Hillingdon Council Cabinet Member and Officer Decisions
SEND Sufficiency Strategy
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Democratic Services
Location: Phase II
Ext: 0185
DDI: 01895 250185
CMD No: 1336
To: COUNCILLOR SUSAN O’BRIEN
CABINET MEMBER FOR CHILDREN, FAMILIES &
EDUCATION
c.c. All Members of th e Children, Families and
Education Select Committee
c.c. Dominika Michalik – Assistant Director of SEND
and Inclusion
c.c. Julie Kelly – Corporate Director of Children’s
Services
Date: 13 February 2025
Non-Key Decision request Form D
SEND SUFFICIENCY STRATEGY
Dear Cabinet Members,
Attached is a report requesting that a decision be made by you as an individual Cabinet
Member. Democratic Services confirm that this is not a key decision, as such, the Local
Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England)
Regulations 2012 notice period does not apply.
You should take a decision on or after Friday 21 February 2025 in order to meet
Constitutional requirements about publication of decisions that are to be made. You may
wish to discuss the report with the Corporate Director before it is made. Please indicate your
decision on the duplicate memo supplied and return it to me when you have made your
decision. I will then arrange for the formal notice of decision to be published.
Liz Penny
Democratic Services
Title of Report: Send Sufficiency Strategy
Decision made:
Reasons for your decision: (e.g. as stated in report)
Alternatives considered and rejected: (e.g. as stated in report)
Signed ……………………………………………………… Date……………………..
Cabinet Member for Children, Families & Education
Cabinet Member Report – 13 February 2025 Page 1
(Part 1 Public)
SEND SUFFICIENCY STRATEGY
Cabinet Member &
Portfolio
Cllr Suson O’Brien - Cabinet Member for Children, Families and
Education
Responsible Officer Julie Kelly – Corporate Director Children Services
Report Author &
Directorate
Dominika Michalik - Assistant Director of SEND & Inclusion
Papers with report Appendix 1 - SEND Sufficiency Strategy
HEADLINES
Summary
This report presents a SEND Sufficiency Strategy for Hillingdon
which ‘sets out how the London Borough of Hillingdon and our
partners within the SEND Local Area Partnership, intend to ensure
that there is sufficient high- quality specialist provision, in both
mainstream and special school settings, to meet the future needs of
children and young people with SEND in Hillingdon.’
Putting our
Residents First
Delivering on the
Council Strategy
2022-2026
This report supports our ambition for residents / the Council of:
An efficient, well-run, digital-enabled council working with partners
to deliver services to improve the lives of all our residents
This report supports our commitments to residents of:
Thriving, Healthy Households
This strategy will complement the Hillingdon Local Area SEND and
Alternative Provision Strategy 2023-28
Financial Cost There are no direct financial implications from this strategy report ;
the financial implications will be included in later reports that identify
the specific actions arising from the strategy.
Select Committee Children, Families and Education Select Committee
Ward(s) ALL
RECOMMENDATIONS
That the Cabinet Member for Children, Families & Education:
1. Duly considers the consultation on the draft SEND Sufficiency Strategy.
2. Notes the comments provided by the Children, Families and Education Select
Committee; and
3. Approves the SEND Sufficiency Strategy, and for publication.
Cabinet Member Report – 13 February 2025 Page 2
(Part 1 Public)
Reasons for recommendations
The SEND Sufficiency Strategy will support strategic planning and assist the C ouncil to comply
with its statutory duty to provide sufficiency of school places to meet parent demand
across the
Borough for pupils with SEND.
Select Committee comments
This was considered by the Children, Families & Education Select Committee on 7 January 2025.
The Committee congratulates officers on all the work that is currently being undertaken within
SEND in Hillingdon. This SEND Sufficiency Strategy has a strong emphasis on placing children
and young people with SEND at the heart of all decision making. It is prevalent that a key focus
of this strategy is to work closely with families to best meet the needs of the young person. This,
alongside close monitoring of key priorities and future demand, will ensure that the service
continues to deliver high standards.
SUPPORTING INFORMATION
Background
The draft SEND Sufficiency Strategy sets out very clearly the LA’s vision:
In Hillingdon, we are committed to meeting the needs of our children and young people. We do
this by placing them at the centre of all that we do and by ensuring they and their families are part
of the decision- making processes. Central to our vision is continuing to strengthen our
relationships with children and their families, with a clear focus on co-production.
We want Hillingdon to be a place where children and young people with special educational needs
and/or disabilities and their families lead happy and fulfilled lives from early years through
adolescence to adulthood, in communities that accept and understand them.
We are committed to creating an environment where all our children and young people can reach
their potential in education and have the support and guidance they need to prepare for adulthood.
The draft SEND Sufficiency Strategy is presented with the following 13 sections:
1. Introduction
2. Our Vision
‘All children and young people are entitled to an appropriate education, one that is
appropriate to their needs, promotes high standards and the fulfilment of potential. This
should enable them to:
• achieve their best potential,
• become confident individuals living fulfilling lives, and
• make a successful transition into adulthood, whether into employment, further or
higher education or training.
