Appendix 1 - Development of Intensive Support Provisions - Options Appraisal
Perth and Kinross Council · 20 February 2025
Back to Kinross-shire Committee — 20 February 2025 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
Page 1
1 Appendix 1 Development of Intensive Support Provisions – Options Appraisal 1. Introduction The Additional Support Needs (ASN) Transformation Programme aims to significantly improve the educational experience for children and young people with additional support needs in Perth and Kinross. The programme's vision is to help these children thrive, gain independence, and lead fulfilling lives by ensuring they can access the best possible learning environment and support whilst in Perth and Kinross Council Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) settings or schools. Nationally and locally, there are a rising number of children and young people with ASN, including those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Social, Emotional & Behavioural Needs (SEBN), and other complex needs. The Pupil Census 2024 data reported 6,973 P1 – S6 pupils with ASN, representing 39% of the total number of pupils, up from 35% in 2023. Within these figures it is also the case that there is a rise in the complexity and level of need. To meet these growing needs, the programme is structured around four key workstreams: People, Policy, Partnerships, and Place. By delivering improvement in each of these areas, Education and Learning will transform the education offer for children and young people with additional support needs and, in turn, the education offer to all children. This paper supports delivery of the Place workstream and considers the need to establish additional Intensive Support Provisions (ISPs) to enable children and young people with complex and multiple additional support needs to be able to access the education they require within or close to their own community. The placement of children and young people in ISPs close to their own communities will reduce travel distances for children accessing ISPs. A recent feasibility study has highlighted the current capacity issues, inequity of opportunity and transport budget overspend. The study emphasised the need for expansion and better geographical distribution of ISPs to reduce travel costs, improve the experience of children, young people and families and reduce demand for independent special school placements. There is other related activity underway to improve and standardise existing ISP environments and review the ISP staffing model to ensure it is able to effectively meet the increasingly complex needs of children now accessing ISPs. 2. Background There has been a significant increase in the number of children and young people with complex and multiple ASN over recent years. The Staged Intervention Framework for ELC settings and schools, with realignment of resource established a structure of enhanced support to enable more children and young people with complex needs to be able to access their right to a mainstream education (Presumption of mainstream).
Page 2
2 The availability of enhanced support has positively impacted children by placing them in the most suitable environment for their needs and has reduced the number of children escalating to intensive-level education. This enhanced support is not a replacement for ISP placements, which are still necessary for children with complex and multiple needs who are unable to benefit from mainstream education. However, sustainable investment in enhanced support is necessary as without it an increased number of children will require ISP placements. Support at this enhanced level typically includes targeted Pupil Support Assistant (PSA) support and Outreach Teacher intervention. Temporary additional funding provided in 2024/25 enabled the addition of Early Childhood Practitioner (ECP) and Play Assistant support to augment the enhanced support teams. These supports have enabled mainstream schools and class teachers to adapt to successfully included children with needs at this level in their local mainstream schools. There has also been an increase in the number of children and young people who experience significant sensory overload in mainstream environments but are able to access a mainstream curriculum. There are difficulties in reducing the stimulus in busy school environments to provide the low-arousal environments needed by these children and young people. This has led to an increase in levels of emotional-based absence, particularly for young people in the secondary sector, and demand for ISP and independent special school placements, which creates pressure in the overall system. To begin to address this level of need, a class with a low-stimulus environment was established in Coupar Angus Primary School ISP in August 2024 to support up to six primary-aged children identified as requiring an alternative to their mainstream setting. Related to this is an increase in parental placing requests for independent special schools and ASN Tribunals if placing requests are refused. The increased number of children and young people unable to access their education in a mainstream setting, even with the introduction of specific enhanced support, due to the complexity of their needs, has increased the demand for ISP placements. Education provided at this level is also known as special education. The complexity of needs of children requiring this level of support includes many children being non-verbal, requiring personal care, and/or requiring a low-arousal environment. 3. Current Position The current Perth and Kinross Council provision for children and young people with complex ASN who require specialist, intensive-level, education is outlined below. Fairview School is a purpose-built special education school that serves children and young people aged 3 to 18 years old with profound and complex ASN. The school has a capacity of 65 pupils and operates at full capacity most years. The staffing ratio at Fairview is 4 staff members for every 6 pupils, and the school consists of 11 classes, including one nursery class. The senior leadership team includes a headteacher, a depute headteacher, and two principal teachers.
