Decision details

Following an initial public consultation with all stakeholders, a statutory notice period has taken place on a proposal to decommission the Speech and Language resource provision at Gledhow Primary School.

This notice period ran for 5 weeks from Monday 28 March and Friday 29 April 2022

Executive Board is asked to note the outcome of the statutory notice and make a final decision on the proposal.

Further to Minute No. 131, 16 March 2022, the Director of Children and Families submitted a report presenting the outcomes from the publication of a statutory notice on a proposal to decommission the Speech and Language Resource Provision at Gledhow Primary School with effect from August 2022. Specifically, the report invited the Board to review the outcome of the statutory notice and approve the proposal to decommission the Resource Provision from end of the 2021/22 academic year.

In introducing the report, the Executive Member presented the key points of this proposal, and noted that there had been no responses received throughout the statutory notice period.

A Member made enquiries regarding the proposal when considering the wider provision of, and demand for speech and language services across the city moving forward. In response, the Board was provided with further detail on the actions which had been taken when drawing up the proposals, such as the associated consultation exercise and the work undertaken which had identified that the proposals would be better suited to providing good outcomes for the young people using the service. Also, it was noted that there was confidence that the new model would deliver sufficient provision in the city. Responding to a further enquiry on sufficiency of provision, officers undertook to liaise with health colleagues to provide the Member in question with further detail on this.

In agreeing the proposals detailed within the submitted report, Councillor A Carter reiterated the comments that he had made during the consideration of this item regarding sufficiency of service provision.

RESOLVED –

(a)  That the outcomes from the statutory notice, be noted, and that the proposal to decommission the Resource Provision from the end of the academic year 2021/22, as detailed within the report, be approved;

(b)  That it be noted that the responsible officer for the implementation of such matters is the Head of Learning Inclusion.

As prescribed by: Section 19(3) of the Education and Inspections Act 2006; The School Organisation (Prescribed Alterations to Maintained Schools) (England) Regulations 2013.

Parents/carers, staff and governors of Gledhow Primary School, head teachers of local primary and Secondary schools and all SILCs, SEND support groups, community committee, local ward members, Dioceses, local MP and other relevant stakeholders.