Staged reintegration/integration guidance and protocol

This protocol sets out the statutory position in relation to staged reintegration/integration plans, identifying the exceptional circumstances when it might be appropriate to agree a short-term reduced timetable. It sets out the process that must be followed to secure safeguarding responsibilities; entitlement; due process; monitoring and recording and makes explicit what schools must do if a part-time timetable is agreed.

All schools are expected to have regard to this guidance in order to ensure statutory compliance and the safeguarding of children across the city. See the statutory guidance from DfE.

What the law says

Can a school place a pupil on a reduced timetable?

“As a rule, no. All pupils of compulsory school age are entitled to a full-time education. In very exceptional circumstances there may be a need for a temporary reduced timetable to meet a pupil’s individual needs. For example where a medical condition prevents a pupil from attending full-time education and a part-time timetable is considered as part of a re-integration package. A reduced timetable must not be treated as a long-term solution. Any pastoral support programme or other agreement must have a time limit by which point the pupil is expected to attend full-time or be provided with alternative provision.”

DfE

All children of compulsory school age are legally entitled to receive a suitable full-time education and local authorities have a statutory duty to ensure that all children in their area receive such an education. The Local Government Ombudsman has established (in its report Out of school…out of mind (LGO. 2011)) that the number of hours of teaching per week considered to represent full-time education is as follows:

• Reception and Key Stage 1 (R, Y1 and Y2) - 21 hours
• Key Stage 2 (Y3 to Y6) - 23.5 hours
• Key Stage 3 (Y7 to Y9) and Y10 - 24 hours
• Y11 - 25 hours

The assumption is that pupils should receive full-time education consistent with their Key Stage

A timetable is considered reduced when it consists of something less than that which is provided to the majority of the pupil's peers in that setting. As a rule, schools are only permitted to provide less than full-time education, including placing a pupil on a reduced timetable, in very exceptional circumstances

Safeguarding

Section 157 and 175 of the Education Act 2007 places a duty on Local Authorities and schools to exercise their functions with a view to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Schools must have regard and consideration for the safeguarding issues and the impact this might have on a child when considering a reduced timetable.

Schools have a safeguarding responsibility for all pupils on their roll and therefore must be aware that even with parental agreement to any arrangement they make, they are responsible for the safeguarding and welfare of pupils off-site during school hours.

Current guidance from Ofsted states that information about children missing from education is essential and all schools should notify the Local Authority of any part-time education arrangements. This includes schools maintained by the Local Authorities, Academies, Free Schools and Independent Schools. The local authority has a statutory responsibility to identify and track any pupil missing education. Any pupil on a reduced timetable is deemed to be at risk of missing education and therefore needs to be identified and tracked.

It is important to highlight that there is no statutory basis upon which to establish a reduced timetable. However, in exceptional circumstances, schools may need to implement one, in order to support a pupil who cannot attend school full-time for a short, agreed period.

Operating Protocol

Staged Reintegration/Integration plans

A staged reintegration/integration plans must not be treated as a long-term plan. The arrangement should always specify an end-date by when it is expected that the child will return to full-time education (or when an alternative will be provided) and be reviewed regularly in the light of any changes to the child’s circumstances.

A temporary reduced timetable should provide a means of achieving re-integration to full-time education. It should never be used as a form of exclusion from school for part of the school day or as permanent provision.

When might a staged reintegration plans be considered?

• As part of an in school support package - School, parent/carer and other professionals agree that a short-term (ideally no longer than 6 weeks) reduced timetable would support a pupil who has become disaffected, to regain success. This would be a closely monitored intervention to address and manage the impact of significantly challenging behaviour or emotional or social needs.
• For medical reasons – if a pupil has a serious medical condition, where recovery is the priority outcome. These arrangements would be part of a “medical plan” agreed between the school and health professionals. Please see the DfE statutory guidance “Ensuring a good education for children who cannot attend school because of health needs” 2013 before offering a reduced timetable for this reason.
• Reintegration - as part of a planned reintegration programme into school following for example, an extended period out of school following exclusion, non-attendance, school refusal etc. (ideally no longer than six weeks)

