brunei garrison local offer

Updated March 2015

This Local Offer provides information on what service children, young people and their families can expect from a range of agencies within British Forces Brunei including Education, Health and Social Care.

LSCB - Local Offer Page 1

Information about this booklet About this booklet Page 2 A welcome message from the Commanding Officer BFB Page 3 Special Educational Needs and Disability Provision Page 4 Information about CEAS Pages 5 & 6 Information about Primary Schooling in Brunei Page 7 Hornbill School additional information on SEND provision Pages 8 & 9 Health Services Pages 10 & 11 Army Welfare Services Page 12 Social Worker Provision Page 13 Support Provided by the MoD Page 14 Additional contacts and information Page 15

Contents

His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei talking to the Hornbill School Ambassadors


The aim of this booklet is to support all parents / carers with children stationed here in

Brunei.

Additionally it is also intended for all parents / carers and all those who support children

with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND) and those with Additional Needs.

We hope you use this booklet for:

• Guidance

• Information

• Sign posting

• Support

We want it to be:

• Straight forward

• Consise

• Useful

• Practical

• Clear

We hope you will find it:

• Relevant

• Interesting

• Accessable

• Readable

We want this to help you:

• Find support

• Think about future options

• Take action

• Plan your next steps

Who is this booklet for?

About this Booklet


The Commanding Officer, British Forces Brunei (BFB) is delighted to introduce the first BFB local offer. He has a vision that all service children and young persons within BFB experiences the best possible education, medical provisions and social care. All organisations within BFB are underpinned by the Every Child Matters Programme which supports the broad range of needs of our children and young people. Brunei Garrison’s Local Offer provides information on what service children, young people and their families can expect from a range of agencies within British Forces Brunei. Knowing what is out there

gives you more choice and therefore more control over what support is right for your child. The local offer provides information on a number of aspects of life here in Brunei, these include:

special educational provision;

health provision;

social care provision;

additional educational provision;

This Local Offer has been set up to meet the needs of the Green Paper, Support and aspiration: A new approach to special educational needs and disability and the Next Steps document.

Our Local Offer has been developed with children and young people, parents and carers, and local services, including schools, health and social care agencies. We believe this document will:

provide clarity and confidence for parents;

support earlier intervention of SEND interventions;

identify need and gaps in provision to support all children in their progress and development;

support parents in improving progress and securing better outcomes, at school.

Welcome Note

Lt Col Jody Davies MBE


A message from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families

Our vision for children with special educational needs and disabilities is the same as for all children and young people – that they achieve well in their early years, at school and in college, and lead happy and fulfilled lives.

This new Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice will play a vital role in underpinning the major reform programme.

For children and young people this means that their experiences will be of a system which is less confrontational and more efficient. Their special educational needs and disabilities will be picked up at the earliest point with support routinely put in place quickly, and their parents will know what services they can reasonably expect to be provided. Children and young people and their parents or carers will be fully involved in decisions about their support and what they want to achieve. Importantly, the aspirations for children and young people will be raised through an increased focus on life outcomes, including employment and greater independence.

Local authorities and their local health partners have been working together to prepare for the new arrangements, to jointly plan and commission services for children and young people who have special educational needs or are disabled.

To which legislation does this guidance refer?

This guidance refers to Part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014 and associated regulations. The regulations associated with the Children and Families Act 2014 are:

The Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014

The Special Educational Needs (Personal Budgets) Regulations 2014

The Special Educational Needs and Disability (Detained Persons) Regulations 2015

The Children and Families Act 2014 (Transitional and Saving Provisions)Order 2014

Special Educational Needs and Disability Provision


The Children's Education Advisory Service (CEAS) provides expert and impartial advice about the education of Service children. Children’s Education Advisory Service is a tri-service organisation funded by the MOD. It was established to provide information and support to Service families and eligible MOD civilians on all aspects of the education of their children in the UK and overseas. When children move frequently from one school to another or between different educational systems obtaining appropriate provision can be complex. CEAS provides information and advice as well as supporting parents at meetings with schools, local authorities, at tribunal etc. No question is too small or too large for CEAS to deal with. If your child has been assessed and has been identified as having special or additional needs by educational professionals (EPs) and any other educational or health professional it is a requirement for you to register with CEAS prior to your assignment to Brunei. This is not however restricted to those who have been assessed for a statement of special educational needs, as it also relates to those at school action plus and in some circumstances to those at school action level.

JSP 342 states that

‘forces personnel with children who have special educational needs should register children with CEAS’.

