Derbyshire County Behaviour Support Service

Policy On Out Of School Tuition

A working party was established on 26 March 1999 to discuss the development of out of school tuition, following the approval and appointment of a county out of school tuition co-ordinator. The first meeting was held on 26 April 1999. Sections of the following policy will be refined and reviewed by the group during the next year.

Policy

The aims of the service may be summarised as follows:

1. To develop multi-agency support for pupils out of school
   
2. To re-integrate to full time educational provision
   
3. To provide an educational environment that is pleasant, helpful, friendly and secure
   
4. To develop the pupils range of social skills
   
5. To develop independence and responsibility
   
6. To meet academic potential
   
7. To encourage respect for the feelings of others
   

The service has also adopted the following county behaviour Support Service policies:

• Health & Safety
  
• S E N
  
• County curriculum policy
  
• Anti- bullying
  
• Behaviour
  
• Anti- racism
  
• Grievance
  

Criteria And Provision

Out of school tuition is provided in Derbyshire for pupils of compulsory school age who for a range of reasons, are unable to attend an appropriate school. In individual cases the specific factors are often complex but the client group will meet one of the following criteria:

1. Pupils permanently excluded from school
   
2. Medical conditions preventing school attendance
   
3. Pupils with problems leading to anxiety about attendance (phobic)
   
4. Pupils awaiting placement at a special school
   
5. Expectant or young mothers
   
6. Other pupils for whom school attendance is problematic. A small but significant group of pupils exists who have not been excluded from school but who refuse to attend, attend rarely or find schools unable or unwilling to admit them. In this type of situation the Area Behaviour Management Panel (and A.B.M.P. Liaison Group) will wish to come to a view based on evidence from agencies and individuals involved as to whether the authority indeed has a duty to provide for the particular pupil, and if it does not have a duty whether it will nonetheless make provision otherwise than at school.
   

The purpose of tuition is to provide a short term solution to these problems. Usually four hours a week is provided. This is usually conducted in the pupil's home or at a convenient location such as a library. Out of school tuition cannot provide pupils with the breadth of educational and social experiences of the school environment, so wherever possible students are offered tuition in small groups. There are a number of advantages to this; it increases the number of hours available to offer tuition; allows some measure of specialisation and may encourage return to school for some pupils. Out of school tuition is only provided by the LEA where no other more appropriate form of educational provision is available.

Tuition is not normally put in place until the pupil has been absent from school for a minimum of four weeks as it is expected that schools will, wherever practicable provide work for pupils unavoidably out of school for short periods.

Referral Process
Requests for tuition can originate from a range of sources including parents, schools, doctors, the Educational Social Work and Educational Psychology services. Medical causes are considered on the recommendation of the appropriate SCMO. In all circumstances authorisation is through the County Out Of School Tuition Co-ordinator.

Any request for tuition should not only provide clear evidence of need but also a well considered plan for re-integration into school, or where exceptionally this is not possible, good reason why and clear alternative educational objectives. Requests should also make clear the alternative strategies which have been explored before considering out of school tuition where this is appropriate. At the referral stage a key worker will be appointed to monitor the re-integration plan.

In most instances, tuition will be a short interim stage for pupils before returning to learning amongst their peers. For this reason tuition will be approved as part of a wider time limited plan for return to school.

It is an expectation that pupils will access the provision provided. If a pupil continues to be unavailable for tuition or uncooperative, provision will be withdrawn and parents or carers informed in writing giving them opportunities to discuss ways forward. The Area Behaviour Management Panel will also be informed.

Progression
Pupils are fully involved in the plans for their future placements and a given realistic and achievable targets which address their difficulties.

Tutors will aim to give their pupils continuity of work. The tutors will liase with both the pupil's former school, particularly where a pupil is preparing for exams, and with the school the pupil is to return to. Continuity of provision is helped by reference to the national curriculum. Resource bases will be developed so that tutors have access to books and equipment. Tutors will be encouraged to participate in in-service training activities.

It is an aim of the service to measure a pupil's progress towards the objective of re- integration through the cycle of IEP planning and review, with targets met serving as an indication of readiness to re-integrate. Pupils out of school are monitored by the appropriate Area Behaviour Management Panel.