Latest news with #JonathanHulley
BBC News
6 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Surrey County Council SEND provision to get extra £4.9m funding
An extra £4.9m is to be invested in special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) education in County Council's (SCC) cabinet approved the funding on Wednesday, with the money being used to recruit more staff and speed up authority said despite the extra investment, more funding and reform of the whole system was needed from national Department for Education has been approached for comment. The extra money will be used to pay for 30 assessment officers, who will work directly with parents as part of a new education, health and care needs assessment team working directly with families and schools will increase from 81 to is hoped a new mediation and dispute resolution team will cut the number of families needing to go to a tribunal by the changes have been fully implemented, the council said it will have 231 staff in total working in its statutory SEND service. Council insolvent due to SEND, leader saysCouncil facing growing debt due to SEND servicesSchools given £740m to adapt buildings for SEND pupils The council has been criticised by Surrey MPs and parents, who say they have been let down by the authority, with its leader issuing a public apology in council said there were about 46,000 children in Surrey with SEND needs, with 16,871 having an education, health and care plan, more than double the number in 2018, and up 10.5% on 2024. Jonathan Hulley, cabinet member for children, families and lifelong learning, said: "Provision and support for children with additional needs is a systemic issue that councils up and down the country are grappling with."We welcome urgent government reform of the SEND system and we have made it clear to ministers that, alongside these extensive and positive steps we are taking locally, national SEND reform and additional funding is needed urgently."
BBC News
14-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
The Surrey schools yet to make decision on a two week half term
From October 2026, schools which come under the responsibility of Surrey County Council (SCC) will have a two week half term and fewer days in the 2027 summer with many state schools being run in different ways and making their own decisions about term dates, the BBC's Political Reporter in Surrey, Jack Fiehn, looks at the current system and what is happening across the area. What is happening with school holidays? SCC carried out a survey and also asked schools for feedback on the plan for a two week half term in the autumn term. Afterwards, it said there is a "clear appetite" for the change, with 60% of schools in favour of the change, 30% against and a further 10% being undecided. The two week break for community and voluntary controlled schools will begin in the 2026/27 academic year. Five days will be taken away from the summer holiday which starts in July 2027. Councillor Jonathan Hulley, Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Lifelong Learning at SCC, said: "While the majority of feedback we have received supports this change, we appreciate that this is not the preferred option for some families, which is why we are allowing plenty of time to plan for the new arrangements."There is a legal limit of a minimum of 190 school days each year. Many schools can set their own term dates The majority of schools in Surrey are academies, which are independent, state-funded schools, receiving their funding directly from central government, rather than through SCC. There are also 10 free schools, which are schools set up as academies by groups of parents, teachers, charities, trusts, religious and voluntary groups. Along with foundation and voluntary aided schools, they are able to set their own term dates, so it is up to trust boards and governors to make final decisions. Some schools already have two week half terms Part of the reason that SCC is making the change is because several schools already have a two week half term and the aim is to have more consistency. For example, Engage Enrich Excel Academies, which runs five schools in Surrey, has had one for several years. Also the Pioneer Academy, which runs Holland Junior School, said it has been happening since 2018, while Bramley Oak Academy has had the longer autumn break since 2020, when it joined the London South East Academies Trust. Neil Miller, deputy CEO of London South East Academies Trust said: "All the schools in our Trust have a two week October half term - which we find to be extremely beneficial for staff and pupils."We have taken this approach following many years of research. This has shown that an extended break in October improves staff wellbeing and reduces absence rates in the second half of the long autumn term, which greatly benefits pupils."Crucially, there is no loss of learning time. We add 10 minutes of extra learning into the school day, which adds up to a full week over the year." Will other schools make a different decision? It is not yet clear exactly what will ultimately happen in the 2026/27 academic year. Many schools have already said that they will follow the SCC dates and have a two week half in response to a Freedom of Information request from the BBC, more than 60 schools said the dates had not been finalised or a decision had not been made. Peaslake Free School near Guildford, for example, said it is collecting parent views and discussions with staff and governors are taking place this summer term, with a final decision happening in the autumn. Several schools said that, although the term dates have not been confirmed, it is the usual practice to follow the ones set by SCC. But it should not be assumed that a two week half term will happen everywhere. For example, on its website, St. Dunstan's Catholic Primary School in Woking has published details of a one week break in October 2026. Private schools Private and independent schools have always had autonomy to set their own term dates, according to their own individual preferred times. They often have longer school days, but shorter terms and longer holidays. Some private schools have said they do take local authority dates into account when setting them, in order to help meet the potential needs of parents, who also have children in state schools.
BBC News
25-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Fall in Surrey primary school numbers due to lower birth rates
The number of children starting primary school education in Surrey has fallen by the equivalent of 56 classes, council papers School Organisation Plan 2025-2035 aims to set out how Surrey County Council (SCC) should make sure there are sufficient places to meet demand over the next 10 report says falling birth rates, alongside other changes, means there are too many infant, junior and primary places than are needed by children and, in some cases, school closures will have to be Hulley, SCC's cabinet member for children, families and lifelong learning, said: "The primary and secondary school populations in Surrey, and across the country, are changing." SCC said between 2003 and 2012, Surrey saw a 22% increase in births, but there was a decline from 2013, which has affected Reception to Year 2 year October 2016, there were 13,438 children who had just started in by October 2024, that had fallen to 11,735 children, a drop of 12.7% - the same as 56 council says it is "committed to working with schools to develop innovative solutions that work towards achieving long term sustainability for all schools". It said: "We also must acknowledge the reality that in cases where the number of children remains too low and is not projected to increase, all outcomes must be considered, including that of school closure." One of the schools currently at risk of closing is St Mary's Church of England Infant School in Shackleford, where the number of pupils dropped from 81 in October 2021 to 44 in October a consultation, a decision on the school's future is due to be announced on 7 in the village told BBC Radio Surrey it will be "very sad" if the closure does go report raises the concern that, because schools get money from the government based on the number of children attending them, a "high number of vacant places" can result in less money for staff, equipment, and maintenance also said it is expected that there will be more than 2,000 extra specialist school places in Surrey, including for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), by Department for Education (DfE) has been approached for a comment. Jonathan Hulley says: "High quality education is key to transforming the outcomes of children and young people. The primary and secondary school populations in Surrey, and across the country, are changing."He said SCC was working "collaboratively" with its partners, including schools, academy trusts and dioceses, "to secure sustainable settings and schools, and to continue to provide secure, high quality provision across the county".