Page 3
3 There are 15 Intensive Support Provisions (ISPs) based within nine primary schools and six secondary schools. Together these ISPs provide special education for children and young people aged 5 to 18 years old. Children and young people are allocated a place in an ISP, in line with the Council’s Admissions Policy, by a panel of Education and Learning Officers who consider a comprehensive assessment of the children and young people’s needs. The limited number of ISPs means that some children and young people are placed in ISPs out with their secondary school catchment. The current overview of placements across primary and secondary Intensive Support Provisions is as follows: Primary Provision No of Classes Capacity Current placements Pupils outwith catchment Coupar Angus 3 22 19 21% Crieff 2 16 15 20% Errol 1 8 8 66% Inch View 2 16 20 43% Oakbank 2 16 17 47% RDM 4 20 24 33.3% Riverside 2 16 20 30% Tulloch 2 16 17 29.4% Secondary Provision No of Classes Capacity Current placements Pupils outwith catchment Bertha Park 4 32 30 67% Blairgowrie High 4 32 33 9% Crieff High 2 16 18 17% Perth Academy 4 32 35 37% Perth Grammar 4 32 33 21% All-through Provision No of Classes Capacity Current placements Pupils outwith catchment Breadalbane 2 16 11 54% ISPs with 2 or more classes have a Principal Teacher with a teaching commitment and a staffing ratio of 2 staff (1 teacher/1 PSA) to 8 children/young people, with the exception of RDM Primary where class sizes are restricted due to room capacity. The decision to exceed the standard capacity of an ISP is taken following careful consideration of the needs of existing children and young people, staffing and classroom capacity. With the increasing complexity of need requiring higher staff:pupil ratios it will not be possible to exceed capacity in many future situations. In total, the current ISPs provide education for 300 children and young people. The current distribution of schools with an ISP means that some of the secondary schools and their associated group of catchment primary schools do not have an ISP, resulting in children and young people being placed in a school outside their local community. For example, there are no ISPs in primary or secondary schools within the catchments for:
Page 4
4 • Community School of Auchterarder • St John’s Academy • Kinross High School Additionally, Perth High School does not have an ISP despite having three primary schools with ISPs in its catchment area, conversely Bertha Park High School has an ISP but does not have any catchment primary schools with an ISP. The lack of ISPs in these catchments has several implications. It can result in a sense of community disconnection for children and young people being placed outside their local areas. It means that some of the most vulnerable children and young people in Perth and Kinross Council schools are having to travel significant distances to school each day and for some this can increase feelings of distress before the school day has even begun. It also leads to increased transport costs as children need to travel to schools outside their local communities, requiring longer journeys, therefore with an environmental impact. Addressing the gaps and expanding provisions in more catchments will help ensure, as far as possible, that children and young people with ASN can access education within their local communities, reducing transport costs and fostering a stronger sense of belonging. Pitlochry High School and catchment primaries also do not have an ISP at either primary or secondary stage. Where required the children and young people from this catchment access the ISPs at Breadalbane Academy as the two catchments come together to form the Highland Local Management Group. 4. Projected placement requirements The allocation of ISP placements is considered by Education and Learning professionals following assessment of the additional support needs of the children and their ability to access learning in a mainstream school. Children can be placed in an ISP placement for P1 or at any point through primary or secondary school if this is deemed required. Assessments are compiled by the ELC setting or school the child currently attend, the child’s parents and Inclusion teachers (early years) and Educational Psychologists. The local authority also has a duty to consider any placing requests made by parents for any specific ISP. It is possible to predict the number of secondary ISP placements required in future years based on the number of children and young people already assessed and placed in an ISP. However, it is anticipated that demand will increase as some of the children in receipt of enhanced support in primary schools will require an ISP placement by the time they start secondary school. Predictions for how many placements will be needed each year will to be tested over time, as currently most children involved are only in P1 or 2. If provision of enhanced support in primary schools reduces, it will increase pressure for more ISP placements. The number of children presenting at P1 who require a primary ISP placement is less predictable over the long-term as the number has grown and it is not yet clear if the year-on-year number has stabilised. It is important to note that the demand for placements could