The child is at the centre of this process. This registration process will require CEAS to hold educational information on your child, which may be shared with local authorities, schools and (if necessary) other child centered professionals. Your Unit Admin will be informed of the registration as a note is also put on your JPA record to alert and assist assigning officers to the needs of your child for any future postings and assignments. Contacting CEAS The CEAS Helpline is manned from 8.30am to 3.30pm, Monday to Friday. At other times, or when the helpline is busy, messages can be left on the answer machine or sent via email. Please ensure that your name, the name and date of birth of the child (if appropriate) and your contact details are left slowly and clearly. Telephone: 01980 618 244 (Military 94 344 8244) Email: [email protected] Fax: 01980 618245 (military 94 344 8245) For more information please visit: https://www.gov.uk/childrens-education-advisory-service

Failure to register with CEAS before arrival may result in delay / non-admittance to the school on arrival.

The Children’s Education Advisory Service

mailto:[email protected]

https://www.gov.uk/childrens-education-advisory-service


It should be noted that a child whose needs are being met by an Individual Education Plan (IEP) may also be registered at the parent’s request.

• A child undergoing statutory assessment

• A child with a statement, or co-ordinated support plan (Scotland)

• A child with a note in lieu

• A child with sensory or physical impairment

• a child in a special school in the UK

• a child whose needs cannot be met overseas

• a child whose needs are being met though a school action plan

The current criteria for registration

with CEAS is:

•Advice on the provision of special educational needs in the UK and overseas.

•Liaison on behalf of yourself with local education authorities, and Service personnel staffs.

•Guidance on your rights regarding the Education Act.

•Provision of escorts between school and UK point of departure when travelling to and from overseas on school holidays and one extra half - term flight per year in addition to the 3 annual school children’s visit flights.

•Special allowances and in some cases travel at public expense for case conferences, interviews and in certain circumstances, accompanying your child on school children’s visit flights.

•Advice and confirmation of eligibility, in certain circumstances, to draw the Special Educational Needs Allowance (SENA).

Benefits of Registering your Child with CEAS:

The Children’s Education Advisory Service


Hornbill School is the only SCE School in Brunei Garrison. The school accepts children from Foundation Stage 1 (the term after the child’s 3rd birthday) up to the end of Year 6. Private secondary schooling is available for children above Year 6. Please visit the Hornbill website: www.hornbillschool.com for detailed information and an online prospectus. Hornbill School’s overarching aim is to support children in making the best possible progress at all times. The school has strong values approach to education and learning and has an open door policy to share success with all its stakeholders. Hornbill School’s Mission Statement is:

Our multicultural school values and promotes a happy, safe and caring environment that is committed to helping all children experience success, whatever their background or abilities, and to ensure they achieve the highest standards in all they set out to do. The health, safety and wellbeing of every child is our paramount concern.

Many children at some time in their school ‘career’ will need some additional support in order to make progress in line with their peers. In most cases they will only need additional help for a short period of time. For others there may be a greater level of need. There tend to be 3 groups of children who require assistance in the Service world: 1. Those that have English as an Additional Language (EAL) and find school more challenging due to

their understanding of the English Language. Hornbill School have in place a number of strategies to support this group and all children with EAL are initially assessed to determine whether they might need additional support. These children are not considered to have special educational needs however, they just require extra assistance. 2. Forces children that have moved frequently from one school to another or had difficulty obtaining school placement has affected their expected progress. In these cases we will carefully review the individual situation and work with the parent to decide on the best course of action. 3. Children that have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than most of the children the same age or they have a disability which hinders expected progress. These children are considered to have Special Educational Needs (SEN). Our Inclusion Team has specific responsibilities to oversee the progress of children who need additional support and are always happy to meet with parents to discuss their child. At Hornbill it is our aim to identify any child who is not making expected progress and seek to support any areas of need in order to close this gap. At Hornbill School we look specifically at our ability to close the attainment gap for children. We do not wait until a child’s attainment is significantly different to their peers.

Primary Schooling in Brunei

http://www.hornbillschool.com/


Hornbill School’s website has a comprehensive list of information about children with SEND. The website aims to answer the following questions:

What happens before my child starts at school?

Who should I speak to for support?

What types of provision are available at Hornbill School?

What outside agencies will support my child?

How will Hornbill School keep me informed?

How does Hornbill School measure my child’s progress?

What staff support and training is on offer?

How are lessons adapted for teaching individual children?

What happens when my child leaves Hornbill School? The website also has links to the 2014 SEN Code of Practice and SENS a brief guide for parents. All of the above information can be accessed in the Parents Area of the website under the heading of Local Offer.

Answers in Brief: At Hornbill School all children have their learning planned, coordinated and evaluated by the class teacher. Classes have support from Learning Support Assistants (LSAs). Most LSAs work with small groups of children as well as with individual children. This is decided by the school, based on the assessment of what is best for that individual child.

If your child has special educational needs that can be met within school, then staff will provide support and plan for your child’s needs including using other professionals, if needed.

Other professionals, such as a visiting Educational Psychologist, Speech and Language Therapist (SALT) or member of the SCE Inclusion Team (Cyprus) will also work with the school, however, the resources that Brunei Garrison has access to are limited and visits out here are at best twice a year. Parents moving to Brunei need to be aware that this is not guaranteed and although the school will do its very best to assist your child – there are limitations on the severity of need that the school can provide for.

