Specialist Teaching Consultation 2021

We are consulting on our proposal to modernise the way we provide specialist teaching across Buckinghamshire. Our proposal is designed to ensure we apply the skills and knowledge of our specialist teachers in the most effective way. We want all pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) to receive high-quality education and ensure they can achieve the best possible outcomes.

What is specialist teaching?

The specialist teachers within Buckinghamshire Council are part of our Integrated SEND Service. They offer support and specialist knowledge so that children and young people with SEND are able to learn and achieve their personal best in education. Specialist teachers work with schools, parents, and other agencies to support children with a range of needs.

Which forms of specialist teaching does the proposal cover?

The proposal covers specialist teaching for children and young people with:

• Autism and language needs
• Difficulties with understanding, including Down Syndrome and specific learning difficulties
• Physical difficulties

The proposal does not cover specialist teaching for children and young people with sensory impairments – hearing, visual or multi-sensory.

Reasons for proposing change

• To reach more children and young people with SEND. Currently, only those with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) receive specialist teaching support. This means that many children and young people are not able to access the Council’s specialist teaching resource, and opportunities for early intervention are lost.
• To introduce a new and improved approach. This approach is based on research findings, best practice and what we have seen work well in other areas of the country.
• To make best use of our specialist teaching resource. Our proposal is not about cutting the service and there are no plans to reduce the overall level of resource. It is about a different way of providing specialist teaching to more pupils, using the resources we have.

The proposal

To understand the full detail of our proposal, you will need to read the Specialist Teaching Proposal document below. It is also available to view and download at the bottom of this page.

The following diagram outlines the main features of the proposed approach.

How to provide feedback

You can get involved in the consultation by:

• Completing the online survey below (a printed version of the survey is available at the bottom of this page for download or you can contact us to request a printed copy)
• Registering to attend one of our online consultation events by emailing us on engageeducation@buckinghamshire.gov.uk or phoning us on 0300 131 6000. We are holding these on the following dates:
  • Tuesday 16 November, 7-8pm
  • Tuesday 23 November, 11.30am–12.30pm
  • Friday 26 November, 11am–12pm

What happens next

We will review all the feedback we receive to guide us in making any relevant changes to the draft proposal. The final proposal will then go to senior leadership within the Council for approval before we publish it on our Specialist teachers webpage and start to promote it. We will update this page with the outcome of the consultation process.

Dependent on feedback and approval, a new specialist teaching approach would be implemented step-by-step over a period of time, starting from September 2022.

Privacy

We will use the information you provide here only for the purpose of this consultation. We will keep the information confidential and store it securely, in line with data protection laws and will not share or publish any personal details. For more information about data and privacy, please see our Privacy Policy.

If you have questions, please email us on dataprotection@buckinghamshire.gov.uk. or write to our Data Protection Officer at Buckinghamshire Council, The Gateway, Gatehouse Road, Aylesbury, HP19 8FF.