Page 5
5 also vary as a result of families moving into the area. Analysis of previous years indicates this could be as high as 10 children or young people a year. Current projections based on the information available for both primary and secondary sectors indicate that there are not sufficient placements in ISPs to meet the level of need for the academic year 2025/26. Without additional ISP placement capacity, Education and Learning will be required to meet the increased cost of providing additional teachers and PSAs to support more enhanced level of support within mainstream. Primary – August 2025 Local Management Group Highland Perthshire Blairgowrie Crieff Perth High Perth High Perth High Perth Academy Perth Grammar Perth Grammar Name of ISP School Breadalba ne Coupar Angus Crieff Errol Inch View Oakbank RDM Riverside Tulloch Total Available placements in ISP 8 16 16 8 16 16 20 16 16 132 Current placements filled 4 15 15 8 21 17 24 20 17 141 P7 leavers June 2025 1 2 3 1 3 2 4 5 3 24 Total available spaces to accommodate P1 intake August 2025 5 3 4 1 0 1 0 1 2 17 Number of children being considered for possible P1 placement in an ISP – decisions on requirement for ISP placements will be made following consideration of assessments by the end of January 2025 36 Secondary – August 2025 Name of ISP school Bertha Park Blairgowrie Breadalbane Crieff High Perth Academy Perth Grammar Total Total available placements in ISP 32 32 8 16 32 32 152 Current placements filled 29 35 7 20 36 33 160 S6 leavers May 2025 2 6 1 3 4 7 25 Confirmed S1 intake 6 2 1 2 8 7 25 Total spaces available following S1 intake August 2025 -1 1 1 -3 -8 -1 -11 * Minus numbers indicate the number of placements over capacity Based on the above data it is clear that there will be an insufficient number of ISP placements in the years from August 2025 onwards without development of additional classes in existing ISPs or additional ISPs.
Page 6
6 5. Legislation Councils, as Education Authorities, have a statutory duty under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 to make adequate and efficient provision of school education across their entire area for the current school population and future pattern of demand. The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 places duties on Education Authorities to provide additional support to enable children and young people to benefit from their education. Councils also have a statutory responsibility in terms of the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 to achieve best value, including considering occupancy and the efficient use of resources. The Council's Learning Estate Strategy (2021) provides information on the overall objectives and future priorities of Perth & Kinross Council in relation to delivery of these statutory obligations in relation to the school estate. The Education (Scotland) Act 2016 amends the Standards in Scotland’s Schools Act 2000 by adding in new duties to address inequality of outcome. These duties apply in different ways to both Scottish Ministers and Education Authorities. Where the Education Authority is making or implementing strategic decisions about education, it is required to have due regard to the need to carry out its functions in a way which is designed to reduce inequalities of outcome. This is particularly directed in the Act towards children who experience those inequalities through socio-economic disadvantage. 6. Options Considered The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 places a duty on education authorities to plan and make provision for children and young people with additional support needs, which includes those with complex or multiple needs. Education and Learning are therefore required to keep under review and take action to ensure that education provision in the local authority area includes sufficient provision of intensive level education for children and young people with complex or multiple ASN. To address this duty, three options have been identified: • Option 1: Maintain existing ISP provision. • Option 2: Establish additional ISPs by redistributing existing resource to provide some specialist education to almost all secondary schools and their primary catchments. • Option 3: Establish additional ISPs through new Scottish Government funding and redistribution of resource to increase placement capacity, extending availability of specialist education to almost all secondary schools and their primary catchments.
