PLANS for improving education for children with additional needs and those unable to attend school have been agreed by councillors.
Monmouthshire County Council was required to produce a “clear strategy” for those with special educational needs following its last Estyn inspection in April 2020 which also recognised the “passion and commitment” to improve the service.
The council has now produced an inclusion strategy with an updated additional learning needs, or ALN, policy as well as what’s called an EOTAS policy that sets out how the council will support education other than at school for those unable to attend for reasons such as illness or exclusion.
Pupils unable to attend mainstream school are supported by the pupil referral unit, either attending in person or supported with learning at home, while the council aims to provide “high quality” specialist educational in its schools to reduce costly out of county placements.
Councillor Laura Wright, the Labour cabinet member for education, said in response to a question from Conservative opposition leader Richard John in September this year the council has 34 pupils in out of county specialist placements.
She said that had reduced from 134 in the 2022/23 academic year and the council is continuing to add capacity through its specialist resource bases, in secondary and primary schools.
That has included expanded provision at the King Henry three to 19 school in Abergavenny, an additional class at Pembroke Primary in Chepstow and the newly opened resource base at Caldicot’s Castle Park Primary.
But Cllr Wright said it wasn’t possible to say if out of county places would reduce in future but she was confident it is increasing its own capacity.
The cabinet agreed the policies, which were subject to consultation late last year and earlier this year, are agreed and published.