Cabinet Member Report – 13 February 2025 Page 3
(Part 1 Public)
The draft SEND Sufficiency Strategy is underpinned by Hillingdon Local Area SEND and
Alternative Provision Strategy 2023-2028 w ith clearly defined ambitions:
• Ambition 1: The right support, at the right time, in the right place
• Ambition 2: Fully inclusive education for all
• Ambition 3: Provision meets the needs of Hillingdon s children and young people
• Ambition 4: Children and young people live happy and fulfilled lives where they
are included in the community
• Ambition 5: There is a flexible offer and range of interventions available for
children to access Alternative Provision
These ambitions highlight the importance of ensuring that we create provision that meets
the needs of Hillingdon’s children and young people and enables them to receive excellent
education in their local community.
3. Strategic context
This section outlines the primary legislation and guidance that define our duties and govern
our practice. The Council has a statutory obligation to ensure there are sufficient places
for every child or young person residing in Hillingdon.
4. Local context
This section highlights the increasing demand for EHCPs and the ongoing efforts to
support pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in Hillingdon:
• EHCPs Maintained by Hillingdon: As of October 2024, there are 3,452 EHCPs, a
37% increase since January 2020. This number fluctuates due to various factors,
including pupils moving in and out of the borough.
• EHCPs in Hillingdon Schools : A s of October 2024, there are 2,549 pupils with
EHCPs attending Hillingdon schools, a 32.1% increase since October 2020. Of these,
44.1% are in special schools, and 19.6% of pupils in Hillingdon special schools are
from other local authorities.
• SEN Support: As of October 2024, 11.9% of Hillingdon pupils receive SEN support,
below the national average of 13.6% (Jan 2024).
• EHCP Prevalence : In January 2024, 4.7% of Hillingdon pupils have an EHCP,
matching the national average but below the London average of 5.1%.
• EHCP Growth: There has been a 40% increase in EHCPs since 2020, with a recent
slowdown in year-on-year growth to 4.6% in 2024.
• Primary Need of Autism: The number of pupils with autism as their primary need has
doubled from 976 in January 2019 to 1,915 in January 2024 and currently remains the
highest need in the borough.
• Special vs. Mainstream Schools: 34.4% of EHCP pupils attend special schools,
higher than the national average of 32.1%. Meanwhile, 56.1% are in mainstream
schools, below the national average of 58.4%.
Cabinet Member Report – 13 February 2025 Page 4
(Part 1 Public)
5. Current provision
We have shared the different types of special schools within Hillingdon, and the number of
pupils by year group. The seven special schools in the Borough are able to meet a range
of needs with a mix of both Community and Academy schools.
6. DfE funded capital programmes
This section of the report confirms that there are currently 2 separate government funded
capital building projects. The DfE funded and managed Priority School Building Projects
(PSBP) aims to rebuild and refurbish school buildings in the most need across the country,
and the Free School projects, which will create additional places. In Hillingdon, this relates
to 5 special schools and one new autism unit within a mainstream school.
7. Predicted future demand
This summary highlights the importance of ongoing development and monitoring to meet
the needs of children and young people with EHCPs in Hillingdon. In the next seven years,
the projected number of EHCPs is anticipated to increase only by 16% and slowing down.
The aim is to strengthen the use of pre- statutory support through a graduated approach
and Ordinarily Available Provision (OAP).
8. Our Key Priorities
The three priorities outlined in this section align with the ambitions of the Local Area SEND
& AP Strategy 2023-28 for fully inclusive education, addressing the needs of Hillingdon’s
children and young people in a comprehensive and measurable manner. It also details
how stakeholders can achieve each priority and how success will be measured.
Additionally, there is rel ated commissioning work regarding Short Breaks and Tuition to
ensure the Council meets the needs of all children and young people, including primary -
aged children who have been excluded from school.
9. Specific areas of development
There are 3 specific areas of development that have been identified in this section
• Increasing the number of school age children receiving SEND Support
• Reducing the reliance on independent non- maintained special school (INMSS)
provision
• Addressing the demand for EHC plans with a primary need of Autism
10. What we have achieved so far
The following 2 key areas of achievement have been noted in this section:
• Creating new Specialist places in Hillingdon schools. Since September 2023, the
following provision has been created in Hillingdon:
24 place primary school Designated Unit
16 place secondary school Designated Unit
Cabinet Member Report – 13 February 2025 Page 5
(Part 1 Public)
Two x 16 place primary school ASD Specialist Resource Provisions
16 place (32 part time) Specialist Assessment Base for Early Years
• Strengthening Early identification and access to SEND support:
Conducting SEND Reviews as an evidence -based tool to self -evaluation and
comprehensive assessment of whole school practices.
Early Support Funding has been reviewed to offer short term funding for children
who have additional needs beyond those that might be expected to be funded from
the SEND notional budget.
Hillingdon Ordinarily Available Provision was reviewed and collaboratively
developed to serve as a tool for enhancing support and promoting consistent
practices across educational settings.
Training offer for parents and educational settings has been reviewed to ensure it
effectively supports the enhancement of SEND provision.
11. Sufficiency delivery plan
This section highlights the Hillingdon SEND School Places Expansion and Development
Plans through the development of SRPs and DUs which provide additional specialist
facilities in mainstream schools.
12. Funding arrangements
This section shares how a framework has been developed to enhance the effectiveness
and efficiency of high needs block spending.
13. Governance and review arrangements for this strategy
This section summarises the decision-making process for the SEND Education Sufficiency
Strategy
Financial Implications
There are no direct financial implications from this strategy report, the financial implications will
be included in later reports that identify the specific actions arising from the strategy.