Page 7
7 Options 1 and 2 will not deliver the number of placements required for children and young people with complex or multiple need in future years. The preferred option is Option 3 which would be delivered over three phases between January 2025 and December 2028. This will provide sufficient capacity to meet current and projected needs, including ensuring almost all children and young people are able to access education in their local community. Option 3 includes redistributing staff resources from some existing ISPs as they reduce in size following children and young people realigning to ISPs in their secondary school or associated primary school catchment area. It will also require capital and revenue funding to increase overall capacity. Delivery of Option 3 will involve establishing additional ISPs in • one primary school and two secondary schools in Phase 1; • two primary schools and two secondary schools in Phase 2; and • two primary schools in Phase 3. By increasing placement capacity, it will be possible for some ISPs to include classes with low-stimulus environments for children able to access mainstream curricula but experiencing significant sensory overload in a mainstream environment. This approach ensures that the needs of children with complex autism are met within their local communities rather than through placements in independent special schools. 6.1 Option 1: Maintain Existing ISP Provision Maintaining the current number and spread of ISPs without any expansion or redistribution of resources would present significant limitations on the Council’s ability to meet its statutory duties. This would manifest as follows: • Significant unmet needs: There will be an insufficient number of ISP placements for children and young people with complex or multiple additional support needs, leading to children and young people having to remain in mainstream placements with significant additional staffing and associated costs. This would result in potential dissatisfaction among parents and carers including formal complaints, and increased staffing costs. • Increased Placing Requests and ASN Tribunals: An insufficient number of ISP placements may also lead to increased placing requests for independent special school placements. This would likely result in more legal disputes and ASN tribunals, as a result of parental dissatisfaction with their child’s educational offer and significant budgetary implications due to the cost of such placements. • Increased staff reports of incidents of distressed, challenging, violent or aggressive behaviour in schools: this can impact on the wellbeing of the pupil themselves, the learning of others and staff wellbeing, placing additional strain the council's workforce and negatively impact the local authority’s reputation. • Impact on staff morale and attendance: Staff would be under continued pressure to meet the complex needs of students without sufficient resources,
Page 8
8 negatively impacting their feeling of job satisfaction. This could lead to higher staff turnover and difficulty in maintaining a stable and experienced workforce. 6.2 Option 2: Extend ISPs by Redistributing Existing Resources This option involves establishing four new ISPs by reducing the size of existing ISPs and redistributing the existing staff to the new provisions. It would not involve allocation of any new resource. While this approach offers some improvements in relation to better coverage of school catchment areas and therefore access to a local ISP for more children and young people, it has limitations: • Limited Impact on meeting current needs: Redistributing existing resources would not create any additional placements and, therefore, would not be sufficient to meet the current demand for placements required for children and young people with complex or multiple ASN. This could lead to continued capacity issues and unmet needs and parental dissatisfaction. • This will not meet predicted future demand: As the number of children with ASN continues to rise, this option would not be sustainable in the long term. Education and Learning would still face challenges in providing adequate support, leading to potential increases in placing requests for independent special schools and associated costs. • As a result, similar implications would arise as laid out in under option 1. 6.3 Option 3: Extend ISPs by Redistributing Existing and Adding New Resources to All Localities The preferred option is to extend ISPs to provide specialist education environments in all secondary school catchment areas (that is, for the secondary school and at least 1 catchment primary school) following full consultation with school communities. Revenue costs to deliver this will be funded by redistributing existing resources as children and young people in existing ISPs move into their own catchment and allocating budget from additional Scottish Government funding for ASN. This will support the full cost of staff teams based upon nationally agreed staff:pupil ratios. This approach offers several benefits: • Sustainable model: Once ISPs are established in almost all areas, there will be flexibility to adjust the number and type of placements in each provision to align with changing needs, including reducing the number of placements offered in a particular ISP if they are not required to meet need. Therefore, this option provides a sustainable model to meet the changing needs of children with ASN, recognising that assessment of the reasons for the recent increases needs time to inform future modelling. It ensures that resources are allocated efficiently and effectively over time to support all children and young people. • Phased implementation: The implementation will be delivered through three phases, with Phase 1 being delivered in 2025, Phase 2 in 2026 and Phase 3 by the end of 2028. This will ensure that there is sufficient capacity, budget and workforce development to support implementation. • Development of ISPs will include creating some classes in ISPs with low- stimulus environments for children able to access mainstream curricula but not a mainstream environment. This is identified as a current gap in provision.
