Contents
- Introduction to Bexley’s Local SEND Reform Delivery Plan
- News and updates
- SEND Reforms - further information
- Building Block 1: Strengthening inclusion across education settings
- Building Block 2: Access to specialist support and local
- Building Block 3: System leadership, local partnership collaboration and co-production
- Building Block 4: Encouraging inclusive culture and behaviours
Building Block 1: Strengthening inclusion across education settings
Organising places and provision to meet as many needs as possible, as close to home as possible, with all settings and providers moving towards a shared understanding and consistent practices around inclusion.
| Key Outcomes | What we will do to achieve this outcome | Success Measures | Responsible Task Group / Strategic Lead | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Universal Offer | |||||
| Inclusion SEN Toolkits align with National Inclusion Standards and are ready for use across early years, schools and post-16 providers. | Review and revise Quality First Teaching SEN Toolkits with Early Years Settings, Mainstream Schools and Post 16 Providers, Health and key partners, to align with National Inclusion Standards. | Percentage of children aged 5–16 who have an EHCP attending mainstream schools (45.3% – 48% by 2028/29) Q2 45.3% – Q3 45.3% – Q4 45.5% Education settings report a better understanding of national inclusion standards leading to a decrease in the number of Education Health and Care Needs Assessment requests (786 - 650 by 2028/29) Q2 786 – Q3 786 – Q4 741 | Head of Early Intervention and Specialist Advice Service | Jul 2026 | Sep 2027 |
| Sufficiency of Local Placements | |||||
| Local sufficiency pressures are known and inform how planned growth addresses demand. | Annual reviews of Childcare Sufficiency Report and Commissioning Plans for both mainstream schools and special schools are completed. | Increased number of special school places and inclusion bases is informed by sufficiency plan data and meets local need. | Head of Strategic Partnership and Improvement Head of SEND | Jul 2026 & Oct 2026 | Feb 2027 & Mar 2027 |
| Increased number of special school places available in Bexley. | Identify the number of additional Social Emotional & Mental Health places required and commence discussions with Trusts. | Increased number of special school places in Bexley (893 – 933 by 2028/29) Q2 893 – Q3 893 – Q4 893 Percentage of children 5–16 years old with EHCP’s who are placed at Independent Settings (5.1% – 4.1% by 2028/29) Q2 5.1% – Q3 5.1% – Q4 4.9% Reduce unit costs of EHCPs by 6% by 2028/29 through reduced reliance on independent sector settings. Q2 0% – Q3 0% – Q4 0% | SEND & Education Reform Task & Finish Group | Jul 2026 | Mar 2027 |
| Increased number of Inclusion Base Places (both specialist bases and support bases) | Survey to establish the current number and location of specialist and support bases. Collaborate with Trusts to identify the types of new provisions needed and where they are required. | Number of Specialist Base places in mainstream settings (412 – 588 by 2028/29) Q2 412 – Q3 462 – Q4 470 Number of Support Base places in mainstream settings (15 – 75 by 2028/29) Q2 15 – Q3 15 – Q4 30 Percentage of children 5–16 years old with EHCP’s who are placed at Independent Settings (5.1% – 4.1% by 2028/29) Q2 5.1% – Q3 5.1% – Q4 4.9% Reduce annual spend on SEN transport (£11.5m – £13m by 2028/29) | SEND & Education Reform Task & Finish Group | Jul 2026 | Mar 2027 |
| Early Years | |||||
| Early years identification and intervention strategies are improved, including the role of Best Start Family Hubs. | Proposal to improve early years identification and intervention strategies through the integration of WellComm and Early Years Talk Boost into Best Start in Life. | Number of children screened by WellComm. (Develop baseline and reporting) Number of children who have received Early Years Talk Boost intervention. (Develop baseline and reporting) | Head of Strategic Partnership and Improvement | Jul 2026 | Mar 2027 |
| Early Words Together intervention – staff trained ready for rollout in Sep 26 | Number of staff trained to deliver Early Words Together intervention. Number of parents receiving Early Words Together intervention. (Develop baseline and reporting) | Head of Strategic Partnership and Improvement | Jul 2026 | Mar 2027 | |
| Transitions from early years to primary school are strengthened, ensuring effective information flow and timely specialist input. | Refine process for transition from early years to primary school, through the introduction of a new digital process. | Private, Voluntary & Independent nurseries and primary schools report that transition process is clearer and more consistent. Measures are put into place for young children at the earliest opportunity. | Head of Strategic Partnership and Improvement | Jul 2026 | Mar 2027 |
| Preparing for Adulthood / Post 16 | |||||
| Pathways to adulthood are strengthened, supporting young people to access education, training, employment and supported internships. | Shaw Trust to implement their ‘Navigator Programme’ for Sep 2026 start, offering a pre-internship year to ensure young people are ready for their Supported Internship year. | Shaw Trust offers 20 x Navigator places from Sep 2026 100% of young people have a pathway plan with readiness criteria agreed from Sep 2026. | Head of SEND Preparing for Adulthood Task & Finish Group | Sep 2026 | Jul 2027 |
| Promotion of Supported Internships and Navigator to parents/carers, young people, SEN partners and employers. | Increased number of young people completing Supported Internships. Q2 8 – Q3 13 – Q4 13 Increased percentage of young people entering employment following the completion of a Supported Internship. (Develop baseline) | Head of SEND Preparing for Adulthood Task & Finish Group | Sep 2026 | Jul 2027 | |
| Develop Local Offer Live event, with partners, focused on Preparation for Adulthood. | At least 175 young people attend Local Offer Live events. | Head of SEND Preparing for Adulthood Task & Finish Group | Jul 2026 | Mar 2027 | |
| SEND Employment Forum to engage local employers to offer Supported Internship placements / employment that meets young people’s aspirations. | Increased number of employers offering work placements and/or employment. (Develop baseline) | Head of SEND Preparing for Adulthood Task & Finish Group | Jul 2026 | Mar 2027 | |
| SEND Employment Forum to develop post-16 education sufficiency. | Percentage of young people with an EHCP aged 16–17 who are not in education, training, employment (NEET) (9.8% – 8% by 2028/29) Q2 9.8% – Q3 9.8% – Q4 9.4% | Head of SEND Preparing for Adulthood Task & Finish Group | Jul 2026 | Mar 2027 | |
| Pathways into and out of post-16 settings are clearer, informed by consistent information flow and timely, effective specialist support. | Co-production to revise Post‑16 Quality First Teaching SEN Toolkit to strengthen and standardise support for young people transitioning from school into post‑16 provision. | Schools, Post-16 providers, parents, carers and young people report that pathways into and out of post-16 settings are clearer. | Head of Early Intervention and Specialist Advice Service Head of SEND Preparing for Adulthood Task & Finish Group | ||
| Implement Preparation for Adulthood Through Holistic Support - PATHS Pop-Up conversations in cluster locations and track data. | Monitor number of queries, outcomes and customer satisfaction. (Develop baseline) | Head of SEND Preparing for Adulthood Task & Finish Group | Jul 2026 | Mar 2027 | |