RESIDENT BENEFIT & CONSULTATION
The benefit or impact upon Hillingdon residents, service users and communities
The SEND Sufficiency Strategy will support strategic planning and assist the Council to comply
with its statutory duty to provide sufficiency of school places to meet parent demand
across the
borough for pupils with SEND.
Cabinet Member Report – 13 February 2025 Page 6
(Part 1 Public)
Consultation & Engagement carried out (or required)
The consultation for the draft SEND Sufficiency Strategy was shared by Officers with
Headteachers and SENCOs of every school in Hillingdon on 4
th November 2024. The consultation
period started on the 4th November 2024 and ended on 4th December 2024.
Consultation Responses
13 responses were received in total during the consultation period. The responses are
summarised below.
Online Questionnaire responses are summarised below:
1. 11 respondents agreed with the shared principles in the strategy.
• Yes - 11
• No - 0
• Maybe – 2
2. Of the 2 respondents that answered 'Maybe', comments have been summarised below in
the paper
3. 12 respondents liked the layout and overall content of the strategy
• Yes - 12
• No - 0
• Maybe - 1
4. Of the 1 respondent that answered 'Maybe', comments have been summarised below in
the paper
5. 12 respondents agreed with the 3 priorities and how we aim to achieve them
• Yes - 12
• No - 0
• Maybe – 1
6. Of the 1 respondent that answered 'Maybe', comments have been summarised below in
the paper
7. 9 respondents provided further comments which have been summarised below in the
paper.
Themes raised in the Consultation Responses
1. General Agreement with the Strategy
• Majority Agreement: Most respondents agreed with the shared principles, layout, content,
and priorities of the strategy.
Cabinet Member Report – 13 February 2025 Page 7
(Part 1 Public)
• Positive Feedback: Many respondents expressed overall support and appreciation for the
strategy.
2. Concerns and Suggestions
• Ambiguity in Principles : Some respondents found the principles unclear or confused
them with ambitions.
• Implementation Delays: Concerns were raised about delays in panel decisions, funding,
and school placements, which affect timely support for children.
• Funding Issues : Multiple comments highlighted the need for increased funding to
effectively implement the strategy.
3. Specific Recommendations
• Borough Supply Pool : A suggestion to create a B orough supply pool of SEN staff to
provide immediate support, similar to a past initiative in Tower Hamlets.
• Agile Response Framework : Proposals for an agile response framework to scale
resources based on real-time data trends, especially for autism support.
• Hybrid Interface : Recommendations for a hybrid interface to present the strategy,
combining context, vision, and specific actions.
4. Communication and Transparency
• Clear Communication: Emphasis on the need for clear, concise communication to avoid
information overload and ensure all stakeholders are well-informed.
• Transparency: Calls for complete transparency with schools and parents to build mutual
understanding and reduce frustrations.
5. Parental and School Involvement
• Parental Views: Importance of considering parental views in decision-making processes.
• School Involvement: Encouragement for more schools to participate in working groups
to foster understanding and empathy.
Cabinet Member Report – 13 February 2025 Page 8
(Part 1 Public)
6. Specific Needs and Challenges
• Specialist Placements: Issues with the lack of specialist placements affecting pupil
progress and draining school resources.
• Curriculum Support: Desire for support in delivering an appropriate curriculum, ensuring
it aligns with the strategy's priorities. A specific suggestion was made to create a borough
supply pool of SEN staff would be a good solution and provide short time immediate help.
Conclusion
Officers acknowledge the comment regarding funding arrangements, which is being addressed
through the Hillingdon Banded Model review. This new banding framework will ensure there is a
fair and transparent approach to funding EHCPs across the Borough.
Additionally, Ambition Group 1 is working to ensure all partners understand what "right support
at the right time" means and when mainstream versus specialist provision is appropriate, as there
are varying interpretations that do not always align with needs.
The SEND Sufficiency Strategy is supported by the Hillingdon Local Area SEND and Alternative
Provision Strategy 2023-2028 and its ambitions. These ambitions emphasise the importance of
creating provision that meet the needs of Hillingdon’s children and young people, enabling them
to receive excellent education within their local community.
The implementation of the SEND Sufficiency Strategy is overseen by Ambition Group 3, which
focuses on ensuring provisions meet the needs of Hillingdon’s children and young people, and by
Ambition Group 5, which ensures a flexible offer and range of interventions for children to access
alternative provision.
These groups have detailed action plans that are monitored bi-monthly by the SEND Operational
Group and the SEND Executive Partnership Board to ensure timely progress on all priorities from
the SEND Sufficiency Strategy.
In the comments, there was a suggestion to regularly review the demand for specialist provision,
including Specialist Resource Provision (SRP) and Designated Units (DU), to ensure capacity
aligns with needs and that there is a continuum of support within t he system. Officers conduct
regular reviews of our demand, and our data indicates a need for more secondary SRP provision,
so we are collaborating with schools to address this.
To ensure that the needs of every student with an EHCP are appropriately met with the right
resources and provision, including adequate placement, the Local Area Partnership is working
together to strengthen the quality of Annual Reviews and EHCPs.
