UPDATE NO 174 27 November 2015

Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) and Data Benchmarking

On Tuesday 24th November nine LAs met for the third SEND Benchmarking workshop. The day focused on a review of how the LAs had found making the October return, identified issues and learning from this for the March return. There was a thorough chart-by-chart review of the draft report and a number of improvements will be incorporated into the second draft. A further workshop, to take place in late January/early February 2016 will be organised to prepare for the March 2016 return.

One aspect of the benchmarking that still needs addressing is consultation with SEND Service Managers about how they might use the reports. The question being “Is this data, in this format what you need to benchmark and help develop your services?”. Tracey Maytas and Alastair Lee (contact details in box below) have agreed to take this forward. Date for third workshop in early 2016 to be announced.

Ofsted: Single Inspection Framework report for Medway

Medway Council’s Ofsted report was published on 27 November 2015.

You can find it at http://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/local-authorities/medway

South East Grid for Learning (SEGfL)

SEGfL represents 15 local authorities across the South East region at the NEN – the Education Network, Safeguarding Group. This national group has the remit of supporting our communities in matters relating to safeguarding, online technologies and education. A briefing note on Prevent and Online Safety is available from the AD Eductaion Network page which can be reached via the Contacts button at the top of this page.

For more information please go to the AD Education Network Page via the Contacts button at the top of this page; www.segfl.org.uk; www.nen.gov.uk or contact Heather Hadfield (contact details in box below)

AD Education Network – Next meeting Friday 18 December 2015

The next meeting will include an item presented by Heather Hadfield from the South East Grid for Learning. Dates for meetings in 2016-17 now published: Friday 4 March 2016; Friday 10 June 2016; Friday 16 September 2016; Friday 16 December 2016; Friday 17 February 2017.

All meetings at the Abbey Community Centre, Westminster 10.30 for 11.00 start. AD Education (or equivalent) colleagues to note these dates for the diary. For more information go to the AD Education Network page via the Contacts button at the top of this page

AD Safeguarding Network – Next meeting Friday 11 December 2015

We will be joined by the AD Safeguarding Network from the East of England Region and will need a larger room than usual. Time: 9.30 for 10am start. Venue: Mary Sumner House, Westminster, SW1P 3RB (close to The Abbey Centre). New dates for 2016-17 now published: Friday 26 February 2016; Friday 17 June 2016; Friday 9th September 2016; Friday 9th December 2016; Friday 24 February 2017. All these meetings back at the Abbey Centre, times 9.30 for a 10.00 start.

For more information go to the AD Safeguarding Network page via the Contacts button at the top of this page. If you have any items you would like to add to the agenda, please contact Mark Evans.

SESLIP Steering Group meets next on 11 January 2016 to discuss subscriptions for 2016-2017

At the SE ADCS meeting on Friday 13 November, there was an initial discussion about the content, budget and subscription levels for the SESLI Programme in 2016-17. The SESLIP Steering Group meets next on 11 January 2016, and it will make recommendations to the next SE ADCS meeting on 15 January 2016.

There are new pressures on the budget arising from (among other things):  the success of the Leadership Development, and the spending of the inherited legacy funds (£75k over two years)  calls on the benchmarking group to publish more suites of indicators  the success of the early help and SEND groups  demand to further develop the Children’s Social Care Workforce initiative. If you have any thoughts about what the programme should include (or exclude) and how the subscription level might be pitched, please contact Janette Karklins or Stuart Gallimore before 11 January 2016. A reminder that the current subscription level is £12,500 per county and £6,250 per unitary.

Wednesday 16 December 2016, 10am Crawley Library

The next meeting of the South East Regional Data Network will be on Wednesday 16th December in the Longley Room in Crawely Library. Please send suggestions for the next meeting’s agenda to Alastair Lee

There are still three outstanding data protocols from Buckinghamshire, Reading and Surrey. Thanks to others for returning theirs.

30 November and 1 December

Peer Challenge Round 8 visit to Milton Keynes – School attendance and linked issues

Janette Karklins (BFC) to lead this visit accompanied by Claire O’Leary (Wokingham); Sam Barrington (Windsor and Maidenhead) and Julia Katherine (Portsmouth)