from 1300 (1.9%) in

2011 to 1656 (2.3%) in 2017.

Of pupils with Statements or EHCPs in 2017, the most common type of primary need was aut-

istic spectrum disorder (28.2%) closely followed by severe learning difficulties (25.5%). The

least common was multi-sensory impairment (0.2%) and visual impairment (0.2%).

Over three quarters of primary age pupils and over two thirds of secondary age pupils with

Statements or EHCPs were boys.

39% of all pupils with special educational needs were eligible for free school meals. This is com-

pared to 24% of pupils with no special provision.

49% of pupils with Statements or EHCPs were eligible for free school meals.

Of pupils with Statements or EHCPs, those with a primary need type of social, emotional and

mental health were most likely to be eligible for free school meals (66.4%).

Figure 1 shows the percentage of pupils in Liverpool schools with special educational needs from

2011 to 2017. The combined number of pupils with any classification of SEN has fallen by 27% -

from 17069 in 2011 to 12507 in 2017. The reduction is due to the decline in the number of pupils

with special needs without a statement or EHCP - numbers have fallen by 31% from 15801 in 2011

to 10851 in 2017. 15.3% of pupils are now on SEN Support compared to 23.4% on 2011. The

number of pupils with a statement or EHCP has increased by 27% between 2011 and 2017. There

are now 1656 students with a statement or EHCP compared to 1300 in 2011. However, the per-

centage of the pupil population with a plan or statement has remained relatively stable over recent

years and has increased by only 0.4% since 2011.

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Figure 1

Types of SchoolFigure 2 and Table 3 shows the school types attended by the pupils with a statement or EHCP.

The percentage of pupils attending maintained special schools increased year on year from 2011

and peaked in 2015 at 77.1%. However, the percentage has since dropped to 73.4%. Despite this

percentage reduction, it is important to note that there are 74 more pupils placed in special schools

in 2017 that there were in 2015 – 1215 compared to 1141.

Whilst there has been a gradual increase in the percentage of pupils with a statement or EHCP at-

tending primary schools (4% increase). There has been a notable decrease in the percentage of pu-

pils attending secondary schools – 8% decrease.

There are significantly more pupils with a statement of EHCP attending primary schools in 2017

than in 2011.

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Figure 2

Table 3

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2011-17 Inc/Dec

Nursery 0 0 0 0 6 0 5Primary 155 159 148 157 164 221 261 68%Secondary 240 205 199 173 169 165 175 -27%Special 905 981 1019 1090 1141 1184 1215 34%Total 1300 1345 1366 1420 1480 1570 1656 27%

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Primary Type of NeedFigure 4 shows the percentage of pupils on SEN Support or with a statement or EHCP by primary

need in 2017.

Speech, Language and Communication needs is the most common type of primary need overall.

18% of pupils with special educational needs have this primary type of need. SLCN is also the most

common type of need for pupils on SEN Support; 20% of pupils on SEN Support have this primary

type of need. However, when breaking down the SEN Support cohort by NCY, Specific Learning

Difficulties is the most prevalent need for pupils in NCYs 7 to 14. The number of pupils on SEN

Support with ASD as a primary need has increased by 39% since 2015.

Autistic Spectrum Disorder is the most common primary type of need for pupils with a statement or

EHCP, with 28% of the cohort having this primary type of need. The number of pupils with ASD as

a primary need has increased by 75% since 2011. Notably however, there are more pupils with a

statement or plan in NCYs N1 to 6 with Severe Learning Difficulties that with ASD – 199 and 167 re-

spectively. The number of pupils with SLD as a primary need has increased by 77% since 2011.

Figure 5

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Requests for statutory assessment submitted to the Local Authority have increased considerably

from 2011/12 onwards. Since the implementation of the 2014 SEND reforms the requests for stat-

utory assessment relating to Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) increased significantly to

373 requests in 2014-15 and 570 in 2015-16. Requests can be made by the child’s parent, school

or setting, and any other agencies involved with the child. Young people over the age of 16 can

make requests in their own right. Decisions as to whether to undertake an assessment are made by

the Local Authority EHCP Moderating Panel. The panel comprises a multi-agency group of profes-

sionals who give consideration to individual requests for assessment by scrutinising all available

evidence. The EHC Moderating Panel can either recommend that the local authority undertake a

statutory assessment or not. When deciding not to undertake an assessment, the EHC Moderating

Panel will endeavour to make recommendations regarding additional support and action that can be

provided by the child’s school at the School Support stage of the 2015 Code of Practice. A decision

not to assess comes under the jurisdiction of the SEN and Disability Tribunal.

The cases open to the Disabled Children’s Social Care Team remain comparatively stable although

there has been an increase in the number of children with multiple complex health needs that re-

quire intensive social and health care support.   There has also been an increase in the number of

safeguarding referrals.   There are currently 391 cases open to the Disabled Children’s Social Care

Team and 404 cases open to the Occupational Therapy Team with an additional 100 children await-

ing allocation. There are over 1000 children and young people aged between 0-19 who are open to

the Short Breaks and Early Intervention Service.

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7. Disability

It is difficult to establish accurate data concerning disabled children and young people with fre-

quently quoted proportions of disabled children being drawn from data from over ten years ago. The

mean estimates of disabilities in children in England is between 3% and 5.4% (Office of National

Statistics). If we apply this estimate to the population 0-25 year in Liverpool (157,710) it would sug-

gest that approximately between 4731 and 8516 children and young people in Liverpool are dis-

abled. It is acknowledged that ‘long-term illness’ could be capturing those with medical conditions

who are not considered to have a disability.

Further information can be gleaned from the take up of Disability Living Allowance (DLA). The care

element of DLA is awarded at three different levels according to the complexity of assessed need.

It must be noted that not all disabled children will receive DLA as it is dependent upon parent /

carers applying for the benefit and them meeting criteria.

The cases open to the Disabled Children’s Social Care Team remain comparatively stable although

there has been an increase in the number of children with multiple complex health needs that re-

quire intensive social and health care support.   There has also been an increase in the number of

safeguarding referrals affecting this group.   There are currently 173 cases open (March 2016) to

the Disabled Children’s Social Care Team and 404 cases open to the Occupational Therapy Team

with an additional 100 children awaiting assessment.

The Short Breaks Services provide opportunities for children and young people to access universal

social and leisure activities, while also giving their parents a break. The popularity of these services

means that demand cannot always be met, especially for children with complex support needs, for

example around challenging behaviour. Limited care options increase the strains on these families

and the risk of family breakdown and children coming into care. There is also evidence of increasing

numbers of students requiring Post 16 and Post 19 provision as well as increased demand for as-

sessment provision in early years settings. There are currently 760 children and young people

(March 2016) aged between 0-19 with cases open to the Short Breaks Service.

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8. Exclusions – 2015/16

Pupils with special educational needs are 5 times more likely to be permanently excluded from

school than pupils with no SEN. 51% of permanently excluded pupils have special educational

needs.

The total number of permanent exclusions increased by 43% in 2015/16 to 120 – and increase of 36

compared to the previous academic year. Whilst the majority of permanent exclusions continue to

be from secondary schools (75% of the total), the number of permanent exclusions from primary

schools increased by 61% - from 18 in 2014/15 to 29 in 2015/16.

Permanent exclusions from secondary schools have also increased from 53 in 2011/12 to 90 in 2015/16. Just one pupil was permanently excluded from a special school in 2015/16.

Only 17% of permanently primary pupils were girls. This percentage share increased in sec-ondary schools with 28% of pupils permanently excluded being female.

