Strong progress in transforming SEND education in Norfolk
Strong progress is being made by Norfolk County Council in transforming education for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), according to a recent report.
A combination of new teams and initiatives strengthening support for inclusion in mainstream schools and hundreds of new places in specialist resource bases (SRBs) are helping children stay in mainstream schools, closer to home, with the right support for their needs.
The report, presented to the council's cross-party Children's, Families and Communities Select Committee, outlines how the council is delivering major improvements, despite national delays to SEND reform and funding challenges.
Committee chairman, Cllr Brian Long, said: "It's particularly pleasing to see the level of change underway, given the national challenges and Norfolk's higher-than-average rates of Education Health and Care Plans and children with Special Educational Needs Support Plans.
"But it's clear our ability to deliver locally would be hugely improved by system reform at a national level - the reality is that we absolutely need this to fully bring the system together.
"Meaningful reform and sustained investment are essential, alongside the already strong partnerships we have with schools, health services, and families."
Cllr Penny Carpenter, cabinet member for children's services, said: "This report shows we remain committed to long-term change and are well positioned to respond to reform when it comes.
"However, we are still urgently calling on the Government to release the capital funding for the two new special schools that were approved nearly two years ago.
"The continued delay in funding these schools for Great Yarmouth and Downham Market is not only affecting our children's education but is also placing a significant additional strain on our SEND budget because it forces us to rely more heavily on costly independent placements and incur additional travel expenses."
Local First Inclusion, which is part of the Norfolk Area SEND and Alternative Provision Strategy (NASAPS), is focused on ensuring children and young people with SEND get the right support for their needs early, enabling them, wherever possible, to attend, and flourish, in mainstream school in their local community.
Key achievements to date include:
- The SEND and Inclusion Support Model is now active in all 15 school zones, with over 300 Team Around the School meetings held and strategic partnerships with academy trusts underway
- A new Educational Psychology and Specialist Support (EPSS) service model ensures a free core level of support to schools, giving more equitable access for all to this service
- All Norfolk mainstream schools have worked with the council to assess and improve their support for children with SEND, showing clear progress in inclusive practices. Recent data highlights strong engagement across the county, with 21,400 children identified as having SEND, whether or not they have an EHCP
- Local Planning Partnerships (LPPs) are being rolled out to all secondary schools to reduce exclusions and improve targeted support to help children stay in mainstream school. In the coming years 19 new bases and centres are planned to support LPPs
- 15 School and Community Teams delivering over 3,400 group sessions and 1,400 one-to-one interventions focused on early help, emotional wellbeing, and transitions
- A dedicated SEND and Inclusion Support Line, launched in autumn 2024, has handled over 5,200 calls, resolving 93% of queries and supporting families and professionals
- Collaboration with health partners continues, focusing on neurodiversity and expanding mental health support in schools
Despite rising construction costs and national delays, the council has worked with schools to expand specialist infrastructure locally with the creation of:
- 343 Specialist Resource Base (SRBs) places at mainstream schools enabling more children to access specialist places closer to home. A total of 23 bases have been expanded and 17 new ones opened, with 10 more in active development due to open by September next year
- 670 special school places through three new schools and expansions of existing special schools with further expansions planned
Norfolk's Safety Valve agreement has secured over £130 million in joint investment with the Department for Education. And, despite a cumulative Dedicated Schools Grant deficit of £131.9m, the council has committed more than £15 million in additional funding to strengthen SEND services since the agreement was reached and continues to work with the DfE to unlock further contributions to reduce the deficit.