Key points

• Any proposal to use a staged reintegration/integration plans must be discussed with the parent/carer before the arrangements start
• A parent/carer must consent (and not be coerced) to a staged reintegration/integration plan by signing an agreement form. The agreement form must make explicit that they are consenting to a staged reintegration/integration plan; that they are taking responsibility for the pupil when he/she is not in school and that they are guaranteeing that the pupil will be supervised off site
• The staged reintegration/integration plan should be for a limited period. The suggested maximum length of a part-time timetable is half a term. If this time need to be exceeded you are strongly advised to discuss the situation with a relevant Local Authority Officer
• The objectives of any staged integration plan should be clearly recorded and understood
• Any staged reintegration/integration plan arrangements must be regularly reviewed

Staged reintegration/integration plans should only be used in very limited circumstances. For example:

• Where there are behavioural difficulties and the school is trying a staged reintegration/integration plan as an intervention to improve behaviour and thereby avoid exclusion, as part of a pastoral support plan (PSP) or a planned reintegration package.
• Where a pupil has a short-term medical condition that prevents full time attendance for a time limited period.
• Where a pupil has an ongoing medical condition, which necessitates them missing more than 15 school days (or more than 30 sessions) as a result of the condition.

If a staged reintegration/integration plan is implemented Schools should:

• Ensure that a part-time timetable is not deemed to be an illegal exclusion.
• Provide pupils with sufficient and appropriately differentiated work to cover the hours they are not in school.
• Arrangements should be made to ensure that the work is marked; assessed and constructive feedback is given to the pupil.

Vulnerable Groups - additional considerations

Pupils with an Education, Health & Care Plan

• It is illegal for schools to discriminate against pupils on the basis of their special educational needs and/or disability
• A staged reintegration/integration plan should only be used for a pupil with an Education, Health & Care Plan in very limited circumstances.
• A pupil should not be put on a part-time timetable because of their special educational need as this may constitute discrimination. In some cases a special educational need may also be a disability and therefore constitute a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010.
• Schools must ensure that the provision specified in the EHC plan is delivered in order to meet the child’s needs and secure their statutory entitlement

Looked after children

• A staged reintegration/integration plan, for a Looked After Child should only be implemented in very limited circumstances and not before all other interventions have been tried. Before proceeding, the following steps are required: A formal review of the child’s Personal Education Plan (PEP) Written parent/carer agreement and the consent of both the child’s social worker and the Virtual School (or their representative)

Children subject to a child protection plan

Children on a child protection plan are very vulnerable and may be placed at greater risk if placed on a reduced timetable. Therefore a staged reintegration/integration plan, should only be implemented in the most exceptional circumstances when all other interventions have been tried. The following steps are required:

• Formally consult the child’s social worker and secure agreement
• Any staged reintegration/integration plan should only be implemented following a Core Group meeting.

School Readiness

In Coventry, children ordinarily start school in the September following their 4th birthday. However, it is acknowledged that parents can choose to defer their child’s start to the beginning of the term following the 5th birthday. It is common practice for schools to stagger admission during the early part of the Autumn term to support all children in adjusting to school life, this process is not regarded as a reduced timetable. The admissions process may begin with shorter days e.g. mornings for a commonly agreed period of time, quickly building to full-time attendance.

A school may determine, that for a small minority of children who are not ‘school ready’, an extended integration programme is appropriate to support their emotional and developmental needs. In this circumstance, the child would be regarded as being in receipt of a reduced timetable and an appropriate plan must be agreed in partnership with parents and signed consent recorded. The programme must focus on ensuring that full-time attendance is achieved no later than the term following the child’s 5th birthday.

Children new to the city

Children arriving new to the City, are entitled to be admitted to school without delay. If the admitting school identify that the child has SEN but the child is not subject to an EHC Plan, then the school must progress admission. The law specifically states that a child cannot be denied admission to a school on the grounds that they have SEN, it should be noted that any failure to progress admission may be judged discriminatory under the Equality Act. If the school believe that the child’s needs are severe and complex, they can make representations for a ‘fast track’ statutory SEN, health and care assessment’ and/or seek interim support.