Primary - Permanent Exclusions

Academic YearYear Group 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16Reception 1 1   11 1 1 1 12     1 63   1 1 34   5 2 45 2 2 6 66 1   7 8Total 5 10 18 29

Primary - New Protocol/ CPP/ OOC CCPR Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Total

2011-12 532013-14 5 12 15 13 11 11 16 832014-15 2 13 14 12 13 20 13 87*2015-16 3 12 22 20 14 17 13 101

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Secondary - Permanent Exclusions

Academic YearYear Group 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/167 6 7 10 108 9 8 13 219 16 7 24 2010 15 17 13 3111 12 13 5 812   2 1  13   1    Total 58 55 66 90

Secondary - New Protocols Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Year 11 Total

2010-11 0 2 5 4 4 15

2011-12 8 13 34 46 13 114

2012-13 12 20 43 58 12 145

2013-14 24 24 40 60 20 168

2014-15 19 52 65 59 28 223

*2015-16 30 43 63 65 30 231

The number of fixed term exclusions reported in the 2015/16 academic year increased from 2382 to

2608. 45% of pupils receiving one or more fixed term exclusion have special educational needs.

Accompanying the increased level of exclusion across both primary and secondary schools is the

increased use of New Protocols (alternative to permanent exclusion) and a significant shift to exclu-

sions in Key Stage 1 and 3. Children, currently excluded at Key Stage 1 are not placed at our

Primary Pupil Referral Unit as they are designed to meet the needs of children at Keys Stage 2.

This requires alternative placements to be found for these children. It should be noted that an in-

creasing number of students placed in Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) and Behaviour Support Centres

have EHCPs or are undergoing assessment (see table below).

Provision EHC Plan (Agreed or EHC Plan Awaiting Place-- 18 -

Pending) mentNew Heights High School

(Secondary PRU)10 2

Primary Education Centre (Primary PRU)

8 2

Primary Support Centres/ Primary Schemes

10 2

Secondary Support Centres 1 001/02/16

Sir Alan Steer, Learning Behaviour: lessons learned A review of behaviour standards and practices

in our schools 2009 stated that ‘bad behaviour often results from the inability of a young person to

fully access their learning, and it is worth noting that the most common reason for exclusion is per-

sistent disruptive behaviour which is likely to occur when a child is not engaged or satisfied with

their progress at school. This is the highest stated reason for exclusion n Liverpool. Despite legisla-

tion and guidance which requires schools and local authorities to make their best efforts to address

the educational and behavioural needs of young people with SEN and disabilities, this often does

not always happen in practice. In reality, then, the reason for an exclusion of young people with

SEN and disabilities will often lie further back in the school's management of pupils; that is in their

ability to make reasonable adjustments and the appropriate special educational provision available.’

Research found that only 50% of young people who had been permanently excluded from second-

ary school were still engaged in education, training, or employment 2 years after their exclusion and

over 70% failed to pass a single GCSE.

Study of Young People Permanently Excluded From School (2003) Harry Daniels et al  http://www.dcsf.gov-

.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/RR405.pdf

Exclusions from maintained nursery provisions is not formally reported due to this being an entitle-

ment and not a requirement to attend. It is therefore not possible to give accurate information on

schools with nursery provisions who have excluded children aged 2,3 or 4 (not in reception). How-

ever, anecdotal information indicates that this is happening, where mainstream schools are having

difficulties managing the behaviours of young children; where the behaviours compromise the learn-

ing and/or safety of other children or where the support is more costly than the schools budget per-

mits. There is also anecdotal information to suggest that school based nursery provision sometimes

reduces the offer of free early education in order to better manage the child’s needs and this can

lead to a challenge in terms of compliance with the delivery of the full entitlement and DDA.

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9. Post -16 Education and Training

The post-16 education and training landscape is very diverse. It encompasses school sixth forms

(both mainstream and special schools), sixth form colleges, general further education (FE) colleges,

16-19 academies, specialist post 16 institutions (SPIs) and vocational learning and training pro-

viders in the private or voluntary sector. All students aged 16-19 (and, where they have an EHCP,

or an Learning Disability Assessment (LDA) up to the age of 25) should follow a coherent study pro-

gramme which provides stretch and progression and enables them to achieve the best possible out-

comes in adult life. Providers are required to design programmes which enable students to progress

to a higher level than their prior attainment, take rigorous, substantial qualifications, study English

and maths, and engage in work experience and non-qualification activity. Students should not be re-

peating learning they have already completed successfully. For students not taking qualifications,

their study programme should focus on high quality work experience, and on non-qualification activ-

ity which prepares them well for employment, independent living, being healthy adults and particip-

ating in society.

All school and academy sixth forms, sixth form colleges, further education colleges and 16- 19

academies are provided with resources to support students with additional needs, including young

people with SEN and disabilities. These institutions receive an allocation based on a national fund-

ing formula for their core provision. They also have additional funding for students with additional

needs. Like mainstream schools, colleges are expected to provide appropriate, high quality SEN

support using all available resources. It is for colleges, as part of their normal budget planning, to

determine their approach to using their resources to support the progress of young people with

SEN. This enables colleges to provide a clear description of the types of special education provision

they can normally provide. This will help parents and others understand what they can normally ex-

pect the college to provide for young people with SEN.

Colleges are not expected to meet the full costs of more expensive support from this core funding.

They are expected to provide additional support which costs up to a nationally prescribed threshold

per student per year. The responsible local authority, usually the authority where the young person

lives, should provide additional top-up funding where the cost of the special educational provision

required to meet the needs of an individual young person exceeds the nationally prescribed

threshold. This should reflect the costs incurred in providing the additional support.

There is no requirement for an EHC plan for a young person for whom a college receives additional

top-up funding except in the case of a young person who is over 19. But where the local authority

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considers it is necessary for special educational provision to be made through an EHC plan it

should carry out an EHC needs assessment. Local authorities should be transparent about how

they will make decisions about high needs funding and education placements. They should share

the principles and criteria which underpin those decisions with schools and colleges and with par-

ents and young people. It should be noted that SEN post 16 education and training would normally

consist of 3 days per week at the provider.

Number of High Needs Students aged 16-25 in FE Colleges, Independent Colleges or Train-ing Providers

Academic Year 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16

84 139 180

We are currently not in a position to forecast student numbers for 2016/17 as colleges do not share

information on continuing students for 16/17, and we won’t know which of the new starters from all

schools will require high needs funding to support their placement in college. It is expected that in

line with the new Act this cohort has the potential to increase further.

10. Attainment & Absence – 2015/16 The January school census returns provide a detailed profile of pupils with SEN attending Liverpool

schools. This forms the basis for the following attainment and attendance information. It should be

noted that this will exclude children and young people attending schools in other authorities, Non

Maintained Independent schools and alternative provision.

In January 2017 there were 2469 pupils with SEN Support and 324 with statements/EHCPs at the

end of Key Stages 1, 2 and 4. Appendix B provides a detailed profile of pupils with SEN, their at-

tainment and comparative data. The following information is a summary:

 Stage SEN Support Statement/EHCP All SEN All Pupils % with SEN % NationallyKS1 867 70 937 5098 18% 15%KS2 869 120 989 4660 21% 18%KS4 733 134 867 4611 19% 15%

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Key Points

A higher proportion of Liverpool pupils have special education needs compared to the national average at Key Stage 1, 2 and 4

Compared to our statistical neighbours and core cities, Liverpool ranked towards the bottom in all subjects at both Key Stage 1 and 2.

