Agenda item

To receive evidence from Kerry Coe, Headteacher, St John the Baptist Primary and Andrew Murphy, Executive Principal, Northshore Academy on their experiences of moving to Additionally Resourced SEND Provision.

 

To arrange visits to schools with ARPs in place.

The Select Committee received presentations from Kerry Coe, Headteacher, St John the Baptist Primaryand Andrew Murphy, Senior Executive Principal, North Shore Academy on their experiences of moving to Additionally Resourced SEND Provision (ARP).

 

ARP and SEN (Special Educational Needs) units had created 155 school places, with Stockton Council investing an extra £730,000 a year to create them. Primary schools were on board, but there had been a disappointing response from secondary schools leaving parents with concerns.

 

The presentation from Kerry Coe, Headteacher, St John the Baptist Primary outlined:

 

·         Defining Our Moral Purpose as:

o  Every decision is rooted in doing what’s best for children

o  We are driven by equity, compassion, and ambition and most of all LOVE

o  Education as a tool for transformation

o  Inclusive practices in teaching and leadership

o  Celebrating diversity and removing barriers

 

·         The strategy for Improving Outcomes included:

o   High-quality teaching and learning

o   Targeted support and interventions

o   Data-informed decision making

o   Staff development and wellbeing

o   Parental involvement

o   Multi-agency

 

·         Our Wider Officer: Inclusion in Action:

o   Every child deserves access to enriching experiences — regardless of background or need.

o   Trips and experiences are free or heavily subsidised

o   ARP pupils are included in all mainstream opportunities

o   Examples : ice skating, farm visits, theatre, sleepovers, residentials

 

·         Impact so far:

o   Improved progress and attainment for individuals

o   Positive pupil voice and engagement

o   Staff reflections on inclusive practice

o   Strong parent feedback

o   Positive impact on mainstream pupils

 

·         Barriers:

·         Complexity - Many pupils present with multiple and overlapping needs, including often unmet SEMH (Social, Emotional and Mental Health), which make daily school life a challenge — for them, staff, and peers

·         Data vs. Humanity - These children may impact headline data, but they are not just numbers. Their stories matter. Their progress may not always be linear, but it is meaningful

·         Beyond Categories - Pupils don’t fit neatly into boxes. We must move beyond labels and see the whole child.

·         We must challenge the narrative that some children are

too difficult to include

 

·         Call to Action

o   Encouraging reflection and collaboration

o   Identify and remove barriers

o   Funding – to suit the needs of the child

o   Invest in supporting parents

o   Reaffirming collective responsibility

 

The presentation from Andrew Murphy, Senior Executive Principal, North Shore Academy outlined:

 

·         ARPs across the Northern Education Trust

·         The ARP at North Shore was referred to as the “Hub” – a protected area of the school

·         Why we have said yes to an ARP?

o   We recognised that we need to adapt in response to the levels of need coming through our doors

o   We needed to have a provision that promotes inclusivity and can adapt to meet the needs of our complex EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan) students

o   We wanted a space that bridges the gap between school and home. A mainstream school that caters for students who may have not been successful or be able to transition to secondary school

o   A space that provides their key person and an opportunity to regulate in a safe space

o   We wanted these students to be successful, to achieve GCSEs, to develop life skills and to be able to go to their local school

o   We wanted the resources and funding to be able to develop expertise and provide appropriate ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) support working with Stockton Local Authority to develop and improve

·         What does it bring to our Academy and Trust?

o   It brings inclusion

o   It develops our CPD (Continuing Professional Develoment), our expertise, our experiences

o   It promotes a school wide commitment to HQT (Highly Qualified Teachers), adaptive practice and meeting student’s needs – being a core part of the school ethos

o   It brings a richer, more diverse learning environment

o   It allows NSA (North Shore Academy) students to fully accept inclusion and potential differences

o   It upskills our staff to use expertise from our Hub into mainstream lessons

·         Opening the Hub doors…

o   It allows the expertise we develop and space we have created to access other vulnerable students in our academy

o   We promote social inclusion - so hub students regularly interact with other students

·         Enrichment/ PFA (Preparing for Adulthood)

o   SEND / Hub specific enrichment

o   Trips

·         The Impact

o   One student had never attended a PE lesson at primary school – he now attends

o   One student couldn’t change himself – he now is independent in changing for PE

o   One student refused technology lessons – it took a while but he now goes

o   One student refused to engage with other students – he now has friends

o   One student hid under the table in transition – he finished year 7 at 98% attendance

o   One student would bolt home to play on this play station – he now stays for enrichment twice a week

o   One student never received praise in an educational setting but now floods the room with positive praise cards

o   One student wouldn’t leave the safety of the Hub but now goes to meet friends at social time

o   One student would never give themselves credit but now is understanding he can overcome challenges he couldn’t in the past

o   One student will now attend 1:1 maths tutoring with a separate member of staff

·         Challenges – Things to consider

o   NSA go through a formal EHCP consultation process for students being named in our ARP

o   It is really important that we (NSA and Stockton LA) get the right students named

o   Too complex needs “unsettles”, consumes resources, impacts on the success of other students

o   Early intervention before barriers escalate

o   Parent/ carers, LA and setting to work together

o   Clarity and strong parental engagement from the start is crucial with a clear understanding of what our expectations are and what provision will be in place

o   In the current “SEND crisis” the importance of innovation and shared success

o   We constantly need to develop and evaluate our inclusive practice so it becomes a thread across everything that we do

 

Kerry Coe, Headteacher, St John the Baptist Primary reported that the school had two ARPs with a total of 30 places, a 24-place SEND unit. It had also taken in children excluded or at risk of exclusion and ran a virtual school hub for 32 children who had been in care.

 

She challenged the narrative that some children were too difficult to include. The new provision had resulted in improved progress and attainment although the impact on overall school performance could be an issue for some schools, and for some children it could take a long time to see small progress.

 

Another barrier was that some children had multiple, overlapping and complex needs. However, barriers to learning needed to be removed and children with SEND needed to be able to access activities the same way as other pupils. Funding was not considered to be a barrier and schools were challenged to think more creatively about how they used their funding.

 

Andrew Murphy, Senior Executive Principal at Northern Education Trust and former head of North Shore Academy which has a communication and interaction ARP, encouraged every school to have an ARP in their building as it added so much to school life.  He advised that parents had reported a real difference in their relationships with their children at home and that children were succeeding under the new provision. It had also made a huge difference to the children that were not yet diagnosed but needed extra support. He commented that it was not just about GCSEs, but the life chances and making sure those children could communicate and add to society.

 

Site visits had been arranged for Committee members to visit the following schools with ARP provision:

 

·         North Shore Academy           

·         St John the Baptist Primary    

·         Billingham South Primary    

·         Bishopsgarth Academy

 

The Select Committee was advised that the Government's SEND White Paper was expected to be released in autumn 2025, outlining the intended approach to Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) reform. This White Paper was significant as it came amid increasing calls for action regarding the rising number of registered SEN pupils and the associated challenges faced by councils. It was therefore proposed that the Select Committee’s review should be paused to understand the implications of the White Paper on the Select Committee’s review with work resuming in the New Year.

 

AGREED

 

(1)  that the presentations be noted and Members advise the Scrutiny Officer of their availability for site visits.

 

(2)  that, following the site visits to schools with ARP provision, the review be paused to await the outcome of Government White Paper.