There was also a suggestion to support schools in delivering an appropriate curriculum. This is
being addressed through new approaches and support provided by the SEND Advisory Service
and the Educational Psychology Service. These efforts are informed by feedback from school
visits, SENCO Forums, and training offer surveys.
Cabinet Member Report – 13 February 2025 Page 9
(Part 1 Public)
CORPORATE CONSIDERATIONS
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance have reviewed this report and concur with the Financial Implications set out
above, noting that there are no direct financial implications associated with the recommendations
in this report, but recognising that where further decisions are required as part of implementing
the strategy, these decisions will be fully costed for consideration.
Legal
There are no legal impediments to the recommendation set out within the report.
BACKGROUND PAPERS
Hillingdon SEND and AP Strategy 2023-28
London Borough of Hillingdon - Agenda for Children, Families and Education Select Committee
on Tuesday, 7th January, 2025, 7.00 pm
TITLE OF ANY APPENDICES
Appendix 1 - SEND Sufficiency Strategy
Special Educational Needs
and Disabilities (SEND) and
Alternative Provision
Sufficiency Strategy
2025-2030
DRAFT December 2024
2
Table of Contents
1. Introduction 3
2. Our vision 4
3. Strategic context 7
4. Local context 8
5. Current Provision 9
6. Capital programmes 10
DfE Projects 10
Local Authority Projects 11
Post 16 College Provision 12
Alternative Provision 12
7. Predicted future demand 14
8. Our Key Priorities 14
Key Priority 1 15
Key Priority 2 18
Key Priority 3 20
9.
Specific areas of development 22
Increasing the number of school age children receiving SEND Support 22
Reducing the reliance on independent non-maintained special school
(INMSS) provision 23
Addressing the Demand for EHC plans with a primary need of Autism 24
10. What we have achieved so far 26
Creating new Specialist places in Hillingdon schools (Priority 2) 27
Strengthening Early identification and access to SEND support (Priority 1) 27
11. Sufficiency delivery plan 28
Hillingdon SEND School Places Expansion and Development Plans 28
12. Funding Arrangements 28
13. Governance and review arrangements for this strategy 28
14. Appendix 1: Terminology 29
1. Introduction
The SEND Sufficiency Strategy sets out how the London Borough of Hillingdon and our partners
across the SEND Local Area Partnership, intend to ensure that there is sufficient high -quality
specialist provision, in both mainstream and special school settings, to meet the future needs of
children and young people with SEND in Hillingdon.
The SEND population has grown significantly since the 2014 SEND reforms with the greatest growth
taking place in the statutory EHCP category. Historically, the number of children and young people
requiring specialist provision has exceeded the capacity of the provision in Hillingdon, however,
3
there have been a number of developments to address this including a successful bid for a n all
through special free school. Our ambitious SEND capital programme developments enabled the
area to meet the needs of most of the cohort in recent years and work is still ongoing to further
develop our specialist provision. There are plans to expand the special schools offer, develop more
Specialist Resources Provisions (SRPs), Designated Units (DU) and potentially further Assessment
Centres for nursery age children with complex needs.
The London Borough of Hillingdon is the second largest of London's 32 boroughs. There are over
7,700 children and young people aged 0-25 years with SEND in Hillingdon which constitutes approx.
11.9% of our children.
During 2023-24 Hillingdon identified 16.6% of students who have either an Education Health Care
Plan (EHCP) or are receiving SEN Support. This compares to an average of 1 7.4% in London and
18.1% nationally (census data).
Hillingdon historically had higher levels of pupils with EHCPs on the school census than the national
and London averages, but the gap has closed in recent years with Hillingdon matching the London
average of 4.3% in 2021-22, and in 2023-24 Hillingdon’s level of 4.7% fell below London’s 5.1% and
matched national 4.7%.
Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) have recently undertaken a joint inspection of
Hillingdon’s Local Area SEND Partnership and identified areas for improvement related to SEND
sufficiency. One of them was to ensure that inclusion in mainstream schools improves across the
borough by supporting children and young people (CYP) to sustain their education in mainstream
school and prevent suspensions and exclusions. Our aspiration outlined in the SEND and AP
Strategy 2023 -2028 is that all children in Hillingdon feel included, understood and welcomed
regardless of their needs. We understand that the barriers felt by children and young people with
SEND are a result of the way society is organised, rather than something intrinsic to the ch ild. It is
our role to remove the barriers children face to enable them feel part of their community and ensure
inclusion is at the heart of all we do.
Please note that this document is based on long term planning forecasting. Data will be reviewed
annually, and this plan will undergo minor updates, however, the body of the document will remain
the same for the lifespan.
2. Our vision
In Hillingdon, we are committed to meeting the needs of our children and young people. We do this
by placing them at the centre of all that we do and by ensuring they and their families are part of all
decision-making processes. Central to our vision is continuing to strengthen our relationships with
children and their families, with a clear focus on co-production.
We want Hillingdon to be a place where children and young people with special educational
needs and/or disabilities and their families lead happy and fulfilled lives from early years
through adolescence to adulthood, in communities that accept and understand them.
We are committed to creat ing an environment where all our children and young people can reach
their potential in education and have the support and guidance they need to prepare for adulthood.