Page 9
9 • Most children and young people requiring intensive level education will be able to access this within their secondary school catchment area, this will reduce the requirement for home to school transport and the related spend. Phase 1 • Primary School 1 - To identify a Perth City primary school in the Perth Academy catchment area with suitable capacity within the school building for an ISP. The request to progress to statutory consultation to create this additional primary ISP will be brought to the April 2025 Learning and Families Committee meeting. If agreed, the development of this ISP will require additional and redistribution of existing resources. To support children in the catchment who require this provision from August 2025, interim arrangements will be in place at the identified school until the consultation is concluded and a final decision made by Learning and Families Committee. • Primary School 2 – It is identified that an ISP is required at the primary level in the Kinross High School catchment area, however a review of school buildings has identified that neither Kinross nor Milnathort Primary Schools have capacity to support the introduction of a two-class ISP. Alternative options will be explored and brought forward as Phase 3. In the interim, children from this area assessed as requiring an ISP will primarily be allocated a space in the Errol ISP from August 2025 to enable children from the same area to remain together, however it will mean that these children will still need to travel outwith their local area to access the ISP. • Secondary Schools - Perth High School and Kinross High School have been identified as having suitable building capacity within their schools to support establishment of ISPs. The next step will be to initiate a formal consultation and following this, to bring finalised recommendations to Learning and Families Committee in due course. If agreed, the developments will require redistribution of existing resources and allocation of new Scottish Government funding for ASN to provide additional staff resources. To support young people in the catchment who require this provision from August 2025, interim arrangements will be in place at both schools until the consultation is concluded and a final decision being made by Learning and Families Committee. Phase 2 • Primary Schools – Identification of 2 primary schools that could progress to formal consultation following assessment of building capacity in the catchments of St John’s RC Academy and Community School of Auchterarder. The request to progress to consultation on the two primary school ISPs will be brought to Learning and Families Committee by November 2025. If agreed, the development of these ISPs will require redistribution of existing and the allocation of Scottish Government funding for ASN. • Temporary primary ISP class – Development of an additional class in an existing primary ISP to provide a temporary class for children in the Bertha Park High School catchment to allow for the future possible development within any new primary School in this catchment.
Page 10
10 • Secondary Schools– Community School of Auchterarder (Secondary) and St John’s RC Academy have been identified as having sufficient capacity within their buildings to support establishment of ISPs. This will involve formal consultation and if agreed, the developments will require the allocation of Scottish Government funding for ASN and redistribution of existing resources. Phase 3 • A best-value option to provide an ISP to meet the needs of primary-aged children with complex and multiple needs in the Kinross High School catchment area will be identified and progressed. This may require more significant building work. • This phase will address any remaining gaps in provision and ensure that all school catchment areas have adequate support for students with ASN. 7. Summary of Analysis of Preferred Option Option 3 is the preferred option and would be implemented over three phases: phase 1: Jan 2025 to December 2025, phase 2: January 2026 to December 2026 and phase 3: January 2027 to December 2028. The phased implementation approach ensures that the pace of delivery can be monitored closely and adjusted as required to be responsive to local contexts. It also allows for a well-considered approach to the efficient allocation of resources. Implementation of this option will provide a comprehensive and sustainable solution that addresses both current and future levels of complex and multiple ASN. It will enable children with complex ASN to access appropriate education closer to home, fostering stronger community ties and will reduce the stress of long commutes. It will provide a specialist learning environment supported by highly skilled staff. This option meets short and long-term needs and provides a sustainable model to meet the needs of the current demographic profile of children with ASN. The establishment of ISPs in all geographic secondary school