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Mark Lever Chief Executive NAS Member NAS Academy Trust

‘Transforming education provision for students with autism; what we have learnt from setting up a free school and developing mainstream ‘inclusion’ units’. Mark Lever Chief Executive NAS Member NAS Academy Trust. Support. NAS survey 48% of parents waited over a year to get right support

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Mark Lever Chief Executive NAS Member NAS Academy Trust

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  1. ‘Transforming education provision for students with autism; what we have learnt from setting up a free school and developing mainstream ‘inclusion’ units’ Mark Lever Chief Executive NAS Member NAS Academy Trust

  2. Support NAS survey • 48% of parents waited over a year to get right support • 27% more than 2 years • 69% say educational progress suffered through lack of support • 75% say its harmed social and communication skills • 3 in 5 say it harmed child’s mental health

  3. Training for professionals NAS survey • When teacher has good autism understanding happiness at school rises from 53% to 86% NUT report found 44% of teachers do not feel comfortable teaching ASD Teacher survey found 55% do not feel they have had right training NQT rating of help with SEN in their classes is rising , ‘good’ or ‘very good’ rating ; 51% in 2008 to 62% in 2011 Ofsted in 2008 found two thirds of lessons for LD and/or disabilities were satisfactory or worse

  4. Out of County Placements NAS Survey 2011 • 15% parents have children out of LA area • 43% of children in autism specific are out of area Audit Commission 2007 • 23% of out of area placements are for children with ASD

  5. Suspension NAS survey 2011 • 17% suspended from school • Of which 48% three or more times • 32% asked to take children home early • 19% had done so 4 or more times

  6. Tribunals NAS Survey 2011 • 18% parents had gone to tribunal • On average 3 to 4 times each • Education Rights Service supports 2000 callers pa HM Courts and Tribunal Service • ASD largest proportion of cases to SENDIST and rising • 26% in 2008/9 to 31% in 2009/10

  7. So what are the NAS doing?

  8. Children and Families Bill • The legislation needs to fulfill its promise to end parents ‘battle for support’ • The Bill abolishes School Action and School Action Plus • Integration of health and social care remains a concern

  9. Education • 7 Schools • 237 day students • 138 residential students • 139 students in Key Stage 5 or Further Education

  10. Response to a changing landscape • Out reach from existing schools • Building on enterprise, education and employment • Inclusion units on mainstream sites • Free Schools

  11. What is a free school Free Schools are all-ability state-funded schools set up in response to what local people say they want and need in order to improve education for children in their community.

  12. Numbers of new Free Schools September 2011 323 applications, and 24 opened September 2012 281 applications (of which 10 are SEN) and 55 opened September 2013 102 to open (of which 5 are special schools) Refurbishment and acquisition costs have ranged from £500k to £10m

  13. What are the NAS doing?

  14. Top tips Strong bids • Inspiring, aspirational, clear and succinct vision that clearly articulates rationale • Convincing education plan • Strong evidence of demand • Commitment of experienced education professionals • Robust financial plans • Available, viable and affordable site

  15. Back down to earth… ‘If 90% of new businesses fail, along with 50% of marriages, then why should a Free School be any different?’

  16. East London free school withdrawn due to lack of parent interestNewham Free Academy, one of coalition's flagship free schools, unable to prove demand for scheduled opening in September

  17. Top tips Weak bids • Rushed spelling and formatting • Education that is not focussed or aims to do to much • Plans with few targets or measures of success • Poor evidence of demand • No specific commitment from education professionals or experienced governors • Poorly defined governance structures with possible conflicts of interest • Financial plans with substantial deficit or unrealistic assumptions

  18. What have we learnt?

  19. Thank you – any questions? mark.lever@nas.org.uk @MarkLeverNAS www.autism.org.uk

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