Liverpool outcomes were below the national average in all subjects at Key Stage 1 and all except Reading and GPS (Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling) at Key Stage 2

At Key Stage 1, the attainment gap between SEN Support pupils’ outcomes and the Liverpool average has widened in all subjects

At Key Stage 2, the attainment gap between SEN Support pupils’ outcomes and the Liverpool average has widened in reading, writing and mathematics, but narrowed in GPS and RWM

Compared to our statistical neighbours, Liverpool ranked lowest in writing and mathematics at Key Stage 2

Liverpool outcomes at Key Stage 4 were below the national average for both attainment and progress

Liverpool ranked low against our statistical neighbours and core cities for both attainment and progress

Key Stage 1

The gap between SEN Support pupils’ outcomes and the Liverpool average has widened in reading (2015 – 28%, 2016 – 38%), writing (2015 36%, 2016 – 37%) and mathematics (2015 – 21%, 2016 – 34%).

Liverpool outcomes were towards the bottom of the rankings in all subjects compared to our Statistical Neighbours (at least 8th out of 11)

Similarly, Liverpool outcomes were in the bottom half of the rankings in all subjects compared to the other Core Cities (6th of 8)

% Level 2 + Reading

% EXS +

% Level 2 + Writing

% EXS +

% Level 2 + Mathematics

% EXS +

Category 2014 2015 2016 2014 2015 2016 2014 2015 2016No SEN 95 95 73 93 94 62 97 97 71SEN Support 58 60 26 48 49 16 70 70 28Statement/EHCP 3* 12 0* 3* 6 0* 5 15 0*ALL LIVERPOOL PUPILS 86 88 64 82 85 53 90 91 62

- 22 -

STATISTICAL NEIGHBOURS  Reading Writing Mathematics  % Rank % Rank % RankEngland 32   22   33  Gateshead 30 5 19 7 29 7Halton x - x - x -Hartlepool 35 3 25 2 36 3Hull 29 7 21 5 33 6Knowsley 28 8 16 8 29 7Liverpool 26 9 16 8 28 9Middlesbrough 22 10 14 10 23 10Newcastle 36 2 25 2 37 2Salford 34 4 24 4 36 3South Tyneside 38 1 28 1 39 1Sunderland 30 5 21 5 34 5

CORE CITIES  Reading Writing Mathematics  % Rank % Rank % RankEngland 32   22   33  Birmingham 26 6 16 6 26 8Bristol 30 4 20 4 32 4Leeds 29 5 18 5 30 5Liverpool 26 6 16 6 28 6Manchester 32 3 24 2 34 3Newcastle 36 1 25 1 37 1Nottingham 26 6 16 6 28 6Sheffield 33 2 24 2 35 2

Key Stage 2

The gap between SEN Support pupils’ outcomes and the Liverpool average has widened in reading (increased by 11%), writing (8%) and mathematics (11%), but narrowed in GPS (fell by 4%) and RWM (3%)

Liverpool pupils were above the national average in reading and grammar, punctuation & spelling

Compared to our statistical neighbours, Liverpool ranked lowest in writing and mathematics

Compared to the core cities, Liverpool SEN Support pupils were ranked in the top half for reading and GPS

Reading Writing Mathematics GPS RWM

- 23 -

Category 2014 2015 2016 2014 2015 2016 2014 2015 2016 2014 2015 2016 2014 2015 2016

No SEN 96 97 70 96 96 74 94 95 75 87 91 70 90 92 55SEN Support 71 71 33 55 55 24 63 66 33 40 49 33 42 45 14

Statement/EHCP 13 13 5 7 5 5 8 4 7 9 5 5 6 x 3

ALL LIVERPOOL PUPILS 88 88 61 84 86 63 84 87 65 74 81 61 76 80 46

STATISTICAL NEIGHBOURS  Reading Writing Mathematics GPS RWM  % Rank % Rank % Rank % Rank % Rank

England 32   32   36   32   16  Gateshead 39 1 43 2 43 3 39 1 18 5Halton x - x - x - x - x -Hartlepool 37 4 x - x - 37 4 x -Hull 32 8 38 5 36 8 32 8 16 6Knowsley 29 9 25 7 40 5 29 9 13 8Liverpool 33 7 24 8 33 9 33 7 14 7Middlesbrough 29 9 24 8 38 7 29 9 12 9Newcastle 39 1 39 4 39 6 39 1 19 4Salford 37 4 45 1 48 1 37 4 25 1South Tyneside 39 1 43 2 47 2 39 1 20 3Sunderland 37 4 35 6 41 4 37 4 21 2

CORE CITIES  Reading Writing Mathematics GPS RWM  % Rank % Rank % Rank % Rank % Rank

England 32   32   36   32   16  Birmingham 22 8 25 6 29 8 22 8 10 8Bristol 34 2 32 4 37 4 34 2 17 3Leeds 24 7 23 8 30 7 24 7 11 7Liverpool 33 4 24 7 33 6 33 4 14 6Manchester 34 2 34 2 39 2 34 2 18 2Newcastle 39 1 39 1 39 2 39 1 19 1Nottingham 31 5 32 4 40 1 31 5 15 5Sheffield 29 6 33 3 37 4 29 6 17 3

Key Stage 4

- 24 -

The tables below show the average Attainment 8 and average Progress 8 scores of pupils at SEN Support compared to our Statistical Neighbours and Core Cities.

The average Progress 8 score for all pupils is 0. All statistical neighbours and core cities were below this level. The average score for SEN Support pupils nationally was also below this level

Liverpool pupils were below the national average for both Attainment 8 and Progress 8

Only Knowsley ranked lower for both Attainment 8 and Progress 8 amongst our statistical neighbours

Liverpool pupils ranked low compared to the other core cities for both attainment and progress

STATISTICAL NEIGHBOURS  Attainment 8 Progress 8  Average Score Rank Average Score Rank

England 36.2   -0.4  Gateshead 38.9 2 -0.2 2Halton 36.0 5 -0.4 6Hartlepool 36.2 4 -0.6 9Hull 34.2 9 -0.2 2Knowsley 28.6 11 -1.1 11Liverpool 33.2 10 -0.8 10Middlesbrough 36.9 3 -0.2 2Newcastle 35.3 7 -0.1 1Salford 35.7 6 -0.4 6South Tyneside 40.0 1 -0.3 5Sunderland 34.6 8 -0.5 8

CORE CITIES  Attainment 8 Progress 8  Average Score Rank Average Score Rank

England 36.2   -0.4  Birmingham 35.1 3 -0.3 2Bristol 35.7 1 -0.6 4Leeds 33.4 5 -0.6 4Liverpool 33.2 6 -0.8 7Manchester 31.8 7 -0.6 4Newcastle 35.3 2 -0.1 1Nottingham 29.7 8 -0.9 8Sheffield 34.9 4 -0.3 2

Absence

29.4% of secondary PA pupils had some form of SEN compared with 17.5% of the secondary population.

- 25 -

Those pupils who were recorded as SEN Support continued to have the highest percentage of PA with 29.4%. They were twice as likely to be PA than those without SEN.

Secondary No SEN SEN Support Statement/EHCP2013/14 (15%) 5.29% 13.54% 10.71%2014/15 (15%) 6.54% 17.77% 12.99%2015/16 (10%) 14.58% 29.37% 20.69%

29.1% of the primary PA population had some form of SEN compared with 18.5% of the primary population as a whole.

Primary pupils with SEN were twice as likely to be PA than those without SEN.

Primary No SEN SEN Support Statement/EHCP2013/14 (15%) 2.55% 5.21% 12.32%2014/15 (15%) 2.46% 7.02% 8.99%2015/16 (10%) 9.72% 17.75% 20.37%

11. Not In Education, Employment or Training (NEET)

Research shows that young people with SEN and disabilities are significantly more likely to become

NEET than their peers:

 

60% of all pupils who get no GCSE passes at all have special educational needs.

Tackling low educational achievement (2007) Robert Cassen and Geeta Kingdon http://www.jr-

f.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/2063-education-schools-achievement.pdf

At the age of 16, young people with SEN and disabilities are twice as likely to be NEET as

those without, and three times as likely to be NEET by the age of 19.