catchment areas will reduce transport costs and emissions, enable class sizes in ISPs to have child-to- staff ratios in line with national recommendations, and create space in existing ISPs to provide low-stimulus environments to meet the emerging needs of neurodiverse children and young people. When built, the new primary school at Bertha Park will provide the Primary School ISP for this catchment as this has been included in planning from the outset. Due to the small school roll of Pitlochry High School, lack of suitable space in the school and close links of the school with Breadalbane Academy as part of the Highland Local Management Group (LMG), it is not considered cost effective at this time to establish primary or secondary ISPs in the school catchment. However, it is recognised there may be benefits from developing the well-established nurturing and inclusive environment that already delivers enhanced-level support in the school. 8. Community Engagement
Page 11
11 A statutory consultation exercise will be undertaken to provide an opportunity for the existing community of the schools involved in each phase, and families with children who would be eligible to attend the school in the next two years, to share their views on the development of the proposed ISPs in their schools. A proposal document will be published and available to various stakeholders, including parents, pupils, staff, community councils, elected members, and relevant officials. Public meetings will be held to explain the proposals and gather feedback. The Council aims to build trust with parents and carers by delivering on its promises to provide equitable access to education, reliable transport options, and necessary support services. This engagement will ensure transparency and allow the community to voice their opinions and concerns. 9. Location Phase 1 The proposed new ISPs will be established in 3 school settings: • Perth High School • Kinross High School • Perth Academy primary catchment – To be confirmed following assessment of building capacity to identify one primary school in the Perth Academy catchment area with suitable space for an ISP Perth High School is situated in Oakbank Road, Perth, PH1 1HB. A new school building will be operational from August 2025 and will offer secondary education for both girls and boys from S1 to S6, with capacity for 1600 pupils and current enrolment of 1487 pupils. The new Intensive Support Provision (ISP) will utilise specialised classrooms and areas tailored to meet the needs of children with ASN. Kinross High School is situated in Muirs, The Muirs, Kinross KY138FQ. The school offers secondary education for both girls and boys from S1 to S6, with capacity for 1286 pupils and current enrolment of 912 pupils. The new Intensive Support Provision (ISP) will utilise existing spaces in the school building, transforming them into specialised classrooms and areas tailored to meet the needs of children with ASN. Assessments of building capacity are being undertaken to identify a suitable Perth- City primary school in the catchment area of Perth Academy with sufficient physical space to include an ISP. The Perth Academy primary catchment includes 7 primary schools (Balbeggie, Collace, Goodlyburn, Guildtown, Letham, RDM (already has an ISP) and Viewlands). This work will be undertaken in January and February 2025 and a recommendation brought back to Learning and Families Committee in April 2025. In addition, an additional class will be established in the existing ISP at Errol Primary School to accommodate primary age children from the Kinross High School
Page 12
12 catchment area who have been assessed to require an ISP placement. This class will be a temporary addition until a primary ISP can be established in a primary school in this catchment area. Phase 2 Community School of Auchterarder is situated at New School Lane, Auchterarder, PH3 1BL. The school offers Early Learning and Childcare for children aged 2 – 5 years old and education for both girls and boys from P1 to S 6, with capacity for 1313 pupils and current enrolment of 979 pupils. The new Intensive Support Provision (ISP) for children and young people from P1 to S6 will utilise existing spaces, transforming them into specialised classrooms and areas tailored to meet the needs of children with ASN. The associated primary schools are Aberuthven, Blackford, Community School of Auchterarder and Dunning primary Schools. St John’s RC Academy is a Roman Catholic denominational school situated in the North Inch Community Campus, Gowans Terrace, Perth, PH1 5BF. The school offers Early Learning and Childcare for children aged 2 – 5 years old and education for both girls and boys from P1 to S6, with capacity for 1256 pupils and current enrolment of 1056 pupils. The new Intensive Support Provision (ISP) for children and young people from P1 to S6 will utilise existing spaces, transforming them into specialised classrooms and areas tailored to meet the needs of children with ASN. The associated primary schools are Our Lady's, St Dominic's, St Stephen's and St John's RC Primary Schools. Phase 3 Bertha Park catchment area includes Auchtergaven, Dunbarney, Forgandenny, Logiealmond, Methven, Pitcairn and Ruthvenfield Primary Schools. In addition, there are plans approved to build a new primary School in Bertha Park. It has already been agreed that an ISP will be included in this new primary School. Kinross High School catchment area includes Arngask, Cleish, Fossoway, Milnathort, Portmoak and Kinross Primary Schools. 