4
The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Code of Practice, 0 -25 years (January
2015) is clear that:
‘All children and young people are entitled to an appropriate education, one that is appropriate to
their needs, promotes high standards and the fulfilment of potential. This should enable them to:
• achieve their best,
• become confident individuals living fulfilling lives, and
• make a successful transition into adulthood, whether into employment, further or higher
education or training.
As such, ensuring our children receive the education and support based on their needs is central to
our strategies.
This SEND Sufficiency Strategy is underpinned by Hillingdon Local Area SEND and Alternative
Provision Strategy 2023-2028 with clearly defined ambitions:
Ambition 1: The right support, at the right time, in the right place
Ambition 2: Fully inclusive education for all
Ambition 3: Provision meets the needs of Hillingdon s children and young people
Ambition 4: Children and young people live happy and fulfilled lives where they are included in the
community
Ambition 5: There is a flexible offer and range of interventions available for children to access
Alternative Provision
These ambitions highlight the importance of ensuring that we create provision that meets the needs
of Hillingdon’s children and young people and enables them to receive excellent education in their
local community.
5
Governance
Each ambition is led by an ambition group with representatives from education, health and social
care as well as schools’ community. Clear action plans have been developed to ensure that the
objectives related to the sufficiency , special schools' placements and mainstream inclusion are
achieved.
The Ambition Groups 2 and 3 have a specific focus on strengthening inclusion and overseeing
specialist provision.
The Ambition Group 2 specifically focuses on promoting Hillingdon’s approach to inclusion by
supporting and empowering settings to play their part in fully inclusive system where CYP can
access mainstream local provisions, as much as possible.
This is achieved by:
• Creating a workforce training plan across the local area to share expertise, improve
consistency and to ensure all partners work together to improve outcomes for SEND
• Working collaboratively with schools, to develop strategies to reduce the numbers of children
who are excluded from education
• Establishing frameworks to support settings with the identification of SEND and how to best
put support in place through Ordinarily Available Provision
• Providing all schools with a contextualised overview of inclusion data in mainstream schools
to help identify areas for development and measure impact.
The Ambition Group 3 focuses on provision and monitors the progress of all new developments and
manages any changes required in existing specialist provision to make it sustainable and meet the
current and future demand.
This is achieved by:
6
• Reviewing current SEND school provision and ensure it meets the current needs of children
• Improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND
• Reviewed all independent and non -maintained schools to optimise the use of mainstream
settings
• Reviewing Hillingdon’s banded funding model and create a new banding matrix to better
support needs and the provision required to achieve this
• Quality assuring existing provision to create a consistent approach to supporting children with
SEND
• Developing more provision to meet the range of needs locally in the Borough, including
additional SRP places and Designated Units
• Further developing more SEND school places as required to meet the current and future
demand
Our SEND Sufficiency Strategy aims to support these objectives by setting up a framework which
allows us to provide educational settings in Hillingdon where children and young people’s learning
and development is promoted in line with their individual needs and abilities.
3. Strategic context
The following primary legislation and guidance specifies our duties and governs our practice:
• Education Act 1996, Section 14
• Children’s Family Act 2014
• Equality Act 2010
• SEND Code of Practice (0-25 years) 2015
• Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014
• SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan 2023
The SEND and AP Sufficiency Strategy supports Hillingdon Council’s Strategy 2022 -2026 in
meeting our 5 commitments to residents:
1. Safe and strong communities
Hillingdon is a safe place with resilient, strong communities with access to good quality,
affordable housing.
2. Thriving, healthy households
Children, young people, their families and vulnerable adults and older people live healthy,
active and independent lives.
3. A green and sustainable borough
Hillingdon will be a sustainable, carbon-neutral borough, protecting Hillingdon's heritage,
7
built environment and valued green spaces. Residents will live in pleasant neighbourhoods
with access to sustainable waste management and transport.
4. A thriving economy
We are actively working with local businesses and partners to create a borough where
businesses grow within a strong economy and local people can improve their skills and
enjoy good quality jobs.
5. A digital-enabled, modern, well-run council
We are a well-run, sustainable council with sound financial management, achieving positive
outcomes for residents.
This SEND and AP Sufficiency Strategy is aligned with various strategies/plans across the local
area including the:
• Hillingdon Local Area SEND & AP Strategy 2023-2028
• CNWL Strategy for 2022-2025
• Hillingdon Education Strategy (draft)
• Hillingdon Council Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2022-2025
• • Hillingdon Joint Autism Needs Assessment 2022
• • Hillingdon Autism Strategy 2023
• Hillingdon Family Hub Strategy Hillingdon Early Help Strategy 2021-2025
• Hillingdon Safeguarding Children Education Inclusion Toolkit
• Hillingdon Safeguarding children and young people with complex needs and disabilities
4. Local context
As of October 2024, there are 2,549 pupils with EHCPs, in Hillingdon schools (October 2024 school
census). This number has risen by 32.1% since October 2020. Of these, 44.1% are in special
schools, and 19.6% of pupils in Hillingdon special schools are from other local authorities.
The number of students with an EHCP maintained by Hillingdon is 3,452 as of October 2024, which
is a 37% increase since January 2020. This number fluctuates as pupils move in and out of the
Borough, pupils gain an EHCP, or others have their EHCP ceased when all of their outcomes have
been met, or they become age 25.
