1. Tim Coulson
The Essex Context

2. Strategy for Children and Young People with
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
2014 - 2019

3. The Essex Context
‘Vision for Essex 2013 -17’ sets out ECC Cabinet’s overarching vision and priorities for the
next four years and will inform the development of a revised corporate strategy.
This SEND Strategy’s vision and priorities are clearly in keeping with the corporate
priorities identified, these overarching ECC priorities are as follows:-

4. The context continued
• SEND Strategy is a key pillar of the Lifelong
Learning Strategy
• Part of a suite of strategies setting out corporate
vision and priorities

5. What data tells us
Essex has approximately 35,500 children and young people identified as
having SEND (17% of the school population). The vast majority are in
mainstream schools.
Approximately 2120 pupils attend Essex special schools (17), 2200 attend
places in commissioned provision, with just over 400 pupils placed in ‘out of
county’ schools and in alternative provision and approximately 650 in Essex
PRUs.
Characteristics:
• Nearly 7,000 pupils have a statement. This is 3.3% of the school
population, above the national average of 2.8%.
• In 2012 there were 1020 new statements issued (higher than any other LA)
• The percentage of statemented pupils placed in mainstream schools has
reduced over the last 2 years from 80.3% to 65.3%.
• Essex has lower proportions of pupils on School Action compared to similar
LAs; pupils on School Action Plus are in line with national averages.

6. What data tells us
Type:
• Moderate learning difficulty remains the highest identified
primary need of SEND pupils (33% in primary / 33.5% in
secondary and 30% in special schools).
• Increasing pupils with ASD and BESD in line with national
averages.
• High proportion of pupils with severe learning difficulties in
special schools.

7. The gap in achievement
Essex averages
(2012/13)
•
•
EYFSP
% GLD
•
National averages
(2012/13)
SEN
12
Non SEN
56
Gap
44
% level 2+:
Reading
Writing
Maths
% GLD
•
KS1
SEN
56
45
67
Non SEN
97
94
98
Gap
41
49
31
EYFSP
SEN
14
Non SEN
56
Gap
42
SEN
58
49
67
Non SEN
96
94
97
Gap
38
45
30
KS1
% level 2+:
Reading
Writing
Maths

8. The gap in achievement
Essex averages
(2012/13)
•
•
KS2
% level 4+:
Reading
Writing
Maths
RWM
•
National averages
(2012/13)
SEN
54
39
51
27
Non SEN
94
94
93
87
Gap
40
55
42
60
% 5+ A*-C inc E&M
SEN
18.3
Non SEN
68.2
% level 4+:
Reading
Writing
Maths
RWM
•
KS4 (2011/12 results)
Gap
49.9
KS2
SEN
58
46
56
35
Non SEN
94
95
94
88
Gap
36
49
38
53
KS4 (2011/12 results)
• % 5+ A*-C inc E&M
SEN
22.5
Non SEN
69.4
Gap
47.0

9. The financial context
From 1st April 2013 the Government changed the way in
which all schools, including academies are funded for SEN
provision. The intention of this funding reform was to:
• achieve maximum delegation of funding to schools.
• simplify the way local authorities and the Education
Funding Agency (EFA) fund schools and academies so
that it is more consistent and better focused on the needs
of pupils.
• create greater consistency between local funding
formulae (possibly as a prelude to the introduction of a
national funding formula for all schools).

10. Financial context continued
As a result of the Government funding
reform, mainstream schools now receive funding for
pupils with special and additional educational needs
from two sources.
• The majority of funding is delegated to schools from
the Schools Block ( £790m)
• With ‘top up’ funding for individual pupils with high
level, low incidence SEN provided via the High Needs
block. (£112m)

11. Funding for SEN
From April 2013 the County Council delegates to mainstream schools the first £6,000
of support for all pupils with special educational needs from the Schools Block
through its normal funding formula. This is in addition to the basic Key Stage funding
(estimated to be around £4,000) allocated per pupil.
£10K;
• £4K AWPU core funding for all pupils including those with SEN on a per pupil basis.
• £6K notional SEN delegated budget
All mainstream schools including academies are expected to use their delegated
budget to deliver high quality outcomes for all children including those with Special
Educational Needs or Disability
Mainstream schools are required to fund the first £6,000 of provision identified for
each child with a statement of special educational needs that is over and above what
a school would reasonably be expected to meet from their Key Stage funding.
Any additional cost over £10K (£4K + £6K) is provided to the school by the County
Council from the High Needs Block.

12. Funding for SEN continued
• For further information please refer to the DFE
website pages on the School Funding Reform.
• http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/executi
veagencies/efa/fundingallocations/a00215225
/school-funding-reform

13. Developing the strategy
• Working in partnership Simon Nurser (FACE)
• Developing the strategy Annemarie Blackshaw (ECC)