  Disability, Skills and Work: Raising our ambitions Stephen Evans http://www.smf.co.uk/assets/

files/publications/Disability,%20skills%20and%20work.pdf

- 26 -

By the age of 26, disabled people are nearly four times as likely to be unemployed or invol-

untarily out of work than non-disabled people.

The education and employment of disabled young people(2005) Tania Burchard http://www.jrf.or-

g.uk/publications/education-and-employment-disabled-young-people

The attainment gap is a key factor in the disproportionate number of young people with SEN and

disabilities who are NEET, as both further education providers and employers will often use the at-

tainment of five GCSEs at A* to C as a basic screening tool, although there is certain legislative pro-

tection in place regarding blanket entry requirements in education, as outlined in the Code of Prac-

tice for Post-16 education providers. However, low expectations of further education providers and

the difficulty in trying to persuade them of the need to be flexible in their entry requirements will be

an issue.

- 27 -

The following tables present Liverpool SEN NEET against a regional and national profile.

Table SEND1:  % of academic age 16-18 (yr12-14) year olds with SEND      ( June 2016)                                             SEND Cohort All 16-18 years

16-18yrs with

SEND

% In

Learning

Adj NEET

% Adj NEET

% Not known

% In Learning

AdjNEET

% Not Known

England 67,714 80.2 6385 9.8 5.4 83.8 4.5 6.3

North West

9151 84.0 966 10.9 4.6 84.0 5.3 5.6

Liver-pool

306 93.1 11 3.8 3.3 78.6 8.1 8.8

Table SEND2:  academic age 16-18 with SEND as a % of all academic age 16-18 cohort (June 2016)

16-18 with SEND Total 16-18 cohort 16-18 with SEND as a % of total cohort

England 67,714 1,768,390 3.8North West 9151 244,654 3.7

Liverpool 306 15,437 2.0%

*Work is currently taking place to improve the quality of this data. Young people assessed at the

SEN Support stage are not recorded as having a SEN on statutory returns although we could record

this cohort going forward.

- 28 -

12. Emotional Well-being and Mental Health

Emotional well-being is concerned with how people feel about their lives and whether their lives

are worthwhile. National measures capture many aspects of mental well-being using measures such

as quarrelling with parents, talking to parents about things that matter, happiness with family and

friends, satisfaction with time use, desire to go on to further education, and considering the things

that one does are worthwhile. Furthermore, subjective measures of both life satisfaction and happi-

ness are included and can be described as “a dynamic state, in which the individual is able to de-

velop their potential, work productively and creatively, build strong and positive relationships with

others, and contribute to their community”. There are two aspects to mental health: mental illness or ill-health, and mental or psychological well-being. Mental ill-health measures consider whether a

person has a higher likelihood of a clinically diagnosable illness, from anxiety or depression to prob-

lems such as bi-polar disorder or schizophrenia. Mental ill-health in children can manifest in different

ways to adults, often resulting in behavioural and conduct problems, such as Attention Deficit Hy-

peractivity Disorder (ADHD) or Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), as well as emotional problems

such as depression or anxiety. (Office for National Statistics 2015)

One in ten young people need support or treatment for mental health problems. These range from

short spells of depression or anxiety through to severe and persistent conditions that can isolate,

disrupt and frighten those who experience them. Mental health problems in young people can result

in lower educational attainment (for example, children with conduct disorder are twice as likely as

other children to leave school with no qualifications) and are strongly associated with behaviours

that pose a risk to their health, such as smoking, drug and alcohol abuse and risky sexual beha-

viour. Overall, mental ill health is the single largest cause of disability in the UK. It contributes up to

22.8% of the total burden, compared to 15.9% for cancer and 16.2% for cardiovascular disease

(World Health Organisation, 2008). The wider economic costs of mental illness in England have

been estimated at £105.2 billion each year. This includes direct costs of services, lost productivity at

work and reduced quality of life.

In 2008/9, the NHS spent 10.8% of its annual secondary healthcare budget on mental health ser-

vices, £10.4 billion (Department of Health, 2010). When costs include social and informal care they

amounted to £22.5 billion in 2007 in England. (McCrone P, Dhanasiri S, Patel A et al, 2008).

Children and Young People make up 20% of the country’s population. They receive no more than

6% of mental health spending in the NHS. Child mental health disorders produce costs across the

health, education and social care systems as well as in the community, police, and criminal justice

- 29 -

and welfare systems. There is a quality of life cost to the individual and economic and cohesion

costs to society. They occur concurrently and in later adult life e.g. lost work and productivity, prob-

lems in family life and relationships.

Certain individuals and groups are more at risk of developing mental health problems than others.

Risk factors are cumulative. Children exposed to multiple risks such as social disadvantage, family

adversity and cognitive or attention problems are much more likely to develop behavioural prob-

lems. Research indicates that 36% of children and young people with learning disabilities will have

a mental health problem, compared with 8 % of non-disabled children. (Emerson and Hatton, 2007)

- http://www.learningdisabilities.org.uk/publications/mh-children-adolescents/

Longitudinal analysis of data for 16,000 children suggested that boys with five or more risk factors

were almost eleven times more likely to develop conduct disorder under the age of ten than boys

with no risk factors. Girls of a similar age with five or more risk factors were nineteen times more

likely to develop the disorder than those with no risk factors. Brown, E., Khan, L. and Parsonage, M.

(2012)

A wide range of mental health problems might require special provision to be made. These could

manifest as difficulties such as problems of mood (anxiety or depression), problems of conduct (op-

positional problems and more severe conduct problems including aggression), self-harming, sub-

stance abuse, eating disorders or physical symptoms that are medically unexplained. Some children

and young people may have other recognised disorders such as attention deficit disorder (ADD), at-

tention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), attachment disorder, autism or pervasive develop-

mental disorder, an anxiety disorder, a disruptive disorder or, rarely, schizophrenia or bipolar dis-

order.

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Mental-Health-Taskforce-FYFV-final.pdf

The prevalence of mental health difficulties in Liverpool has increased during the past 6 years (Chi

Mat):

Tiers of CAMHS Prevalence of CYP requir-ing CAMHS (Liverpool) - 2009

Prevalence of CYP requir-ing CAMHS (Liverpool) - 2015

Tier 1 (Universal) 12828 14190Tier 2 (Targeted) 5986 6620Tier 3 (Specialist) 1582 1750Tier 4 (In Patient) 64 75TOTAL 20,460 22,635

- 30 -

The prevalence of children and young people with a mental health difficulty and learning

difficulty is 325

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) Providers saw a total of 4186

children and young people during 2014-2015

There were 3693 new referrals into the service during this period ( a rise in approximately

500 per year)

Q1 Q2 Q3 Q40

200400600800

10001200

843728

10121110

CAMHS ReferralsQ1-Q4, 2014/15

Referrals

Liverpool’s strategy to manage neurodevelopmental needs:Additional resource has been invested to support the development of a new model of care and path-

way for children and young people with neurodevelopmental conditions. This investment has been

to support:

1. A single point of access for referrals for ASD and ADHD

2. Robust multi-agency triage

3. Family liaison and interventions post diagnosis  through new posts – Neurodevelopmental

Practitioners (specialist nurses)

4. Social model of support through VCS agencies such as Advanced Solutions and ADHD

Foundation who provide family learning programmes, sibling support, children and young

people’s groups, community networks, drop-ins, information advice and guidance and some

therapeutic support

5. One point of information for families

6. Workforce development for staff

- 31 -

However, managing the increased demand for assessment for both ADHD and ASD will require

more than the above additional resource.  The growing demand has put increased pressure on

health, education and social care to ensure the right provision is in place to support children and

young people.  As a city wide issue this needs to be managed across all sectors working together

with families and communities including changing practice, cultures and thinking.  This will need to

be the next step in moving forward to support the neurodevelopmental needs of the children, young

people and their families in this city.

