Feb 3, 2020, North Yorkshire County Council: North Yorkshire strides ahead with SEND changes https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/news/article/north-yorkshire-strides-ahead-send-changes In carrying out its ambition to create more and better local provision and a more inclusive culture for children and young people with SEND, the County Council has created capacity for nearly 100 additional special school places this year alone and in the coming year will provide 72 targeted permanent full time places for children with SEND within mainstream schools…. A review of the first year of the County Council’s SEND strategic plan, which has just been published, highlights the significance of the changes. As well as creating additional special school places, including a Ripon site for Mowbray School with the capacity to provide up to 60 places, North Yorkshire has successfully bid for a special school in Selby. … “Our long-term plan was developed in collaboration with children and young people, their parents and carers, and professional partners,” said County Councillor Patrick Mulligan, North Yorkshire’s Executive Member for Education and Skills. “The strategic plan outlined initiatives to promote effective early intervention; more specialist targeted and long-term provision in mainstream schools; more places in special schools; a flexible system of teaching and learning and continuation of support through to adulthood. “It was based on detailed forecasts of future demand in each locality to ensure the Council is commissioning the right type of provision in the right place to create a more sustainable and effective service…. North Yorkshire is facing unprecedented and increasing demand on its special educational needs and disability budget. There are almost 163,000 children and young people aged 0-25 in North Yorkshire and the numbers with Education and Health Care Plans are rising. There are currently more than 3,200 with plans but this is predicted to rise by nearly another 1,000 by 2022, in line with national trends. This is in addition to over 10,000 children with SEND receiving support in school without the need for an Education and Health Care plan. Over 10 per cent of the school population is provided with special educational needs support and this is also expected to increase. The figure for those with Social, Emotional and Health needs has increased by almost 38 per cent in the last two years and growing numbers of those with communication and interaction needs (particularly autism) is also contributing to the overall rise. Together, these groups account for almost 73 per cent of the total increase. …
Childhood Lost
Children today are noticeably different from previous generations, and the proof is in the news coverage we see every day. This site shows you what’s happening in schools around the world. Children are increasingly disabled and chronically ill, and the education system has to accommodate them. Things we've long associated with autism, like sensory issues, repetitive behaviors, anxiety and lack of social skills, are now problems affecting mainstream students. Blame is predictably placed on bad parenting (otherwise known as trauma from home).
Addressing mental health needs is as important as academics for modern educators. This is an unrecognized disaster. The stories here are about children who can’t learn or behave like children have always been expected to. What childhood has become is a chilling portent for the future of mankind.
Loss of Brain Trust features over 9,000 news stories published worldwide since January, 2017
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