Graph 1. Hillingdon Residents with EHCPs – Actuals and 23/24-based Projections
8
➢ 11.9% of Hillingdon pupils are registered to receive SEN support (Jan 2024 school census),
which is below with the national average of 13.4% (Jan 2024 school census). Progress has
been made over the last year, but there is still more to do to identify and support children and
young people with SEND in mainstream settings.
➢ 4.7% of Hillingdon pupils have an EHCP (Jan 2024 school census) which is on par with the
national average of 4.7% and below the London average of 5.1% (Jan 2024 school census).
All percentages have increased each year since 2016.
➢ There were 350 2 EHC plans maintained by Hillingdon as of Jan uary 2024. Whilst this
indicates a net increase of plans since January 2022 (3092 EHCPs). There has been a 40%
increase in the number of EHCPs since 2020, compared to 48% nationally. The year-on-year
EHCP net growth has decreased from the previous trend of 7% per year to 4.6% this year ,
which reflects continued work on ceasing plans where appropriate . Since 2020, there has
been a consistent level of movers in each year at 3% of the cohort and cessation in the same
period has also been fairly consistent with an average of 9% during the 2023 calendar year
compared to a national average of 8%.
➢ The number of Hillingdon pupils with EHC plans classified as having a primary need of autism
has doubled in the last 5 years from 976 in Jan 2019 to 1915 in Jan 2024.
➢ 34.4% of the children and young people with an EHC P issued by Hillingdon attend special
schools (including specialist post 16), which is higher than 3 2.1% nationally. This has
however, decreased by 3.8 % from the previous year, compared to a 1.1% decrease
nationally, despite growth in number of EHC plans.
➢ 56.1% of Hillingdon children and young people with EHC plans are supported in a mainstream
school (including early years and further education) which is below 5 8.4% nationally. There
has been a 1% increase in Hillingdon compared to a 1.7% increase nationally when
compared to the previous year.
Graph 2: breakdown of the EHCP cohort as of SEN2 2024 by type of setting age range (0-
25)
9
Type of educational setting Early Years % Yr 0 (reception)
& above %
Mainstream 10 0.3% 1828 52%
Maintained Special 5 0.1% 947 27%
Independent Special (INMSS) 0 0.0% 354 10%
Other (includes EOTAS, EHE, NEET,
tuition, PVI etc.) 18 0.5% 338 10%
Alternative Provision 0 0.0% 2 0%
33 0.9% 3469 99%
Total 3502
5. Current Provision
Below are several tables to explain the type of special schools within Hillingdon, and the number of
pupils by year group. We are able to meet a range of needs across the schools, and there is a mix
of Community and Academy schools. There is only 1 special school that can accommodate primary
and secondary pupils, the other 6 schools have fixed age ranges.
Table 1 - October 2023 – Special School Roll
School School
Type Designated Need
Grangewood School Academy SLD/PMLD/MSI
Hedgewood School Community MLD (Complex)/ASD
Meadow High School Community MLD (Complex)
Moorcroft School Academy SLD/PMLD/MSI
Pentland Field School Academy MLD/ASD
Willows School Academy Trust Academy SEMH/MLD/ASD
The PRIDE Academy Academy SEMH
Current total special school rolls are set out in the table below. The total roll is now 1,05 3, a rise of
7.3% on last year (9 81 in January 2023), and an overall rise of 2 5.6% in the past 5 years ( 838 in
January 2019). The majority of the pupils are Hillingdon residents although some schools near
borough borders take higher levels of out of borough pupils.
Table 2. January 2024 – Primary Special School Roll
School Name Nursery R 1 2 3 4 5 6 Total
Grangewood 2 12 17 27 24 20 17 19 138
Hedgewood - 5 21 30 28 38 36 30 188
Pentland Field - 3 12 4 10 6 10 11 56
The Willows - - - 9 13 12 19 19 72
Primary Total 2 20 50 70 75 76 82 79 454
Table 3. January 2024 – Secondary Special School Roll
School Name 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Total
Meadow 44 38 35 35 18 37 29 26 262
Moorcroft 16 21 16 17 22 16 14 11 133
10
Pentland Field 12 14 21 14 13 14 10 14 112
The PRIDE
Academy 20 14 17 20 19 2 - - 92
Secondary
Total 92 87 89 86 72 69 53 51 599
6. Capital programmes
DfE Led Projects
There are currently 2 separate government funded capital building projects. The DfE funded and
managed Priority School Building Programme 2 (PSBP2) aims to rebuild and refurbish school
buildings in the most need across the country, and the Free School projects, which will create
additional places. In Hillingdon, this relates to 5 special schools and one new autism unit within a
mainstream school. All these places will be commissioned for Hillingdon residents and will reduce
out of Borough provision and costs, though some cross -borough movement and use of specialist
provision will always be needed.
Priority School Building Programme 2:
• Meadow High School is a complex MLD setting for secondary aged pupils. It
was largely rebuilt by DfE Priority Schools Building Programme, with a larger hall
and other improved facilities but no extra places, which officially opened in
September 2022.
• Harlington Secondary School PSBP expansion that included a new
Designated Unit for 16 pupils with autism opened in the Autumn Term 2023.
Free School Projects
One new Free School has opened already, with the construction of two new Free Schools underway
and approval for another Special Free School:
• The PRIDE Academy opened in January 2023 as a Social,
Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) specialist setting for
secondary age pupils. The school expanded its previous
provision by 45 places, including Key Stage 3 and 4 and post-16
places and has now broadened their designation to also include
complex autism with SEMH in order to meet local needs.
