Calls for Portsmouth schools to be more ‘inclusive’ for special needs students

Members of the city's health and wellbeing board discussed issues faced by 'lower need' special educational needs and disability (Send) pupils attending mainstream schools, where they are six times more likely than their peers to be excluded.

Speaking at a board meeting on Wednesday (Feb 5) children's transformation manager at Portsmouth council, Hayden Ginns, said: ‘We have 1,600 children with education, health and care plans but it's the next levels down that are more of a worry - the 3,000 children with Send support, especially concerning exclusions.

‘Children with Send are six times more likely to be excluded.

‘We need to drive the message that we need to be more inclusive.

‘When you rank us with other authorities we are quite low down. We think we are quite an inclusive city, we are not very inclusive.

‘But it's hard to tell that to a headteacher who is struggling with a child with complex needs.’

The most up-to-date data from the Department for Education showed that in in 2017/18 Portsmouth had the 57th highest number of fixed period exclusions in all schools (including special schools) out of all 152 authorities in the country, and was 121st for permanent exclusions.

'Persistent disruptive behaviour' was the highest cause of exclusions across the city's schools, with 852.

And there were no permanent exclusions in special schools, but 19 in mainstream schools. In the same year there were 727 fixed period exclusions in special schools, and 1,945 in all others.

Council leader, Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson, said: ‘In this budget the council has found £4.8m to fund additional Send places in schools.

'It's not about building a new special school, it's about additional spaces in existing schools.'

SEE MORE: Special needs provision in Portsmouth praised

It comes after Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) gave a positive review into Send services in Portsmouth.

Education cabinet member, Cllr Suzy Horton added: 'I'm incredibly proud of what's been achieved in the council and with the partnership (the Portsmouth education partnership).’

The council's budget will be taken to full council on Tuesday, February 11.