Herts County Council cuts number of children waiting more than a year for a special school place by 57%
More than 80 children with SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) in Hertfordshire have been waiting for at least a year for a place at a specialist school.
According to the latest data, that total is 57.2% lower than the 187 pupils who had been waiting for a specialist place for 12 months or more in September 2023.
However, the county council’s executive director of children’s services, Jo Fisher, told a meeting of the county council’s education, SEND and inclusion cabinet panel that it was “too long”.
She said officers were doing everything within their capacity to make sure these children were getting a school place “as fast as possible”.
The data was included in a wide-ranging performance report presented to the cabinet panel on Friday (June 6).
Also highlighted in the report was the increase in the capacity of specialist provision in the county – with the addition of 764 places in specialist schools in Hertfordshire and 255 in ‘specialist resource provision’ since 2018.
It was reported that this increase in capacity, “paired with officers dedicated focus to finding suitable provision for children and young people who have been waiting”, has reduced the numbers waiting more than 12 months.
Nevertheless, Conservative Cllr Paula Hiscocks told officers that the number of children who have been waiting for a year-plus “really concerns” her.
She asked whether they were receiving other forms of help while they were waiting for specialist provision.
Liberal Democrat Cllr Tina Bhartwas added: “I have certainly had cases in my division of young people who have ‘aged out’ of some of the support while waiting.
“And I’m aware of the knock-on effect on the families of the children who are still waiting – and other children in those households.
“So how long have these children been waiting and how realistic is it that their needs will be met?”
In response, strategic lead for intelligence and insight David Butler said the “significant majority” of the 81 children recorded in the report had been waiting between one and two years.
And he added: “I can’t give you the precise number.
“But just to give you that assurance, that although a long time, for almost all of those children it is one to two years, and not beyond that.”
During the meeting, head of improvement and transformation Samantha Rostom acknowledged that it could be “really challenging” for families.
She confirmed that they did get support during their wait, often provided in a mainstream setting with “a wraparound offer of support” so that they “can access education until we can get them into the setting that is much more optimal”.
“However, it must be said that we recognise that’s often not good enough from a parent’s perspective,” she said.
“It’s still really difficult because it just felt like they are still sort of waiting for that, you know, ideal place.
“And unfortunately, given where we are in such a challenged system, we are having to utilise the structures and the support that we have available to do that and do it to the best of our ability. But it is still a real challenge.”
Commenting on those waiting more than 12 months, Ms Fisher said: “I know from a parent and child experience that is not good enough.
“We are in a really difficult situation where we are trying to do our best in a really difficult national and local context.
“We are creating as many new places as we can […] – satellites, specialist resource provisions, building new special schools.
“However, we know that the reality is that at this moment in time, we do have too many children who are waiting for that specialist provision and where we’re having to put in place that wraparound support.
“And we are really working hard to make sure those parents know that we are doing our best – that we haven’t forgotten their child and that we are doing everything within our capacity to do our very best to make sure their children get a school place as fast as possible.”