Fair Access Protocol

Coventry’s Fair Access Protocol, seeks to secure managed moves for vulnerable children for whom a ‘fresh-start’ has been identified as beneficial. This includes children who have been permanently excluded or who are at risk of permanent exclusion from school. Children who are subject to an EHC Plan cannot be considered through the Fair Access Protocol, because the statutory admissions process that must be followed is set out in the SEND Code of Practice.

If it is determined that a child placed at a school through the FAP requires a reduced timetable, the reduced timetable must follow the process set out in this guidance,

Illegal exclusions

Staged reintegration/integration plans that DO NOT have clearly defined objectives, a specified end date, a review process, and/or the consent of parents/carers may constitute an illegal exclusion.

Schools are required to:

• Inform the local authority of any instance of a child being placed on a part-time timetable, so that the local authority is aware of the arrangements (ref. Pupils Missing Out on Education. Ofsted November 2013)
• Provide information to governors about any children placed on part-time timetables, so that governors can fulfil their responsibilities to monitor the school’s provision.

Summary of process

1. Complete a detailed action plan that sets out a clear path to planned reintegration from part-time provision to full-time attendance, with a date for review. Where appropriate, the child should be actively involved in this planning. The plan should be reviewed if there is a change to his/her circumstances or needs.
2. If the child has a Statement of SEN, or an Education, Health and Care Plan, consult with the local authority’s SEND team to ensure that the EHC Plan is implemented fully under a reduced timetable. The school should also consider whether it is appropriate to arrange an interim review if for example the child’s needs have changed and it is considered that this could impact on the ability for the provision to meet his/her needs.
3. Confirm, in writing, which adults will be responsible for the duty of care for the child during school sessions when he/she is not attending; (schools retain full duty of care for all children who are on the school roll if they are receiving education off-site).
4. Obtain written consent to the arrangements from the child’s parents/carers. Should parents/carers not agree to the staged reintegration/integration plan, it cannot be implemented, as without parental agreement a reduced timetable would be considered to be an unlawful exclusion.
5. Keep a central record of the arrangement and reviews and notify the local authority electronically, using the form provided for this purpose (to be attached).
6. Record the child’s absence from school for sessions when he/she is not in attendance as authorised absence (register code C).
7. Inform the local authority when the child returns to full-time education.

The information provided will be used:

By the Local Authority to:

• discharge its safeguarding responsibilities to collect and analyse data relating to children not in full time education (Ofsted Framework for the inspection of services for children in need of help and protection, children looked after and care leavers June 2015)
• analyse data relating to the use of staged reintegration plans to inform service delivery

To allow schools to:

• inform the Local Authority when a pupil is placed on staged reintegration/integration plan.
• demonstrate transparency and accountability in the use of staged reintegration/integration plans.
• create reports for use in monitoring and analysing data relating to pupils on staged reintegration/integration plans.

Additional information

The Ofsted School Inspection Framework states:

Should inspectors find that the school has used exclusion illegally, this should be taken very seriously and taken into account when judging leadership and management.

Professionals who become aware of an illegal exclusion or a pupil on a reduced timetable and have concerns around the reasons for its use, the length the timetable is in place for and/or whether it has the consent of the child’s parents/carers should notify the Education Entitlement Team at Coventry City Council

Marking the attendance register

The DfE guidance provides specific guidance In respect of reduced timetables it states:

“In agreeing to a part-time timetable a school has agreed to a pupil being absent from school for part of the week or day and therefore must record it as authorised absence. Therefore, in most cases, it would not be appropriate to use the ‘B’ code to record the period when a pupil on a part-time timetable is not attending school. The C code would be more appropriate in most situations.

Where a pupil is attending alternative provision as part of their part-time timetable it may be appropriate to use the B code for that aspect of their timetable. However it remains the schools responsibility to monitor attendance whilst they attend alternative provision.

Staged Reintegration/Integration Notification