Academies and SI Learners Brian Gale Director Policy & Campaigns

July 1987

Independent from LA Receive share of schools budget from S of S 203 in 83 LAs (July 2010)

The Bill Any school can apply Fast track for outstanding Individual funding agreement with undertakings: balanced curriculum; for pupils of different abilities

Law by 1st August Report stage: Lords 7th July 1,000+ schools interested Outstanding by September

Concerns SEN Framework Admissions Exclusions Specialist Services

NDCS Position Support for deaf pupils regardless of school Working with Sense and RNIB Amendment Briefing Lords

AMENDMENT Change Financial Regs 2008 Move funding for SSS from Schools Budget to LA core

Plan B

Between a rock and a hard place! SOLUTION Between a rock and a hard place!

OPTIONS Persist with amendment Consortium commissioning Outreach from a school Do nothing ToD an individually assigned resource?

Government Response “We recognise that this is a continuing problem… partnerships among schools will clearly be the best way forward.

“Academies’ funding for SEN is paid on a formula basis by the YPLA “Academies’ funding for SEN is paid on a formula basis by the YPLA. If a pupil with one of the different forms of low-incidence SEN attracts individually assigned resources as a top-up to the formula funding, the local authority will pay this from its schools budget and will continue to be responsible for monitoring the provision.”

“If the academy fails to secure such provision, it will be in breach of its funding agreement and the YPLA can ultimately investigate following a complaint… very often the relevant specialist society will be doing its best to support the pupil and will make sure that the YPLA and the local authority are informed and concerned if the need falls short.”

In other words… “There’s a problem…. but we haven’t a clue what to do about it.”

Anybody who thinks that they are too small to make a difference has never been to bed with……….

A Mosquito!