£2m help for special needs pupils

CHILDREN and young people with special educational needs across North Yorkshire are in line for fresh help totalling more than £2m and 20 extra teachers from next month.

The second phase of an innovative support network will be provided, as long as it is given the go-ahead by North Yorkshire County Council's executive next week.

The council's strategy for supporting children with special educational needs and behavioural, emotional and social difficulties means that from the beginning of September local schools will be better able to provide for more children by getting support and outreach from a network of local enhanced mainstream schools acting as centres of expertise.

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The council has commissioned services from 25 highly inclusive schools across the county and is providing them with improved facilities and staffing to cater for children and young people in their local area.

From September the completion of a 5m project will enable the enhanced mainstream schools to make provision for a small number of children with the most significant needs, though the principle behind the strategy is that, wherever possible, children continue to attend their local mainstream with appropriate support.

This new provision is being met with an additional 2.6m in revenue funding for the recruitment of 20 extra teachers supported by more parent support advisors and teaching assistants.

The educational psychology service has also been improved and restructured to provide more specialist focus.

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The council's intention is to provide a pattern of interlocking support across the county and the sharing of expertise so that all schools in North Yorkshire continue to improve the support they give to children with special needs.

North Yorkshire's executive member with particular responsibility for children with special educational needs, Caroline Patmore, said: "We will have enhanced resources across the county so that our schools can do more for more children knowing that specialist advice and support is available. We believe we are putting in place a well thought out and very well resourced pattern of provision.

"At the heart of this provision is the belief that North Yorkshire is entitled to the very best education provision for some of the most vulnerable young people in the county."

The first phase of implementation began in January as 19 Enhanced Mainstream Schools began to operate.

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This pattern of provision across the county means that in all areas schools will be better able to meet the needs of children with specific learning difficulties.

This is designed to supplement the provision already in place for children with severe learning difficulties and autism or sensory, physical medical needs who attend the county's mainstream schools.

Some centrally provided county services are being replaced to make way for this additional, local, specialised support which is designed to help children with these significant needs to thrive educationally in their own locality, wherever they may live in North Yorkshire.

Enhanced primary schools for communication and interaction are: Embsay Church of England School, Craven; Hookstone Chase Primary School, Harrogate; Kirkbymoorside Primary School; Thorpe Willoughby Primary School.

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Enhanced secondary schools for dyslexia are: Upper Wharfedale School; Rossett School, Harrogate; Richmond School; Easingwold School; Graham School, Scarborough; Lady Lumley's School, Pickering; Barlby High School, Selby

Enhanced secondary schools for high functioning autism are: South Craven School; King James' School; Bedale High School; Filey School; and Holy Family Catholic High School in Selby.