Dear Mr Johnson

Request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000

Case Reference 202403743

Thank you for your correspondence received by North Northamptonshire
Council on 15/10/2024 requesting information regarding SEN under the above
Act. Your request for information is currently being considered and should
the Council require any further clarification regarding your request, we
will contact you to discuss this with you.

 

Assuming we do not require any further details from you, a full response
to your enquiry will be provided within 20 working days. In the meantime,
please accept this letter by way of an acknowledgement of your request for
information.

 

Our Privacy Notice can be found at [1]Information governance privacy
notice | North Northamptonshire Council (northnorthants.gov.uk)

 

Kind Regards

Lucy DaSantos

 

Information Governance Team

North Northamptonshire Council

Telephone: 0300 126 300

References

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1. https://www.northnorthants.gov.uk/servic...

Dear Mr Johnson

 

Thank you for your below request for information received by the authority
on 15 October 2024. I can confirm that North Northamptonshire Council
holds the information requested in part.

 

Please see below the service response, with our apologies for the delay.

 

1. SEN Register Data:
• The total number of pupils on the SEN register across all schools in the
area, broken down by:
a) Those with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs)
b) Those receiving SEN support without an EHCP

 

 

SEND pupils (School Census Data) 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24
1a EHCP pupils total 2021 2335 2681
1b SEND Support pupils total 6826 6579 7121

 

2. SEN Support Processes:
• Information on how schools in the area are expected to support children
with SEN prior to receiving a formal diagnosis - North Northamptonshire
Council does not hold this data – this would be managed by schools
directly
• Any guidance provided by the local authority on identifying and
supporting children with undiagnosed SEN – None available

3. EHCP Needs Assessment Referrals:
• The number of requests made for EHCP needs assessments across all
schools in the area over the past three academic years (2021-22, 2022-23,
2023-24 to date).
• The number of EHCPs approved and the number rejected over the same time
period.

  SEN2 Return data (Calendar Year) 2021 2022 2023
3a Initial requests for an EHCP Plan 406 980 1065
3b Initial requests for an EHCP 105 261 220
Assessment refused
3c Number of EHC Plans issued in the 470 738 541
year*
*This data will not correspond with the above rows as 20 weeks can
pass before an assessment become a plan

4. Waiting Times for SEN Support:
• Data on the average waiting time between a pupil being identified as
potentially needing SEN support and the implementation of that support
across schools in the district over the past three academic years.North
Northamptonshire Council does not hold this data – this would be managed
by schools directly

5. Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and EHCP Reviews:
• The number of Individual Education Plans (IEPs) currently in place for
pupils without EHCPs, and how often these IEPs are reviewed across schools
in the area. - North Northamptonshire Council does not hold this data –
this would be managed by schools directly
• The process for reviewing and updating EHCPs across schools in the
district. - Please see attached PDF documents, NNC Annual Review Timelines
& NNC Annual Reviews Leaflet

6. Teacher Training on SEN:
• Data on how often teachers across the district receive training on SEN,
including pre-diagnosis support.
• Whether external trainers are utilised for SEN training or whether it is
provided internally by schools (e.g., by SENCOs).
North Northamptonshire Council does not hold this data – this would be
managed by schools directly

7. Complaints and Concerns About SEN Support:
• The number of complaints or concerns raised by parents regarding SEN
support in schools across the district over the past three academic years.
• Any outcomes or changes made in response to these complaints.
North Northamptonshire Council does not hold this data – this would be
managed by schools directly

8. Additional Support Services:
• Information on any external services or specialists (e.g., educational
psychologists, speech and language therapists) available to schools in the
area to support children with SEN, especially those awaiting diagnosis.