11
• Grand Union Village is a new primary Severe Learning
Difficulties /Profound Multiple Learning difficulties
(SLD/PMLD) school with 80 new places. The build was
completed in the Autumn Term 2023 but is being used to
decant pupils from Grangewood to allow for the building of
the new Pinn River school.
• New Pinn River Free School with 80 additional places that
include expanded SLD/ PMLD/ Multi -Sensory Impairment
MSI provision which is due to open in 2026. This all through
school will provide places for pupils currently in satellite
provisions at Pinkwell Primary School and RNIB Sunshine
House within the Eden Trust.
• New Special Free School – to create 180 place all through school for pupils with autism and
complex needs. Eden Trust was successful in its application for the free school.
Local Authority Led Projects
The following table details the LA led projects that have been completed in the last academic year:
Table 4. Completed LA led projects
Provider
Project type -
expansion,
suitability,
accessibility
Provider
Type Phase Type of
SEND need
Number of
additional
places to be
created
Charville Primary
Academy
SRP for pupils
with autism
Academy
Primary Primary Autism 16
Ruislip Gardens
Primary School
Specialist
Assessment
Base
Community
Primary
School
Primary All 16
Ruislip Gardens
Primary School
SRP for pupils
with autism
Community
Primary
School
Primary Autism 16
Wood End Park
Primary Academy
(south)
Designated Unit Academy
Primary Primary
Autism with
Complex
Needs
24
The following table provides details of current LA led projects to provide additional SEND places:
Table 5. Current LA led projects
Provider
Project type
Expansion, suitability,
accessibility
Provider
Type Phase Type of
SEND need
Number of
additional
places to be
created
Meadow High
School
Expansion by
adaptions and small
extension to create
new 2nd site, and
Community
Special
School
Secondary MLD 98
12
demolish/rebuild on
main site
Pinkwell
School (Elliot
Trust)
Agree permanent
status beyond 2024
of the temporary Unit
used by Eden Trust
2022-24.
Academy Primary SLD TBC
Post 16 College Provision
Harrow, Richmond, Uxbridge College (HRUC) is a local Further Education (FE) setting which
provides education for children and young people post 1 6. The college accommodates a large
cohort of Hilling don residents with SEND. In response to the growing demand for more specialist
provision within mainstream FE, HRUC were recently successful in their bid for purchasing Barra
Hall and are planning to create over 70 places post 16 and post 19 students with MLD/SLD from
September 2025. This will offer our local residents more options for young people with EHCPs to be
educated within Hillingdon.
Alternative Provision
The definition provided by the Department for Education (DfE) for Alternative Provision is ‘education
arranged by local authorities for pupils who, because of exclusion, illness or other reasons, would
not otherwise receive suitable education; education arranged by schools for pupils on a fixed period
exclusion; and pupils being directed by schools to off-site provision to improve their behaviour’. This
is the definition which Hillingdon adopts.
Alternative Provision can take many different forms, and in all cases, the provision should be both
efficient in its delivery of education and suitable to the child’s age, ability, and aptitude; and to any
special educational needs they may have. Hillingdon sees the use of Alternative Provision as a time-
limited intervention for a child to address specific needs which cannot be done through their
mainstream se tting. The aim for all packages of Alternative Provision is to support successful
reintegration.
The needs of most children and young people can be met through mainstream education provision,
but a small proportion with the most complex needs require specialist support. This enables them
to progress in their learning, going onto their next step towards adulthood. Some children and young
people, however, need education or training arranged outside a mainstream or specialist setting in
order to receive suitable education or training. This can be for a number of reasons:
• Children and young people who have been permanently excluded from their school.
• Children and young people who have medical and mental health needs preventing them from
attending a school.
• Children and young people at risk of suspension, on a fixed period suspension, or directed
by schools to off-site provision to support behavioural and emotional challenges.
• Young people aged 16 - 25 with an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or other
vulnerabilities needing additional support to progress to adulthood.
• Children and young people unable to cope with a full -time curriculum, missing out on
13
education, or who find themselves isolated in mainstream schools because of behavioural or
other challenges.
The number of children requiring access to an Alternative Provision in Hillingdon fluctuates
throughout the year. There are on average at any time approximately 100 children accessing
Alternative Provision commissioned by the Council.
The majority of these places are commissioned by the SEND EHCP Team or the Exclusions and
Reintegration team. In many cases, this is because a mainstream or specialist setting cannot meet
the child’s current SEND needs, or they have been permanently excluded.
Some children’s needs are being met in a group setting and others require 1 -1 support. Hillingdon
commissions from a range of providers, including Alternative Provision Free Schools, Further
Education Colleges and Sixth Form Centres, Tuition Centres and Personal Tutors.
Hillingdon launched a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) for commissioning Alternative Provision
in May 2024. This allows Officers to create and maintain an approved pool of Alternative Provision
providers to ensure market availability and best value to meet the needs of the children in the
borough who require access to Alternative Provision. Approved providers are invited to bid for
individual placements or for block placements through mini competitions (a ‘call off’), thus offering
assurance on compliance and value for money.
