SEND is perhaps the biggest challenge for budget decision-makers in Trusts and schools today. Bethan Whyman of School Business Services explores the issues and offers some solutions.
The Pressure and the Response
Good things can come out of moments of high pressure, and education is no different.
Take SEND, for example. Across the education sector, almost everyone acknowledges that we’re in a crisis with special needs.
The figures speak for themselves: the number of pupils receiving SEND support is rising by 100,000 a year, from 1.2 million in 2015-16 to 1.6 million in 2022-23.
Half of those figures are made up of pupils with higher need EHCP, with 50% supported within state mainstream schools.
That pressure has forced schools to become increasingly inventive with their approach to staffing. And school business leaders can play a key role in facilitating these innovative approaches by working hand in hand with their SEND colleagues, with flexibility as the watchword.
Uncertainty at Primary Level
It’s relatively straightforward for secondary schools to work out which of their new intake will require SEND support, but at primary it’s much more of a ‘finger in the wind’ process because it is often unclear how many SEND pupils, they can expect to enter Reception. Very few children in early years settings will have an EHCP, for example.
Reception teachers will often have a conversation with the nursery practitioners about each child, including whether they think they've got any special needs. A visit is more likely if that early years setting is on-site or part of the same Multi-Academy Trust.
Planning for Flexibility from Day One
It’s at that point schools can begin the process of considering your staffing needs, building in flexibility as SEND requirements can change as children move through primary school.
Ensuring that staff are well skilled and flexible so they can adapt to those changing needs is the key. For example, learning support assistants (LSAs) – properly supported and trained – can cover SEND needs from reception and early years all the way through to Key Stage Two in primary years.
There might be a staff member who has been supporting a child that has moved on to secondary school who, with support and additional training, can be used to support other children.
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Making Smart Staffing Decisions
Agency staff have their place, but this kind of flexibility can be expensive, especially if you need to provide just a few hours of support for an EHCP pupil per week. In these cases it can be more cost effective to directly employ TAs who are happy to work for a few hours per week.
It can be a temptation to over staff to cover all bases, but school business professionals need to guard against this situation wherever possible, chiefly because once the contract is signed its very difficult to flex staff hours according to requirements. It’s often more cost effective to base contracts on slightly fewer hours because it is often easier to increase those hours if needed.
Using Fixed-Term Contracts for Agility
Issuing contracts for a fixed term is another way of retaining that flexible approach to SEND support. Some schools will employ staff on a fixed one-year contract to cover a specific need, giving the school the opportunity to review and potentially change that requirement when renewal time is coming up.
The Value of an Expert SENCO
In so many cases the skill and experience of the SENCO makes a big difference. If you know a SENCO who is highly skilled at getting those EHCPs and getting hours funded, keep them close. These professionals can be worth their weight in gold because they will know how to make a case for additional SEND support or funding – know-how that they should be encouraged to share with other less experienced SENCOs in your Trust.
Our sister company, Best Practice Network, offers the NPQ for SENCOs to empower SENCO leadership. Learn more here.
The Role of Financial Planning Tools
Finally, a financial planning system such as SBS Financial Planner will be a useful tool for reviewing and planning your staffing levels. The Financial Planner allows you to look at pupil to teacher ratios and manage those costs more accurately. For example, you can input a range of SEND staffing scenarios and see exactly how this will impact the bottom line, allowing you to make better informed staffing decisions.
Authored by Bethan Whyman
Senior Finance Consultant
Bethan is a financial professional with over twenty years’ experience across education, industry and accountancy. Bethan has worked in schools for six years across a number of roles, including Financial Controller, Finance Business Partner and Bursar. She is experienced in budgeting, forecasting, month-end and commercial finance including revenue strategy and debt management and collection.
Bethan Whyman is Senior Finance Consultant at School Business Services, which provides finance & accounting support and financial planning software to more than 4,000 UK schools and academies.
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