Please see the following link for information -
[1]www.northnorthants.gov.uk/schools-and-education/local-offer-send-and-ehc-plans

9. Exclusions and Disciplinary Actions:
• The number of exclusions or disciplinary actions taken against pupils
with SEN, including those awaiting diagnosis, across all schools in the
district over the past three years.
• Policies on handling disciplinary issues for SEN pupils, including
pre-diagnosis - North Northamptonshire Council does not hold this data –
this would be managed by schools directly

  Exclusions (number) 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 Sept - March
9a Fixed Term and Permanent 210 537 554
Exclusions - EHCP Pupils
9a SEND Support Pupils 1492 2061 2212
Awaiting diagnosis (information
not held)

 

I trust the above is helpful, however if you are dissatisfied with the way
we have handled your enquiry or you are unhappy with the response
provided, you have the right to request an internal review. 

 

Please note a request for an internal review should be submitted no later
than 40 working days from the date of receipt of this response.  The
Council is not obliged to accept a request for an internal review beyond
this timeframe.  A full response to your request for a review will be
provided within 20 working days. 

 

If you remain dissatisfied with the Council’s internal review, you have
the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner (ICO).  It is
recommended that you contact them no later 3 months from the date of our
final response, using the contact details below: 

 

Information Commissioner’s Office 

Wycliffe House 

Water Lane 

Wilmslow 

Cheshire 

SK9 5AF 

 

Telephone:  0303 123 1113 

 

[2]https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/ 

  

Yours sincerely 

 

Information Governance Team

From: "James Johnson" <[FOI #1186840 email]>
Sent: 14 October 2024 22:03
To: "FOI requests at North Northants Council" <[North Northants Council
request email]>
Subject: Freedom of Information request - SEN Support Across Schools in
North Northants

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organisation. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognise
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To: FOI Officer or Information Governance Team

Dear Sir/Madam,

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I am requesting information
regarding the provision and support for children with special educational
needs (SEN) across all schools in North Northants district. I would be
grateful if you could provide the following data:

1. SEN Register Data:
• The total number of pupils on the SEN register across all schools in the
area, broken down by:
a) Those with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs)
b) Those receiving SEN support without an EHCP
2. SEN Support Processes:
• Information on how schools in the area are expected to support children
with SEN prior to receiving a formal diagnosis.
• Any guidance provided by the local authority on identifying and
supporting children with undiagnosed SEN.
3. EHCP Needs Assessment Referrals:
• The number of requests made for EHCP needs assessments across all
schools in the area over the past three academic years (2021-22, 2022-23,
2023-24 to date).
• The number of EHCPs approved and the number rejected over the same time
period.
4. Waiting Times for SEN Support:
• Data on the average waiting time between a pupil being identified as
potentially needing SEN support and the implementation of that support
across schools in the district over the past three academic years.
5. Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and EHCP Reviews:
• The number of Individual Education Plans (IEPs) currently in place for
pupils without EHCPs, and how often these IEPs are reviewed across schools
in the area.
• The process for reviewing and updating EHCPs across schools in the
district.
6. Teacher Training on SEN:
• Data on how often teachers across the district receive training on SEN,
including pre-diagnosis support.
• Whether external trainers are utilised for SEN training or whether it is
provided internally by schools (e.g., by SENCOs).
7. Complaints and Concerns About SEN Support:
• The number of complaints or concerns raised by parents regarding SEN
support in schools across the district over the past three academic years.
• Any outcomes or changes made in response to these complaints.
8. Additional Support Services:
• Information on any external services or specialists (e.g., educational
psychologists, speech and language therapists) available to schools in the
area to support children with SEN, especially those awaiting diagnosis.
9. Exclusions and Disciplinary Actions:
• The number of exclusions or disciplinary actions taken against pupils
with SEN, including those awaiting diagnosis, across all schools in the
district over the past three years.
• Policies on handling disciplinary issues for SEN pupils, including
pre-diagnosis.

Closing:
Thank you for your attention to this request. I look forward to receiving
your response within the statutory 20 working days. Please feel free to
contact me if you require any clarification on these points.

Kind regards,
James Johnson

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Information Governance Team

North Northamptonshire Council

Telephone: 0300 126 300

References

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