1. Joint Social Emotional and Mental Health Free School
Halton & St Helen’s
Engagement Event
Tuesday, 21st May 2019
Halton Stadium

2. Halton Context

3. Halton Demographics
19,490 children of school age resident in St Helens
IMD Halton was ranked as 23rd most deprived local area out of all 326 local areas across the country,
Significant demographic challenges
265 children looked after
20% SEND (EHCP)

4. Halton Educational Offer
Number of Schools (January 2018)
Nursery
Primary
Secondary
Independent
Special
PRU
Total 3 49 8 4 1 69

5. St Helens Context

6. St Helens Demographics
26,417 children of school age resident in St Helens
IMD St Helens was ranked as 51st most deprived local area out of all 326 local areas across the country,
Significant demographic challenges
470 children looked after
17% SEND
Hospital admissions for self harm amongst year olds 3rd highest in England
Admissions due to mental health problems 3rd highest in England

7. St Helens Educational Offer
54 state funded primary schools, including 5 academies,
9 state funded secondary schools, including 4 academies,
4 maintained resource bases
3 maintained special schools including Penkford SEMH School
3 Independent non maintained special schools
2 Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) located in St Helens.

8. Vision
Both Councils are committed to inclusion and wish to develop good quality local provision which improves outcomes for pupils with Social Emotional and Mental Health.

9. Halton Borough Council, in partnership with its neighbour LA St Helens, seek to open a co-educational, secondary special free school.
The new provision will offer a quality educational experience for 50 pupils.
Pupils will have  with a range of social, emotional and mental health needs with associated challenging behaviours symptomatic of their SEN.
These needs have prevented these pupils  from learning within a mainstream school
 The pupils will require a high level of educational and therapeutic support.

10. Both Councils have seen a significant increase in pupils with SEMH and in Halton it is one of the three most prevalent primary SEN needs both at primary and secondary.
It will be essential that the Free School provides specialist expertise and advice to current mainstream and PRU provision, contributing to a range of strategies to address the growing demand for more specialist, joined up provision for children with SEMH.

11. There is no specialist SEMH secondary provision in Halton
There is no specialist SEMH secondary provision in Halton.  Currently pupils are being placed outside the borough and are travelling some distance from their home and local communities to access the appropriate support.
Vulnerable young people are at a  disadvantaged  with the current arrangements as they may not benefit from wrap around support from local services which makes establishing supportive relationships that will sustain them as they make their transition through to Post 16 education, employment or training more challenging.

12. It is expected that the new school will work with range of support services which will include as a core Educational Psychology, CAMHS, Early Help Teams and the Virtual Head teacher.  At year 9 there will be strong focus on preparing for adulthood with relevant post 16 partners. 

13. The free school will offer an outreach service to mainstream schools
The free school will offer an outreach service to mainstream schools. We anticipate that this will be on a traded basis and will be in place in year 2 to allow the school to establish itself within the school communities and undertake market testing in year 1.
This will support improved inclusive practices in mainstream schools, supporting young people to remain in or re-integrate back into mainstream education where possible.

14. Pupil placements will be managed by Halton Borough Council as the lead commissioner, in line with the Code of Practice and statutory assessment, and decisions will be made in partnership with the free school, parents and St Helens’ MBC to determine the admission of pupils.

15. Pupils placed in the Free School will have undergone assessment and will have an EHCP and will primarily come from primary or secondary schools within Halton and St Helens.

16. It is anticipated that the Free School will work closely with the SEMH Primary Resource Bases in Halton, St Helen’s provision, Tuition Services, Special Schools and the PRUs.
It is expected that strong links will be made with local mainstream provision in addition to the special school providing a resource base, training and outreach as part of a wider team.

17. - Pupils transitioning from INM SEMH schools at the end of KS2,
- Pupils returning from out of borough INMSS placements, where agreed with the family
- Placement pressures – projected increase
Appropriately place pupils currently in Pupil Referral Units

18. Funding and Site
The school will receive £10,000 on a placement basis with top up of £15,000 per placement.
The proposed location of the school will be Naylor Road in Widnes.

19. Key
Red line extent of site boundary

22. Building Size
Based on the Building Bulletin 104 , ambulant special schools
Pupil numbers – 50
Total floor area – 1775 sqm
Site area
‘non net areas’ areas and outdoor sports/social areas amounts to 13,600 sqm
Car parking spaces approx. 40 spaces in addition to the site area
Staff numbers anticipated - 20

23. Lease Arrangement
Model Department for Education lease
Term 125 years
Rent peppercorn
Parties Halton Borough Council, Department for Education and the Operator