Agenda item

14.1     The Assistant Director Education introduced the report and updated action plan which set out progress made against the recommendations of the School Exclusions Scrutiny Review. The report also provided an update on local Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) provision.

14.2     The Assistant Director noted work across the Department to take forward the agreed action plan, including work with schools to build a sense of collective ownership, and noted that although there had been increases in the number of exclusions, this was not as significant as what was showing in national data, despite national issues also having an impact in East Sussex.

14.3     After the current PRU, College Central, was judged inadequate by Ofsted in February 2024, there had been challenges in delivering quality provision for the most vulnerable children and in delivering preventative work on exclusions. The Assistant Director noted that the Department for Education had agreed to transfer this provision to London South East Academy Trust, which would take place in 2025.

14.4     The Committee thanked officers for the report and discussed the following:

• Progress against the action plan – The Committee sought assurance on work underway to address actions that were rated amber in the action plan. The Strategic Lead: Inclusion and Alternative Provision noted challenges with the change in PRU and the delay with this process due to the general election and assured the Committee that the Department was working towards these. The Lead Member for Education, Inclusion and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) noted that work with Department for Education had impacted on this timeline, but assured the Committee that continued progress would be reported at the next update.
• SEND pupils – The Committee enquired about the number of SEND pupils with a permanent exclusion, as well as work to support SEND pupils who had been or were at risk of permanent exclusion. The Strategic Lead responded that in the last academic year, 64% of students who were permanently excluded were SEND. A key focus was to support schools in delivering a strong SEND provision, which would in turn benefit all children. She also noted most pupils at risk of permanent exclusion presented with additional needs, including social, emotional and mental health, autism spectrum disorder, communication, and processing skills and there were workshops and training available to schools to address these needs. The Assistant Director added that the alternative provision strategy aimed at meeting the needs of all children, with different tiers and levels of intervention available. The Department also worked with schools to ensure that, where possible, alternative provision was tailored to support any additional needs, including those identified by schools but without a formal diagnosis.
• Exclusion data – The Committee sought clarification on the number of permanent exclusions detailed in the report and heard that for 2023/24 there were 37 primary and 93 secondary permanent exclusions, and for 2022/23 there were 33 primary and 79 secondary permanent exclusion in East Sussex. The Committee welcomed news that this data was more positive than national exclusion data and asked how this had been achieved. The Assistant Director noted that although national complex reasons were mirrored locally in levels of demand across services, work had begun locally years earlier which was now having an impact. This included rethinking responses to exclusion and working with schools to develop a collaborative approach. The Strategic Lead noted the ongoing challenges locally, including higher number of permanent exclusions in Hastings, Rother and Rye, but that schools were working in partnership to support pupils and families.
• Support for and engagement with parents – The Committee enquired about support and engagement with parents when a pupil is at risk of permanent exclusion, including the process if parents do not wish to engage. The Strategic Lead noted the work of support practitioners who worked with families when a child has been permanently excluded and that these were often positive relationships as they are independent of the decision. Communication and support could also take place through social workers where this applied to a family. 
• PRU provision – The Committee enquired about PRU provision, including available accommodation. The Assistant Director noted that current work to transfer provision, including securing more permanent and secure provision, included accommodation in Hastings, Eastbourne, and Newhaven. In response to a question about provision in other parts of the county, the Assistant Director noted that buildings were in areas of highest need, but a range of provision was available across the county, including outreach services and in school provision.

14.5     The Committee RESOLVED to note the report and to receive a further update report in six months time.