Written - Funding for Learners with Additional Needs in Sixth Forms and Further Education

I should like to announce the way forward for funding post-16 learners in special schools and further education.

Providers have made clear the difficulties for them of living within the Assembly budget.  I have therefore taken steps to increase allocations as follows.

The final allocation for post-16 learners in special schools and out of county placements for 2009-10 is £20.2m. This represents funding in full the final estimates of local authorities for this year.  For 2010-11, initial allocations will total £20.49m.    This equates to 85% of local authorities’ initial estimates, an increase of 16% over the 69% originally announced.

These allocations mean that funding for special schools post-16 and out of county placements will have more than doubled since 2003.  Clearly this rate of growth is unsustainable.  I therefore intend to set up a Task and Finish Group with the remit of putting forward a new coherent process for funding the transition of young people with additional learning needs from pre-to post-16 education.  

I am very keen to see things done differently in the future.  The work of the Group will embrace making best use of the expertise that resides in Welsh special schools and colleges, the use of out of county/out of country provision, and options for enhancing provision in Wales with a view to providing a better service more economically.  I shall be looking for opportunities for increased collaboration and also for innovation in these areas as I wish to see significant improvement in the way services are provided to this vulnerable group.