Issue - meetings

The Deputy Mayor and Executive Member for Children’s Services and the Director of Education and Partnerships submitted a report for Executive’s consideration.

The report set out the requirements to provide sufficient places and schools in Middlesbrough to meet the needs of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and sought a decision from Executive for capital programmes to achieve that requirement.

Local authorities had a statutory obligation to ensure that sufficient schools were available for their area to provide primary and secondary education.

The report sought a decision and provided the necessary information to enable the Executive to meet its obligations, setting out:

·        Pressures on the High Needs Block of the Dedicated Schools Grant and the causes of those pressures

·        Data forecasting the demand for specialist provision and the impact on Special Educational Needs on mainstream settings

·        Capital funding allocated by the Department for Education for the purpose of developing High Needs Provision (High Needs Provision Capital Allocation) and the Basic Need Funding Allocation

·        The proposed strategy for ensuring sufficiency for Inclusive, Special and Alternative Education in Middlesbrough.

OPTIONS

There were no other options considered as part of the report.

ORDERED

That Executive approve programmes for investment from High Needs Provision Capital Allocations as set out in the report.

REASONS

To enable appropriate growth of SEND Education Provision to meet the Council’s statutory duty under Section 14 of the Education Act 1996.