New advice from the Department for Education on mental health and behaviour in schools (March

2016) is available. This non-statutory advice clarifies the responsibility of the school, outlines what

they can do and how to support a child or young person whose behaviour - whether it is disruptive,

withdrawn, anxious, depressed or otherwise - may be related to an unmet mental health need. The

advice provides practical tools to help schools promote positive mental health in their pupils and

identify and address those with less severe problems at an early stage and build their resilience.

This advice also helps schools identify and support pupils with more severe needs and help them

make appropriate referrals to specialist agencies such as Child and Adolescent Mental Health Ser-

vices (CAMHS) where necessary. (Mental health and behaviour in schools - Publications - Gov.uk

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-and-behaviour-in-schools--2 )

13. Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)Sensory processing disorder (sometimes called "sensory integration" or SI) is a term that refers to

the way the nervous system receives messages from the senses and turns them into appropriate

motor and behavioural responses. A person with SPD finds it difficult to process and act upon infor-

mation received through the senses, which creates challenges in performing countless everyday

tasks. Motor clumsiness, behavioural problems, anxiety, depression, school failure, and other im-

pacts may result if the disorder is not treated effectively.

One study (Ahn, Miller, Milberger, McIntosh, 2004) shows that at least 1 in 20 children’s daily life is

affected by SPD. Another research study by the Sensory Processing Disorder Scientific Work Group

(Ben-Sasson, Carter, Briggs-Gowen, 2009) suggests that 1 in every 6 children experiences sensory

symptoms that may be significant enough to affect aspects of everyday life functions. Symptoms of

SPD, like those of most disorders, occur within a broad spectrum of severity. Children with SPD of-

ten have problems with motor skills and other abilities needed for school success and childhood ac-

complishments. As a result, they often become socially isolated and suffer from low self-esteem and

other social/emotional issues. These difficulties put children with SPD at high risk for many emo-

tional, social, and educational problems, including the inability to make friends or be a part of a

- 32 -

group, poor self-concept and academic failure. Anxiety, depression, aggression, or other behaviour

problems can follow. Parents may be blamed for their children's behavior by people who are un-

aware of the child's difficulties.

In November 2014 Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) commissioned a Sensory Pro-

cessing Difficulties Pilot. The pilot is being delivered using a tiered model of intervention which

ranges from information, advice and guidance (IAG), assessment, targeted strategies, activity pro-

grammes and therapy. The aim of the pilot was:

to provide an occupational therapy service for children with Sensory Processing

Difficulties (SPD), up to the age of 18 years

to use the Sensory Integration (SI) Therapy as a model of practice to address

underlying sensory difficulties which impact on children and young people’s

behaviour and motor skills

to improve outcomes which impact on children and young people’s performance in

everyday living activities and improve quality of life

to deliver a service in partnership with the neurodevelopmental pathway in order to

build the capacity of universal and targeted services to meet the needs of children

and young people identified as having sensory processing difficulties.

REFERRALS

Numbers of children referred from 01/11/14 – 30/11/15

(13 months) 311 (3 moved away)

308

Numbers of referrals accepted onto the pilot

See graph in for referral rate

108

Numbers of referrals where unable to make contact with parent

(incorrect/unobtainable contact details; no response to calls/let-

ters)

16

Active referrals on the pilot 92

Unmet need (all parents and referrers are advised to engage with

Advanced Solutions)

200

- 33 -

Referrals to SPD Pilot from November 2014 – November 2015

- 34 -

14. Resources available and funding arrangements

Liverpool has a wide range of specialist education provision to meet the needs of children and

young people. This includes additional support to mainstream schools, resourced mainstream

schools which receive additional funding from the Local Authority to provide extra support and per-

sonalised provision for children with a particular type of SEN or disability and special schools which

cater for children and young people with more complex needs and who are in receipt of a statement

of SEN or EHC.

Early help in the early years is key to supporting identified and emerging needs of children. Since

the introduction of the 2 year old offer, (current take up in Liverpool is 78% of eligible children –

Spring term 2016), it has been possible to facilitate earlier interventions for young children, where

the practitioners have identified needs. This is delivered by schools and the Private, Voluntary and

Independent Childcare sector (PVI).

Liverpool’s School Forum have recognised the need to provide additional support to children out-

side of a school environment, and supporting the school readiness agenda. A budget has been

made available to support PVI settings in meeting the needs of nursery age children (2, 3, and 4) in

order to promote parental preference and to ensure effective integrated early years provision is

available. This additional resource has been used to develop a consortia model arrangement (ar-

ranged around Children’s Centres reach areas) where providers in their respective area meet on a

regular basis and discuss individual children’s needs within their setting.

Furthermore, DfE plan to consult in Summer 2016 on the Early Years Formula arrangements, and it

is hoped that a more detailed consideration will be given to a fair funding arrangement that reflects

the needs of young children accessing free early education in whatever sector is preferred by par-

ents, and therefore the offer of an integrated place is supporting the readiness for school of all chil-

dren.

In order to support schools in meeting the needs of pupils with SEND and fulfil their statutory duties

under the Education Act 1996, the local authority has introduced a new system of funding (Banding)

which provides top up funding based upon individual need. The Government has implemented sig-

nificant reforms to the funding of SEN support for pupils and young people 0- 25 years. This is in -

tended to mirror the changes introduced by the Children and Families Act 2014. The key funding

source for the majority of SEN support provided or commissioned by both schools and local Author-

ities is the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) which provides funding for direct SEN support up to the

age of 25. The statutory assessment and administration related to SEN support service is funded

- 35 -

via other Local Authority funding. To support the transition and implementation of the new reforms a

grant has been made available.

The expectation is that the majority of SEN support will be the responsibility of the school or pro-

vider where the student attends. The first £6,000 of SEN provision required by a student will be the

responsibility of the provider and they will be funded for this in addition to the £4,000 AWPU they re-

ceive for every student. The “Local Offer” will define the levels of support that families can expect.

For more complex SEN needs local authorities will maintain a system of “top-up” funding based on

an assessment of the needs of individual students which will be given to providers to enable them to

ensure that the needs of pupils are met.

The development of this “top-up” mechanism is a key element of this strategy and needs to link

closely into the assessment of the needs of individual students. The intention is to ensure funding

follows the student. Parents and carers need to feel confident that schools have secure systems in

place and that they offer a flexible range of provision that meets the individual needs of each and

every child. Where children have additional needs and advice from outside agencies is required,

parents want to be fully involved and also be confident that schools are able to respond to that need

as quickly as possible.

The LA is required to publish the arrangements for SEN in schools through the Local Offer. Parents

and carers of children and young people have been informed that all schools receive funding within

the notional and delegated budget to enable them to make provision for children with SEN and that

schools have the autonomy to make arrangements from within their existing staffing or to seek ex-

ternal advice and support.

It should be noted that the Department of Education (DfE) is currently consulting on proposed

changes to the way that high needs funding is distributed, and other ways to support the administra-

tion of funding for pupils and students with special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities, and for

those who are in alternative education provision (AEP).

