Devon scheme for additional needs pupils extended

Schools were also offered extra help through the project

A pilot scheme to help children with additional needs overcome concerns about going to primary school will continue, it has been confirmed.

Devon County Council said 100 children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send), who were due to leave pre-school and would benefit from additional support, were identified for the last academic year.

The scheme also provided schools with more support, with consultants observing the children and some sites receiving funding for additional resources.

The council said the scheme would be run again for the next academic year after it helped children, parents and staff find joining new schools less stressful.

None of the children - who went to 39 schools in Devon - previously had an Educational Health and Care Plan, which is given to a child after an assessment by the council of any additional support they may need, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

'Huge weight off'

Ottery St Mary Primary School’s head teacher Mark Gilronan said the impact on Send pupils had been substantial.

An Ottery parent also praised the scheme, saying the extra funding for the school had been "amazing".

They said: "It’s been a huge weight off my mind knowing there has been professional support around, with those practitioners able to understand and help my child to progress with his future learning."

Another parent from Stoke Fleming Primary School, which also took part in the pilot, said they were "so pleased with all of the extra insight we gained into our son".

"We still reference the print-outs we were given, and felt that our meetings with the school benefited from the additional resources too," they said.

'Early intervention'

Councillor Lois Samuel, cabinet member with responsibility for services that support young people with Send, said the council was "already consulting with professionals and partners to identify young people who will benefit most".

"This is all about early intervention, and meeting children’s needs at the right time and in the right place through a range of resources which may include some additional adult support," she said.

"It is very much about building staff knowledge and confidence so that this good practice becomes the norm that all schools can deliver."