Decision

A delegated capital budget of £0.5m is
to be established, funded from the Special Educational Needs and
Disabilities (SEND) capital budget, for small capital grants to
support mainstream schools to improve their whole school inclusion
offer. It is proposed that the budget is devolved to the Education
and Skills Service for the purposes of approving the allocation of
grants. Schools would have the opportunity to apply for small
capital grants to make adaptations to space/s within the existing
school site that will allow them to better support existing pupils
with additional needs and SEND. This devolved budget will support
at least 50 schools to improve their whole school inclusion offer
in relation to the physical spaces they have to offer.

This funding will support with the retention of pupils with
additional needs and SEND at mainstream schools, reducing the
number of children and young people who move to West Sussex
maintained and Independent specialist placements that are not in
their local areas. In isolation, this will have a positive impact
on pupils that have difficulties managing their school environment.
In collaboration with other areas of work, it will enhance the
whole school inclusion offer. As an example, a school could request
a small capital grant to turn an under-utilised space into a
sensory room or a breakout room to support individuals that need
time and space to regulate.

Schools will be required to supply a detailed business case setting
out the anticipated impacts and benefits and how the success of the
project will be measured, with the expectation that projects will
be delivered as School Managed Projects following the established
process.

The Executive Director of Place Services has approved the
allocation of £0.5m from the SEND capital budget to create a
devolved budget to fund small capital grants for schools. The
Executive Director has also agreed that the Assistant Director
(Education and Skills) approves the allocation of grants to schools
who make successful bids in accordance with the grant
criteria.