Care or Learning Access and Support Planning (CLASP)
The council has a small amount of money, known as CLASP funding, that it can give to schools to help support children whose care or learning needs affect their ability to be fully involved in the curriculum. This can mean a child has difficulties in taking part in school activities or in achieving or progressing within the curriculum. The decision on funding is made by the Statutory Assessment Advisory Group (STAG).
CLASP funding for Care or Medical Access
For Care Access support, the child may have physical, medical or sensory needs and the school will provide professional advice to show how severe and complex the needs are. They will also write a plan to show how they will use any support. Each case is decided separately and the level of support for Care or Medical depends on the individual’s needs.
Physical and medical needs might include:
- mobility difficulties
- self help issues
- safety issues
- the need for intensive, frequent and specialised care
- social or emotional needs linked to physical abilities and the medical condition
- hearing or visual difficulties
Schools and parents monitor how the support for Care or Medical Access is used at least every year.
CLASP funding for Learning Access
We want to step in at an early stage to support children with learning difficulties. Schools can decide to apply for CLASP funding rather than ask for a statutory assessment. Schools do, however, need to let us have a submission that sets out the needs in detail. They will also write a plan to show how they will use the funding.
We give Learning Access funding for a two-year period, after which it usually stops. The funding for each child during 2007/08 is £1700 per year. It is available almost immediately after the STAG meeting has agreed it. The school and parents monitor how the funding is used.
Learning needs include:
- cognitive (understanding) and learning difficulties
- communication difficulties
- behaviour, emotional and social development needs (this can mean difficulties in getting on with others).
Related pages:
External websites:
Contact us:
The Pupil Assessment Support Team
School Improvement and Inclusion
3rd Floor New Town House
Buttermarket Street
Warrington WA1 2NJ
Tel: 01925 442935
Fax: 01925 443133
Email: esvpast@warrington.gov.uk