This consultation will comprise of two elements. This first covers high level principles, key proposals

and options to improve the way that high needs funding is allocated to local authorities, on the basis

of a formula consisting of a number of factors:

the overall design of the formula

whether the formula factors are appropriate

how the formula should be phased in, to avoid disrupting the education of children and

young people with SEN and disabilities- 36 -

the ways the Department of Education intends to help authorities address the cost pressures

they face

The second will seek views on proposed changes to the funding arrangements and guidance to

help local authorities, early years providers, mainstream schools, colleges and other institutions with

students aged 16-25 who have SEN and disabilities. The Department of Education is seeking views

on whether what it is proposing will:

help local authorities and institutions understand their responsibilities for meeting the needs

of children and young people with SEN and disabilities, including those with high needs, and

to discharge those responsibilities effectively

encourage better partnership between local authorities and institutions in discharging their

respective responsibilities under the Children and Families Act 2014

These proposed changes will inevitably impact upon the overall resources available. The consulta-

tion can be found at www.consult.education.gov.uk/

Where a child has SEN and/or a disability, the responsible body is required to fulfil the following

statutory duties under the Education Act 1996:

That to the best of their endeavours, the necessary provision is made for any pupil who has

SEN.

That where the headteacher or a nominated governor has been informed by a Local Author-

ity that a pupil has SEN, those needs are made known to all who are likely to teach or sup-

port that pupil.

That teachers are aware of the importance of identifying and providing for pupils who have

SEN.

That a pupil with SEN and/or a disability joins in the activities of the school together with

other pupils, so far as is reasonably practical and compatible with the child receiving the spe-

cial educational provision their learning needs call for, the efficient education of the pupils

with whom they are educated and the efficient use of resources.

That they report to parents on the implementation of the school's policy for pupils with SEN.

That they, have due regard to the statutory guidance within the current SEN Code of Prac-

tice when carrying out its duties toward all pupils with SEN.

The school must ensure that parents are notified of a decision by the school that SEN provi-

sion is being made for their child. 

- 37 -

Under the Code of Practice 2015 the local authority must conduct an assessment of education,

health and care needs and prepare an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan when it considers

that it may be necessary for special educational provision to be made for the child or young person

through the EHC Plan.

This is likely to be where the special educational provision required to meet the child or young per-

son’s needs cannot be reasonably be provided from resources available within mainstream early

years, providers, schools and post 16 institutions.

The statutory assessment should not be the first step in the process but should follow on from

planning already undertaken with parents and young people at an early stage with early years pro-

viders, schools, post 16 providers and other providers such as the health authority and social care

services.

Respective Responsibilities of the LA, School and Governing BodyIt is the responsibility of all schools to provide for children with special educational needs within their

own locality and with additional resources from within each school’s delegated budgets. It is expec-

ted that these resources will not usually be delivered on a 1:1 basis with an individual child but

rather there will be effective and flexible deployment of resources. Decisions on how best to support

children/young people will always take into account the context within which the child is educated.

Funding for Pupils without a Statement of SEN or Education Health Care Plan (EHCP)Schools should make clear to governors and parents the sum of money within the school’s budget

that has been generated through the school budget formula for SEN.  In addition to the budget gen-

erated through SEN factors, schools by application can receive a top up budget from the Local Au-

thority.

Schools must:

Identify children with SEN and ensure provision is made in accordance with the SEN and

Disability Codes of Practice( 2015)

Appoint a Special Education Needs Coordinator (SENCO)

Invest in whole school and targeted training for staff.

Ensure inclusive teaching and support practice is embedded throughout the school and that

all teachers understand that they are ‘Teachers of SEN’

Provide information on school arrangements for SEN to parents and governors

Consider pre-emptive arrangements for pupils present and future with a disability

- 38 -

The LA must:

Ensure a sufficiency of provision for pupils with SEN and review it annually

Make arrangements for the Statutory Assessment of Pupils and maintain and review State-

ments of SEN and EHC Plans

Publish information on SEN funding and provision

Monitor the progress of children with SEN

Provide information, support, advice and guidance to parents of children with SEN including

the provision of a statutory Information, Advice and Support Service and Mediation Service

Parents have the following rights of redress, should the school, governors or local authority fail in its

duty to provide, or if the parent disagrees with a decision or consider that there is discriminatory

practice:

The school or local authority  complaints procedure

An appeal to  SENDIST ( the SEN and Disability Tribunal )

A claim against the responsible body (Chair of Governors or local authority) for disability dis-

crimination to the SEN and Disability Tribunal

A complaint to the Local Government  Ombudsman against both schools and the local au-

thority 

Top Up Applications in MainstreamThe following tables illustrate Top Up requests from mainstream schools received since September

2014 when the new Banding process was introduced.

640 requests for individual children received from mainstream schools

90 renewals requested

Of the 640 requests, 566 children have been banded. Of the 74 not banded most are due to further

evidence being required and not received to date.

Banding Make up:Band Number Percentage1 25 4.4%2 87 15.4%3 189 33.4%4 228 40.3%

- 39 -

5 37 6.5%

Year Group at Application:

Age Phase Number of Applications Percentage of Applica-tions

Foundation Stage 56 8.7%Key Stage 1 250 39.1%Key Stage 2 202 31.6%Key Stage 3/4 132 20.6%

(9th Aug 2016)

Whilst Banding was introduced in part to support inclusive education in mainstream settings it is

clear this expectation has not yet been realised. This is evidenced through the increasing number of

young people with Statements /EHCs being placed in special provision. (70% in 2011 increasing to 77% in 2015) and the low uptake of requests for top up received from mainstream. Further research

is required to understand the interconnected factors which play a part in this Liverpool.

Looking at the requests to Moderating Panel over the past few years, and while statistics show that

overall requests have gone up, especially in the past year, that increase is due to a significant in-

crease in requests from parents. The number of requests from schools has actually decreased, par-

ticularly in the past year. We need to increase the understanding of parents regarding the Top Up

system and work with schools to pursue that element first before progressing to requesting statutory

assessment. The tables below show these changing trends: 

Total Number of Requests by YearYear Total Requests By Parent By School By Other

2011-12 258 120 138 0

2012-13 279 135 144 0

2013-14 262 136 124 1

2014-15 265 124 135 6

2015-16 375 202 167 6

- 40 -

% of Requests by Year

Year % By Parent % By School % By Other

2011-12 46.51 53.49 0

2012-13 48.39 51.61 0

2013-14 51.91 47.33 0.76

2014-15 46.79 50.94 2.26

2015-16 53.87 44.53 1.6

- 41 -

15. Current Provision

Special Schools Places Commissioned annually - Admission through SEN (August 2016)

Name Age Range Need Planned PlacesOfsted Grade

Abbot's Lea KS1-4 & Nursery ASD188 + 25 Assess-

ment @ model 1

Childwall Abbey KS3/4/5 CLD 1302

Bank View KS3/4 ASD/CLD 1501

Clifford Holroyde KS 3/4 SEMH 502

Woolton High KS 3/4 SEMH 50 +20 Girls2

Ernest Cookson KS1/2 SEMH 50+8 Assessment1

Hope KS1/2 SEMH 50+*10 Assessment1

Millstead Primary KS1/2 & Nursery SLD105 + 25 Assess-

ment @ model1

Palmerston KS3/4/5 SLD 1101

Princes Primary KS1/2 & Nursery SLD106 +25 Assess-

ment @ model1

Redbridge High KS3/4/5 SLD 1201

Sandfield Park KS3/4/5 PD/SLD

78ACE / Hospital

School

2

*Assessment places for students on school roll.

