Provision for special needs pupils in Rochdale is improving

Work to improve services for children in Rochdale with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is now making ‘sufficient progress’, following a scathing joint report by the education and health watchdogs.

Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) found four serious weaknesses in the borough’s provision when they carried out an inspection in 2016.

These included the ability of mainstream schools to meet the needs of the SEND children, particularly those with autism, as well as poor educational performance and high levels of exclusion.

And there were also significant concerns over how quickly support was given to young people and families and the ‘ineffective promotion and understanding’ of Rochdale’s provision.

As a result, Rochdale Council and the Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Clinical Commissioning Group (HMR CCG) were required to produce a Written Statement of Action setting out how they would tackle the problems.

Following a further inspection in December 2018, inspectors now say things are heading in the right direction, and recommended ending the formal monitoring visits from the Department for Education (DfE) and NHS England.

Councillor Kieran Heakin, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said he was delighted with the findings of the joint Ofsted and CQC report.

He said: “I’m very pleased with the progress that has been made, and very pleased with the report as well.

“Staff in Rochdale have put in the work, put in the hours and got themselves organised to address the issues that are problematic, and I’m pleased to say we are making progress with our SEND provision.”

Work has been ongoing to tackle the areas of weakness identified by the watchdogs, including a programme which involves schools reviewing each other’s SEND provision in partnership with an expert consultant.

Inspectors found this had been successful, noting in the report that ‘the primary and secondary schools which have undertaken such reviews demonstrate strong improvement’.

The report adds that there are ‘clear improvements’ in children’s level of educational achievement, although some further work was needed for those at ‘key stage 4’ – despite a significant number gaining good passes in English and mathematics.

And measures introduced to reduce the number of children excluded from classes include the opportunity for schools to bid for additional funding to develop bespoke support.

Inspectors say this has been a success, adding ‘there are examples of an impressive impact in the reduction of exclusions over time’.

The report goes on to note that ‘initiatives to reduce waiting times have also allowed more rapid access for children and families referred to occupational therapy services and child and adolescent mental health services’.

The promotion of Rochdale’s SEN provision was also found to be much improved, with the report adding: “The local offer was redeveloped and co-produced with parents, resulting in a much more user-friendly version.

“For example, there is a facility to convert the local offer into different languages. Co-production with parents is a strength in Rochdale. “

Councillor Heakin said SEND children in the borough were now ‘reaping the rewards’ of the hard work put in to turn the situation around.

He said: “We do keep a close eye on the progress of SEND pupils, because they need to progress as much as anyone else.

“It’s very important we monitor their progress, and keep parents informed of how they are getting on.

“That’s one pleasing aspect of the report, that parents seem to have a fairer deal now and feel more supported. That’s good to see and what we were after.”

Councillor Heakin says that Ofsted’s input had allowed officers to realise where the borough’s provision needed to improve, and they had worked ‘in partnership’ with the watchdog to make progress.

He added it was now a case of ‘onwards and upwards’ saying the borough was on a path of ‘continuous improvement’.

Nick Statham, Local Democracy Reporter