ISC attacks DCSF proposal regarding the abolition of Approved Special School status

25 October 2007

As MPs urge the Government to rethink its refusal to separate the assessment and funding of special educational needs, the Independent Schools Council has responded to the DCSF's recent consultation proposals to abolish the status of Approved Special Schools.

Abolition of the status of Approved Special Schools

The Independent Schools Council (ISC) has attacked the DCSF consultation proposing the abolition of the status of ‘Approved Independent Special Schools' as ‘flawed and unnecessary'.

The current approval regime provides a system of positive approval to ensure any independent school catering wholly or mainly for Special Educational Needs (SEN) pupils is able to meet their highly specialised needs. Schools are approved to help a designated range of problems and cannot recruit outside that range, so being able to build up expertise. ISC believes there is no evidence supporting a need to reform the current approval process, and is seriously concerned that removing it will do no good, simply leaving local authorities to place SEN* children in schools not designed to cater for such particular needs. It seems likely also to make it more difficult for tribunals to ascertain whether an appeal should be allowed or not.

Commenting on the issue, ISC Chief Executive Jonathan Shephard said:

"It is questionable whether the local education authorities (LEAs) have the will or the means to fully investigate the expertise available in a specific school in which a placement is being offered to ensure that it matches the needs of the child. With the Approved "kite mark" LEAs would know that such expertise existed. The proposal is putting the clock back and nullifying the improvements of previous legislation."

ISC also questions whether local authorities have adequate resources to carry out relevant suitability tests. The implications of the wrong placement being made are wide-ranging and devastating - sending a child, particularly one with SEN, to a non-specialist school can affect every aspect of their life forever.  Further, the inappropriate placement of a child is a massive waste of public funds.

ISC particularly fears that, in reality, local authorities will take the opportunity to reduce the number of placements in the independent sector, and place students inappropriately - at schools which, be they maintained or independent, though they could provide excellent general education, may not offer the safeguards of specialism and quality present under the current approval mechanism.

Notes to editors

ISC

The Independent Schools Council (ISC) represents the seven leading independent schools associations in the United Kingdom, collectively educating more than 500,000 children in 1,278 schools. ISC exists to promote choice, diversity and excellence in education; the development of talent at all levels of ability; and the widening of opportunity for children from all backgrounds to achieve their potential.

Approved status

The Education Act 1996 s347(5) requires than an independent school chosen by the parent must either be ‘approved' by the Secretary of State for the placement of children with statements or the Secretary of State must have ‘consented' to that placement for that particular child. Lists of the ‘approved' schools are available from the DCSF.

Full ISC consultation response

Press enquiries: Alexandra Caish, Head of Press, ISC
Telephone: (office) 020 7766 7060 (mobile) 0788 5620713
Email: alex.caish@isc.co.uk