Resourced ProvisionCommissioned annually – Provision managed by the school - Admissions through SEN(August 2016)

NameAge Range Need

Commissioned Places

Ofsted Grade

All SaintsKS1 & 2 SLD 8 1KS1 & 2 CLD 12

Four Oaks KS1 & 2 SLCN

20 (full time)

2

16 (part time)

Knotty Ash KS1 & 2 HI 142

St Michael in the Hamlet KS1 & 2 ASD/SLCN 82

Leamington KS1 & 2 SLCN/CLD 82

Mab Lane Nursery SLCN8PT

16 outreach2

- 42 -

NameAge Range Need

Commissioned Places

Ofsted Grade

Matthew Arnold KS1 & 2 SLCN 202

Pleasant Street KS1 & 2 SLCN 202

Holy Family KS1 & 2 SLCN/CLD 183

Phoenix KS 1/2 CLD/SLD 332

Springwood HeathNursery KS1 & 2 PD 48

2

Alsop HighKS3/4 SpLD 9

3

Broadgreen International

KS3/4 PD 12 3KS3/4 HI 12KS3/4 ASD 8

ESLA KS3/4 SLCN 5

KS3/4 ASD 16

4

Pre 16 NMISS Commissioned currently on a spot purchase basis – Admission through SEN

(August 2016)

NameAge Range Need

Commissioned Places

Ofsted Grade

Care Today / The Roaches SEMH 1

1

Clarence High School SEMH 122

Harmonise Academy AEP 51

LakesideASD 8

1

Mary Hare School HI 11

Nugent House SEMH 32

Peterhouse ASD 21

Royal School for the Blind VI 41

St Vincents Blind School VI 21

- 43 -

NameAge Range Need

Commissioned Places

Ofsted Grade

Liverpool Progressive (Em-brace) SLD/ASD 1

1

Walgrave House ASD 12

Cumberland School SEMH 21

Woodland SEMH 14

Beacon Reach School ASD 11

SACCS SEMH 12

St Andrews College (hospital) SEMH 1N/A

Oliver House (Priory Group) ASD 12

Post 16 NMISSCommissioned currently on a spot purchase basis – Admission through SEN

(August 2016)

NameAge Range Need

Commissioned Places

Ofsted Grade

Clarence High SchoolSEMH 1

2

Courtyard CareComplex Needs 1

CQC

Oliver House (Priory Group) ASD 12

Cheadle Hospital (Priory Group)

Mental Health 1

N/A

Peterhouse ASD 11

Royal School for the Blind VI 31

St Vincents VI 11

West Kirby (residential) SEMH/ASD 11

Liverpool Progresive School (Embrace) SLD/ASD 1

1

- 44 -

Post 16 College and Training ProvidersVersion of schools contract agreed with Liverpool City Region LAs is used to agree funding with providers. Liverpool High Needs Banding Model is used to calculate top up amounts.

Commissioned Annually - Admission through SEN

(July 2016)

NameAge Range Need

Commissioned Places

Ofsted Grade

Activate Arts

16-25

Independent Specialist College 3

3

Arden College 16-25 Independent Specialist College 2

2

City of Liverpool College 16-25 General FE College 46

3

Greenbank 16-25 Commercial & Charitable Provider 70

3

Knowsley Community College 16-25General FE College 33

3

Myerscough College 16-25 Specialist College 22

2

Riverside 16-25 General FE College 4

2

YPOP 16-25

2

Training Pro-vider

Behaviour support

Provision managed by school* / Provision managed by LCC & commissioned annually – Admission through Primary and Secondary FAP (Fair Access Panel), Primary Consortia and direct referrals from schools.

NameAge Range Need

Commisioned Places

Ofsted Grade

*Ernest Cookson KS2 Behaviour24 to meet the 6

day exclusion rule1

*New Heights High School KS3/4 Behaviour66 to meet the 6

day exclusion rule

2

*Holy Family(SONAS) KS1/2 Behaviour 6/8

3

New Park (Good to be Good) KS2 Behaviour 12

1

Broadgreen Primary SSC KS1/2 Behaviour 6/8 N/A

- 45 -

NameAge Range Need

Commisioned Places

Ofsted Grade

Mab Lane SSC KS1/2 Behaviour 6/8N/A

St Hughes SSC KS1/2 Behaviour 6/8N/A

Blessed Sacrament SSC KS1/2 Behaviour 16 N/A

Childwall SSC KS34 Behaviour 12N/A

Fazakerley SSC KS3/4 Behaviour (Girls only) 16

N/A

Kings Leadership Academy SSC KS3/4 Behaviour 12

N/A

Outreach Services

Many of the Special Schools in Liverpool also provide Outreach support to mainstream settings.

Working collaboratively with the main school, the child/young person and their family,

intervention and provision is tailored to meet the agreed outcomes and aspirations of the child or

young person. The Outreach Services are managed and governed by the schools but the Local

Authority expects staff to be suitably qualified, trained and experienced to meet the variety of

needs they will be working with and therefore children and young people have the skills to

transfer this into their educational and social development. At primary outreach support is

delivered through the consortia. At secondary this is determined through the SEN and Early

intervention panel.

Time allocation for 2015-2016

School Commissioned Secondary time (days)

Primary time (days)

Hope ( SEMH) 144 220Ernest Cookson (SEMH) 232 362Clifford Holroyd (SEMH) 270 326Childwall Abbey (learning) 275 707Bank View (learning) 231 775Abbots Lea (ASD) 116 266 ( plus statements) Springwood Heath *Princes 4 pupilsMillsteadPalmerston 7 pupilsRedbridge 1 pupil

*The outreach from Springwood Heath is commissioned as needed and is around Physical diffi-

culties. Millstead and Princes schools support pupils in early years as well as primary. The outreach

support provided by special schools was reviewed in 2015 and indicated variable levels of impact.

- 46 -

SENNISThe Special Educational Needs Inclusion Service (SENNIS) delivers a wide range of specialist

teaching support across early years, primary and secondary aged pupils. It works in schools/set-

tings to build the capacity of teachers and staff to meet a diverse range of pupil needs. It also ser-

vices a number of service level agreements to provide direct specialist teaching support to children

and young people identified by their schools as benefitting from specialist support.

Sensory ServiceThe sensory service support children and young people identified as having either a visual or hear-

ing impairment. They offer specialist teaching and direct support (in the way of ESA services, braille

services, audiology services and reprographic services) to children and young people in order to

narrow the gap in their attainment and general development (with their chronological aged peers).

Due to reduced demand the Visual Impairment (VI) Resource Base at Gateacre School was de-

commissioned in 2013. This was due to the majority of children and young people now having their

needs met within mainstream settings. Staff at the Base now support pupils through outreach provi-

sion provided by the Sensory Service. Two HI Resource Bases are still commissioned for secondary

age pupils at Braodgreen and primary at Knotty Ash. Demand for this provision has also reduced

with more young people now being supported by outreach in mainstream schools. Whilst numbers

have reduced provision for some young people with additional and complex needs still exists. Pupils

from neighbouring authorities are also accessing this provision.

The following table illustrates the projected forecast for primary and secondary HI students

inclusive of potential placements from other authorities:

Knotty Ash Primary Deaf Resource Base - 14 Commissioned Places

Liverpool Knowsley Halton St Helens warrington Sefton Total2015/16 8 0 1/1* 0 3 1 13/14*2016/17 6 1 1 /1* 2* 3 0 11/13*2017/18 6 1 1* 2* 3 0 10/12*2018/19 6 1 1* 2* 3 0 10/12*

*prospective

- 47 -

Broadgreen Deaf Resource Base - 14 Commissioned places

Liverpool Knowsley Halton St Helens warrington Sefton Total2015/16 8 2 1 1 0 122016/17 8 2 1 1 0 1 132017/18 6 2 2 1 0 1 122018/19 6 1 2 1 0 1 11

*prospective

The Educational and Child Psychology ServiceThe Educational and Child Psychology Service is a part statutory service that works in

partnership with Education, Social Care, Health and the Voluntary Sector. The aim of

the service is to promote attainment, inclusion and the well-being of all children and

young people in Liverpool.