Use of the DPS creates a competitive environment for suppliers whilst also ensuring a breadth of
provision will be available to best meet the needs of a diverse and fluid cohort of children and young
people. There are four lots providers can apply for:
• Lot 1: Full time education provision
• Lot 2: Part time education provision
• Lot 3: Bespoke provision
• Lot 4: Support for post-16 Education and Preparation for Adulthood
There are currently 23 providers listed on Hillingdon’s Alternative Provision DPS.
Following a trend in recent years of permanent exclusions issued to primary -aged students,
Hillingdon has identified a need for alternative provision places which are tailored to this age group.
This type of provision is required to provide day-6 education to those students who are in receipt of
a permanent exclusion, as well as short term places which can cater to children who require shorter
term interventions to address specific concerns within their mainstream setting.
7. Predicted future demand
There were 3503 EHC plans maintained by Hillingdon as of January 2024 (SEN2 data). Whilst this
indicates a net increase since January 2023, we have seen a decrease in year-on-year net growth
which reflects the impact of new initiatives in meeting needs earlier and the cessation of plans.
Based on current trends, in the next seven years the projected number of EHCPs is anticipated to
increase by 16% whereas in the last 5 years the percentage change in the number of EHCPs was
50%.
14
The growth rate is monitored and review ed regularly to ensure we can respond to the demand
variation in a timely way. In order to promote a positive response to the predicted increase, there is
a need for ongoing development of our specialist provision offer. We already know that the number
of children and young people attending school out of the borough and/ or Independent Non -
Maintained Special Schools (INMSS) is too high, and this has implications for their family lives,
friendships, and future expectations and is often not best value.
8. Our Key Priorities
Our key priorities link to the ambitions from the Local Area SEND & AP Strategy especially Ambitions
2 and 3 – fully inclusive education for all and provision meets the needs of Hillingdon’s children and
young people so that our approach is holistic, and outcomes are measurable.
• Priority 1: We will support all schools and settings in Hillingdon to be inclusive and welcome
children and young people with SEND , whilst promoting the uptake of early help and
intervention pathways.
• Priority 2: We will deliver new, ambitious and innovative provision that enables children and
young people with SEND to receive excellent education in their local community, with
sufficient places at all stages planned to meet the current and future demands.
• Priority 3: We will ensure children and young people with SEND are supported to access a
curriculum which is appropriate for their learning needs, and which enables their transition at
key stages and into adulthood.
Linked to our key priorities outlined above is additional commissioning work in relat ion to Short
Breaks and Tuition in order to ensure we are able to meet the needs of all children and young
people, including those of primary age who have been excluded from school.
Short Breaks for disabled children
Short Break opportunities (Short breaks - Hillingdon Council) are currently delivered through a range
of ways, including:
• Universal services
Available to all children and young people with a disability, sometimes at an additional cost
• Targeted services
Accessed through a light touch early help assessment, and includes signposting and a range
of services, sometimes at an additional cost
• Specialist services
Access is through a referral to our Stronger Families Hub , requesting a child and family
assessment
The Council is in the process of reviewing this offer and will be recommissioning services jointly with
the ICB during 2025.
Tuition
15
Tuition services are provided through a DPS arrangement, which will continue to develop during the
lifetime of the contract. Commissioners are working with partners and Providers to extend provision
to meet the needs of children of all ages and needs, so that they have access to appropriate tuition
where required. The group tuition offer is in the process of being recommissioned, and a new model
is expected to be in place for September 2025.
Travel Assistance
In Hillingdon we are constantly evolving the way in which our school travel assistance services
operate, to better suit the needs of our children and young people with SEND. Our principles include
ensuring the safety of the children and young people sustainably and promoting the independence
and life skills of children and young people. A key focus within strengthening our travel assistance
offer is to promote independent travel, and support prep
View Decision / Minutes Text
Executive Decision Notice – 25 February 2025
This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk
OFFICIAL EXECUTIVE DECISION NOTICE
PUBLISHED BY DEMOCRATIC SERVICES
Notice is hereby given that the following decision(s) have been made today by
Cabinet Members at the London Borough of Hillingdon:
Title of decision SEND SUFFICIENCY STRATEGY
Reference No. 1336
Date of decision Tuesday 25 February 2025
Call-in expiry date Tuesday 04 March 2025
Relevant Select
Committee
Children, Families and Education Select Committee
Relevant Wards All
Decision made
Cabinet Members
making the decision
Cllr Susan O’Brien - Cabinet Member for Children, Families and
Education
Decision Approved
That the Cabinet Member for Children, Families &
Education:
1. Duly considered the consultation on the draft
SEND Sufficiency Strategy.
2. Noted the comments provided by the Children,
Families and Education Select Committee; and
3. Approved the SEND Sufficiency Strategy, and for
publication.
Reason for decision The SEND Sufficiency Strategy will support strategic planning
and assist the Council to comply with its statutory duty to provide
sufficiency of school places to meet parent demand across the
Borough for pupils with SEND.
Alternative options
considered and
rejected
No Alternative Options Considered
Classification Part I - Public
Link to associated
report
The Link to the report can be found here
Relevant Officer
contact & Directorate
Dominika Michalik – Assistant Director of SEND & Inclusion
Any interest declared
by the Cabinet
Member(s) /
dispensation granted
N/A
Executive Decision Notice – 25 February 2025
This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk
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