10. Socio Economic Factors Agreement and implementation of Option 3 addresses socio-economic disparities by ensuring that almost all children and young people, regardless of their background and needs, have access to the education and support they need within their local community. Perth and Kinross Council is committed to addressing poverty. Families where someone has a disability are one of the groups of people at greatest risk of very deep poverty. (Briefing_Note_Poverty_Estimates_Perth_and_Kinross_2022_- _2023.pdf) Improving access to education in the child’s local community will support
Page 13
13 children in families experiencing poverty to have better outcomes in relation to both learning and wider life outcomes. Reduced travel distances for children accessing ISPs will also enable parents to have easier access to their child’s school so that they can have an active role in supporting their child’s learning. Currently, parents may need to travel up to 30 miles to attend a parent contact or planning meeting at their child’s school or to collect their child if they are ill. Establishing ISPs in locality areas reduces the cost of school related travel for parents and strengthens the connection between schools and their local communities, promoting inclusion and accessibility for all children and families. 11. The School within the Community The proposed ISPs will enhance the local communities by providing improved educational infrastructure and ensuring equitable access to services within local areas. They will foster greater parental involvement, making it easier for parents to participate in school activities and support their child's education, and community engagement and inclusion of children and young people with ASN. The presence of the ISPs will strengthen partnerships with local organisations, providing additional opportunities for children and young people and supporting the development of lifelong support systems. 12. Projected overall provision of a localised ISP model Implementing a localised ISP model over 3 phases, as proposed in Option 3, will increase overall capacity to meet the required specialist educational placements for children and young people with complex and multiple ASN in Perth and Kinross. This will increase the number of classes from 16 to 22 in primary provisions, and from 19 to 23 in secondary provisions. School catchment Primary ISP Secondary ISP Bertha Park Phase 3 - as part of new primary School build – 2 classes Existing ISP - 4 classes - expected to reduce to 2 classes Blairgowrie Existing ISP - 3 classes Existing ISP - 4 classes - expected to reduce to 3 classes Breadalbane Existing ISP - 1 class Existing ISP - 1 class Crieff Existing ISP - 2 classes Existing ISP - 2 classes Kinross Phase 3 - 2 new classes Phase 1 – 1 new class with option to extend to 2 classes when required Perth Grammar Existing ISPs - 4 classes Existing ISP - 4 classes Perth High Existing ISPs - 5 classes Phase 1 – 2 new classes Perth Academy Existing ISP - 4 classes - 20 placements due to room capacity – reduce to 2 x 8 placements classes Existing ISP - 4 classes Phase 1 – additional ISP - 2 classes
Page 14
14 Community School of Auchterarder Phase 2 – 1 new class Phase 2 – 1 new class St John’s Phase 2 – 1 new class Phase 2 – 1 new class 13. Building Information/Suitability The proposed ISPs in Phase 1 and Phase 2 will be situated within existing school buildings and will comprise various accommodations, including ASN classrooms, nurture/lifeskills space, sensory/low-stimulus/breakout/quiet rooms, and dedicated outdoor play areas for the children and young people in placement. These facilities will be designed to provide appropriate environments for children with complex needs, ensuring they have access to the resources they need to thrive. The design will incorporate best practices and lessons from existing successful provisions, ensuring accessibility and inclusivity throughout. The allocation of rooms identified for the new ISPs will not negatively impact other children and young people in the schools concerned. 