The Educational Psychology Service uses an approach which is underpinned by positive

psychology, and a solution focussed framework, looking to strengths, well-being, resili-

ence and emotional intelligence to provide solutions and promote the very best out-

comes for children, young people, families and local communities. Liverpool Educational

Psychology Service is committed to applying effective models of psychology to promote

positive change and to contribute to successful teaching, learning and care environ-

ments.

Alder Centre for Education (ACE)

This service managed by Sandfield Park Special School currently provides an education to children

who cannot attend their own school for a prolonged period due to issues relating to their health

either physical or mental. The health categories include:

Children with physical medical problems;

Children suffering with chronic fatigue;

Children suffering from social phobia, anxiety and stress related problems.

This support is available to children from KS3 through to KS4. The aim is to ensure there is as little

interruption as possible in their education during the recovery process and to facilitate a smooth

transition back into their own school. However due to the nature of some of the medical issues

some of these children are unable to return to school and in these cases the service prepares them

for access to post-16 education. The service supports all children with both academic and life skills.

It also plays a significant part in their medical recovery.

- 48 -

Since 2012 there has been an increasing need for ACE support for pupils who are not coping in

mainstream schools as a result of a neurodevelopmental condition, most commonly High Function-

ing ASD (aspergers). Capacity at this provision has increased from 50 to 80 places since 2012. This

increase has been funded directly by placing schools.

In addition, more pupils are supported by ACE who require specialist education support and have

obtained or are in the process of an EHCP.

2012/13 23 pupils with neuro condition

2013/14 32 pupils with neuro condition 17 SEN

2014/15 31 pupils with neuro condition 10 SEN

2015/16 (Feb 16) 36 pupils with neuro condition 14 SEN

Alternative Education

The Alternative Placements Team (APT) supports and manages approximately four hundred young

people in years 9, 10 and 11 who are permanently or at risk of permanent exclusion from schools.

Referrals usually come from the Fair Access Panel (FAP), however, some young people are placed

by SEN and Assessment through the Education Placements Panel (EPP). Currently 29 young

people are placed (academic year 2015/16)

SEN students in APT - EHCP / Statement and Need

Need ADD/ADHD ASD BESD MLD SEMH Grand TotalEHCP 1 1 2   2 6Statement 2 1 19 1   23Grand Total 3 2 21 1 2 29

SEN students in APT - NCY

NCY 9 10 11 Grand TotalNumber 5 9 15 29

- 49 -

Elective Home EducationUnder section 7 of the Education Act 1996 parents have the right to educate children, including chil-

dren with SEN, at home. Home education must be suitable to the child’s age, ability, aptitude and

SEN. Local authorities should work in partnership with, and support, parents to ensure that the spe-

cial educational needs of these children are met where the local authority already knows the chil -

dren have SEN or the parents have drawn the children’s special needs to the authority’s attention.

Local authorities do not have a duty under section 22 of the Children and Families Act 2014 to as-

sess every home educated child to see whether or not they have SEN.

The high needs block of the Dedicated Schools Grant is intended to fund provision for all relevant

children and young people in the authority’s area, including home educated children. Local authorit-

ies should fund the SEN needs of home educated children where it is appropriate to do so. In cases

where local authorities and parents agree that home education is the right provision for a child or

young person with an EHC plan, the plan should make clear that the child or young person will be

educated at home. If it does then the local authority, under Section 42(2) of the Children and Famil-

ies Act 2014, must arrange the special educational provision set out in the plan, working with the

parents. Under Section 19 of the Act, a local authority must have regard to the views, wishes and

feelings of the child and his or her parents, or the young person.

In cases where the EHC plan gives the name of a school or type of school where the child will be

educated and the parents decide to educate at home, the local authority is not under a duty to make

the special educational provision set out in the plan provided it is satisfied that the arrangements

made by the parents are suitable.  The local authority must review the plan annually to assure itself that the provision set out in it continues to be appropriate and that the child's SEN con-tinue to be met. Where the local authority has decided that the provision is appropriate, it should

amend the plan to name the type of school that would be suitable but state that parents have made

their own arrangements under section 7 of the Education Act 1996.

Where a child or young person is a registered pupil and the parent decides to home educate, the

parent must notify the school in writing that the child or young person is receiving education other-

wise than at school and the school must then remove the pupil's name from the admission register.

If the school is a special school, the local authority must give consent for the child's name to be re-

moved, but this should not be a lengthy or complex process. There is no provision in law for a ‘trial

period’ of home education.

- 50 -

Local authorities do not have the right of entry to the family home to check that the provision being

made by the parents is appropriate and may only enter the home at the invitation of the parents.

Parents should be encouraged to see this process as part of the authority’s overall approach to

home education of pupils with SEN, including the provision of appropriate support, rather than an at-

tempt to undermine the parents' right to home educate.

The local authority is required to intervene through the school attendance order framework 'if it ap-

pears...that a child of compulsory school age is not receiving suitable education'. The serving of a

school attendance order is a last resort if all attempts to improve provision are unsuccessful. 'Suit-

able education' means efficient full-time education suitable to the child or young person's age, ability

and aptitude and to any SEN he or she may have.

Parents may also home educate children who have SEN but do not have EHC plans. As with chil-

dren and young people with EHC plans, local authorities should work with parents and consider

whether to provide support in the home to help the parents make suitable provision. Information

about the right to request an EHC assessment and the right to appeal should be available to all par-

ents including those who are considering home education because they feel that the special educa-

tional support being provided in the school is insufficient to meet the child or young person's needs.

Young people may also be educated at home in order to meet the requirement to participate in edu-

cation and training until the age of 18.  Local authorities should involve parents, as appropriate,

in the reviews of EHC plans of home-educated young people who are over compulsory

school age.

In Liverpool there are 209 children and young people who are registered for EHE in 2015-16.

2 children have an EHCP and a further 3 are currently being assessed. In addition a further 14 chil-

dren are known to have SEN but have no Plan or formal assessment.(March 2016)

In Year TransfersPrimary admissions are not co-ordinated by the authority so numbers are not known, however,

between September 2015 and June 2016 our Admissions Team received 468 in year applications

for pupils attending Liverpool secondary schools wishing to transfer to another Liverpool school. 20

of these applications were referred to FAP due to concerns regarding behaviour. 45 of the applica-

tions were made from pupils attending schools in neighbouring authorities. It should be noted that

58% of this cohort were from one authority. - 51 -

New to CityIt should be noted so far this academic year (Feb 16) an additional 292 young people have arrived

in Liverpool. Primary admissions are not co-ordinated by the authority so numbers are not known.

Many of these children will require additional support and a number will either have diagnosed SEN

or will require statutory assessment. A growing number of young people are also new to country.

NCY Total

7 268 739 8410 6811 41Grand Total 292

*Secondary new to city applications - 1st September 2015 to 12th Feb 2016 by NCY. 

16. Governance All SEND strategy is overseen by the SEND Partnership Board chaired by the Director, Children

and Young People’s Services. The group is multi-agency and its key purpose is to enable local

area partnerships to examine their arrangements for children and young people with SEND, includ-

ing transition to further and higher education, training, employment and self-employment or other

activities to identify gaps and to generate improvement. This group reports to both the Liverpool

Learning Partnership (LLP) and the Health and Well-Being Board. Below the SEND Partnership

Board sits the Operations Group which comprises senior officers from the key areas of the SEND

reforms and oversees the development of the SEND Action Plan.

- 52 -

17. Key Priorities

The development of this strategy has led to the identification of gaps in provision and information. It

has also highlighted the critical requirement to work with all stakeholders to manage increased de-

mand within the resources available. The following ‘key priorities’ will be formulated into an action

plan with short, medium and long term actions supported by a commissioning plan. They will form

the key drivers of our ‘Framework for Change’.

1. Smart Data Analysis

2. Provision

3. Culture and Practice

4. Workforce Development

- 53 -