The Children's Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee met on Wednesday 2 September 2026 to discuss a range of critical issues affecting children and young people in Wokingham Borough. Key decisions included noting the progress on the Skills and Employment Strategy, the SEND and Inclusion report, and the Home to School Transport Update. The committee also reviewed the Sufficiency Strategy for children in care and the Annual Youth Justice Plan.

Executive Member Update: Bearwood Primary School Relocation Proposal

Councillor Prue Bray, Executive Member for Children's Services, provided an update on the consultation for the proposed relocation of Bearwood Primary School to a new site in Spencer's Wood. This proposal is part of a wider strategy to address surplus primary school places in some areas of the borough while meeting the demand for additional places in the south-west. Bearwood Primary School has been identified as the preferred option for consultation following an assessment of expressions of interest from schools against criteria including educational offering, SEND provision, and site suitability for conversion to specialist SEND provision. The committee was informed that the proposal is subject to a formal consultation, and no final decision has been made. Transport support would be available for existing pupils for a defined period if the relocation proceeds.

Skills and Employment Strategy

Councillor Mark Ashwell, Executive Member for Business and Economic Development, and Nicky Phillips, Skills and Employment Service Manager, presented the draft Employment and Skills Strategy. The strategy aims to improve outcomes for young people by strengthening partnerships between education providers, employers, and support services to enhance pathways into employment and skills development. Priority groups include care-experienced young people, those with SEND, and those at risk of economic inactivity. Planned developments include an ACCESS Hub to coordinate support and signposting, enhanced collaboration with local businesses, and research into the needs of economically inactive young adults. The committee noted concerns about the lack of awareness of available support services among young people and the reliance on social media for information.

SEND & Inclusion

Jamie Conran, Acting Service Director for SEND and Inclusion, reported on progress in the timeliness of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), with 88% completed within statutory timescales in Q1 2026/27, reaching 100% in June 2026. Despite this improvement, demand for SEND support continues to grow, with a 7% increase in assessment requests and a 13% rise in EHCPs issued compared to the previous year. The timeliness of annual reviews has improved to 47%, but remains a focus for recovery. Children missing education and permanent exclusions are below national benchmarks. The local SEND Reform Plan is progressing towards implementation, aiming to enhance locality working and the Experts at Hand model for specialist advice. The Area SEND Priority Action Plan has been approved and published, with work underway to make it more accessible. The potential write-off of up to 90% of the High Needs Block deficit, estimated at £48 million, was discussed, though a significant residual deficit remains.

Education, Best Start in Life and Lifelong Learning

Ming Zhang, Service Director for Education and SEND, and Majid Ali, Head of Education and Belonging, presented an update on educational performance, inclusion, and the development of the Education and Belonging Strategy. Educational performance across Wokingham remains strong, with schools adapting positively to the new Ofsted framework. The strategy aims to strengthen inclusion, attendance, and outcomes for vulnerable learners, with a particular focus on addressing attainment gaps for disadvantaged children. The Educational Psychology service has increased capacity with Assistant Educational Psychologists, and Family Hubs are expanding their reach. The distinction between SEND units and resource bases was clarified, with units offering more specialist environments and resource bases allowing for greater mainstream integration. Discussions also covered attainment gaps, with ongoing work to target support for disadvantaged learners.

Home to School Transport Update

Zoe Storey, Home to School Transport Manager, reported on the service's performance and financial management. Despite increased demand, particularly for SEND transport, expenditure has reduced for the third consecutive year, achieving substantial savings. This has been attributed to improved route planning, contract management, increased use of Personal Travel Budgets (PTBs), and the expansion of Independent Travel Training (ITT). The ITT programme has shown significant success in supporting young people with SEND to travel independently, leading to cost savings and improved life skills. The committee noted the positive outcomes and the growing interest in the ITT programme, with plans to explore expanding capacity and developing a traded service.

Sufficiency Strategy 2026-29: Loving Homes for the Children We Care For

Carey Tulloch, Service Director Commissioning and Insights, presented the draft Sufficiency Strategy 2026–2029. The strategy aims to ensure sufficient high-quality homes and support services for children in care and care leavers, focusing on improving outcomes through stable and nurturing placements. Wokingham performs well in placement stability and educational attainment, but challenges remain in securing placements for children with complex needs and teenagers. The strategy aims to reduce reliance on distant placements and increase local provision. Analysis suggests a need for additional capacity across fostering, residential care, and supported accommodation over the next three years, with a total requirement of 51 additional placements. The strategy emphasizes a whole-system approach, including prevention, placement stability, and support for care leavers.

Annual Youth Justice Plan

Jackelyn Dance, Head of Service for Integrated Front Door and Partnerships and Prevention and Youth Justice Service, presented the Annual Youth Justice Plan 2026-27. The plan highlights reduced contact with the criminal justice system for Wokingham children, with a 53% reduction in first-time entrants and no children remanded or placed in custody during the reporting period. The Exclusion Prevention Programme has received regional recognition, and there has been a reduction in young people not in education, employment, or training (NEET). Priorities for the coming year include strengthening SEND and inclusion responses, improving data analysis, enhancing victim support and restorative practice, and continuing to develop prevention and knife possession responses.

Family Help and Safeguarding Update

Adam Davis, Service Director for Homes, Care and Provision, provided an update on the Families First Programme, which has moved into delivery with the launch of the Family Help Service. Services are now co-located at Shute End, improving collaboration. The move to ten Family Help Pods aims to provide more consistent relationships for families. Family Group Conferencing has launched positively, and design work for the Integrated Front Door and Multi-Agency Child Protection Team is progressing. The Council is currently caring for 151 children, with numbers remaining low compared to benchmarks. The Mockingbird fostering model is delivering positive outcomes, and support for care leavers is being expanded, including the development of a Care Leaver Hub. The Philomena Protocol is being strengthened to improve responses when children go missing from care.

Forward Programme and Action Tracker

The committee reviewed its Forward Programme of work, noting future reports and ongoing items. The Chair agreed to consider rescheduling some agenda items for the September meeting due to a packed agenda. The latest Action Tracker update was also received, with members noting progress on outstanding actions.

Schools Causing Concern – Part 2

This item was discussed in a Part 2 session, meaning details are not publicly available.