14. Financial Information and Impact This proposal focuses on maximising use of existing school buildings where possible to provide a wider education offer while also reducing the cost of school transport. The proposal also supports the wider strategic objectives of the Council and the needs of our communities by providing more localised education for children and young people with complex and multiple additional support needs. The revenue costs associated with implementation of Option 3 primarily relate to staffing. Teaching costs for the new ISPs will be met from within the current Education and Learning budgets by realignment of posts. The additional support staff costs for the initial phases will be funded from the Scottish Government funding for additional support needs. It is anticipated that the roll out of Phases 1 & 2 will reduce the need for independent school placements and it is proposed this reduction will fund staffing required for Phase 3. Summary ISP Proposal Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Total New ISP Settings 3 2 2 7 Additional classes 4 3 3 10 Realignment of teaching FTE from other areas of PKC 5.02 3.82 3.93 12.77 Additional PSA posts (no of posts) 6 3 3 12 Costs of additional PSA posts £180,370 £90,185 £87,533 £358,088 Additional costs due to Promoted post £49,329 £32,886 £16,443 £98,658 Total additional costs £229,699 £123,071 £103,976 £456,746 Capital construction work will be required to support the development of ISP environments that meet the needs of children and young people placed in these settings. Therefore, budget will be required to support adaptations of appropriate learning environments. Detailed costings to support completion of work required in
Page 15
15 Phase 1 are being developed and will be reported to a future Committee prior to the Learning and Families Committee being asked to make a final decision following statutory consultation. 15. Impact on Travel Arrangements The establishment of the additional ISPs will provide an opportunity for children and young people who are already in ISPs outwith their catchment areas to move to an ISP closer to their home. This will be taken forward on an individual basis with the agreement of families, recognising the importance of consistency for many of the children and young people involved. Transport arrangements for the newly established ISPs will be made in line with the current Perth and Kinross Council policy for home to school transport. Modelling of the distances children and young people will need to travel if Option 3 is implemented has demonstrated that the additional ISPs will reduce the need for some pupils to travel significant distances, lowering costs and reducing the environmental footprint of the Council. Any savings that are achieved through this will offset future inflationary pressures in the home to school transport budget. 16. Environmental Impact Reduced travel distances for children accessing ISPs will result in a lower environmental impact and reduced transportation costs, creating a more sustainable model of education delivery. This approach aligns with the Council's sustainability goals and fosters stronger community connections. By reducing the need for long- distance travel, the Council will also lower the environmental impact associated with commuting, contributing to a greener and more sustainable future. 17. Education Benefits Statements An Education Benefits Statement (EBS) will be prepared and included in the Statutory Consultation proposal paper for each school where a new ISP is proposed. The EBS will provide an analysis of impact of the ISP for children or young people that will attend the ISP and for all children or young people in the school. A separate EBS will be provided for each school as the benefits may differ in each school, however a summary of general benefits is set out below. It is intended that ISPs will be fully accessible and equipped with modern solutions to meet specific needs, ensuring the best learning opportunities for every pupil. They will include accommodation with dedicated spaces such as classrooms, a sensory room, a medical room, and outdoor play areas. Staff will have appropriate qualifications and expertise, working in partnership with various agencies like Educational Psychology, Speech and Language Therapy, and Occupational Therapy to meet each child's needs. Pupils will have Individualised Education Plans to ensure their needs are met with a differentiated curriculum.
Page 16
16 The provision will offer one-to-one and small group learning and include building skills for social and personal relationships. There will be access to subject teachers as appropriate to the age and stage of the children and young people to provide a full curriculum. Reduced travel will benefit pupils by reducing anxiety and improving readiness for learning. The proposal will not impact current teaching sets and will comply with accessibility standards. It aims to enhance the Local Authority’s capacity to support young people with severe and complex ASN within mainstream education. Children and young people will be supported to access school community events alongside their mainstream peers, providing opportunities for all of the children and young people to develop their understanding of and learn from each other.