What happens if my child has a high level of need? If your child has a Statement or an Education Health Care Plan (EHC) you must contact and register with CEAS: Please see pages 9 and 15 for more information about this.

Who coordinates support for your child in School? The Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) or Inclusion Leader is responsible for the arrangements in school for children with SEND.

If your child has an EHC and your child receives clearance to come to Brunei, you may choose another professional to be the link worker for your child. This might be your child’s social worker, teacher, teaching assistant or specialist teacher.

How does Hornbill School organise support for SEND children?


How will the school adapt school trips and outings to the needs of my child? All school visits and trips are planned in advance and are risk assessed. Part of the risk assessment process includes planning for any children with additional needs to ensure that they have the same opportunities available to them as the other children. Where it is appropriate for your child we warmly encourage you to get involved with school trips, as this involvement often helps to ensure that everyone’s needs are met. How can I gain information about Hornbill School? Information about Hornbill School is shared via a number of different methods:

School news letters are sent electronically to the specific year groups. All parents are asked to sign up to the electronic system on arrival, this can also be done via our school website or the Virtual Learning Environment.

o www.hornbillschool.com o https://vle.hornbillschool.com/

All public events are listed on the school calendar via the website.

Curriculum coverage booklets are given to parents providing information about the knowledge, skills and understanding that the children will be gaining over the course of the year.

The school newsletter ‘Parent Post’ is regularly sent home each term packed full of information about upcoming events and articles celebrating events that have taken place.

Family Learning Programmes (FLP) are run on a regular basis throughout each term on specific subject areas which assist parents in understanding how to support their child at home in conjunction with the school.

Regular parent consultation meetings with parents are planned into the yearly calendar to keep you informed about your child’s progress. If your child has additional needs you will also meet with teachers to specifically review their personal targets and progress.

A personal Message from Mrs Kathy Wood MBE – Headteacher of Hornbill School

Your child is unique, and at Hornbill School we work hard to discern the needs and abilities of each individual. I believe that the most important thing we can give to your son or daughter is the sense of belonging within our strong school community.


Children who have additional needs and those who have Special Educational Needs (SEN) can have their needs met within British Forces Brunei, however, resources are limited and due to this it is not possible to provide a full range of facilities that would be available in UK. To try and provide the best possible support and care for such children, a combination of agencies work together to provide support for families to ensure children stay healthy and avoid illness. These multiple agencies are generally based around the Medical Reception Station (MRS) which provides services which are listed below. Combined with the school these services work together to form the Additional Needs Panel. This panel looks at how best to support a child and family if the child has specific needs, and looks at what other professionals will be required to ensure so that all of the child’s needs are met. A lot of this planning is done in advance of school entry so that actions can be put into place immediately on the child’s arrival. Health Services that are provided in Brunei are as follows:- Medical Practitioners: Senior Medical Officer (SMO) Regimental Medical Officer (RMO) Civilian Medical Practitioner (CMP) Locum General Practitioners (GP) These individuals may be the first point of contact for many families. They deal with general health and will refer you to clinics, hospitals and specialists when needed. This referral may even be to the UK if necessary. Audiologist: Carry out hearing tests and if necessary will inform the GP if there are any concerns with hearing. All results will be discussed with parents and advice given where necessary. If your child needs hearing aids they will identify the best type and arrange for you to get them. They will also monitor your child’s hearing to make sure that any hearing aids supplied are appropriate. Health Visitors: Are qualified registered nurses with additional training in child healthcare. They work towards delivering The Healthy Child Programme which is a government directive. Health Visitors visit families at home and see them within the Medical Centre during the child’s early years to check on children’s development and health.

Health Services


Help, advice and practical assistance to families is offered for the care of very young children, normal development, sleep patterns, feeding, behaviour and safety. The Health Visitors provide parenting support, enabling parents to provide sensitive and effective parenting, and may gain information and/or will coordinate input from different support workers to help the child if necessary. Health Visitors will to ensure that health needs are met:- i.e. regular medical checks, follow up appointments with the nurse, prescriptions as needed (Epipen for allergies/ insulin for diabetic children/ inhalers for children with asthma) and will liaise with school SEN Teachers, visiting SALT and Educational psychologists if necessary. Dental Officers: Senior Dental Officer (SDO) Civilian Dental Practitioner (CDP) Family Life: Health Visitors will provide support for parents in their home environment. Social Workers: Health Visitors liaise with Social Workers if necessary to ensure that a child’s needs are being met, offer advice about welfare and safeguarding concerns as well as any factors relating to a child’s social opportunities, e.g. Leisure activities/ SSAFA holidays. The information that your child has a special need or disability may have become evident at the birth of your child or may have been a gradual suspicion and eventual confirmation. All children’s needs are the same, those of play and stimulation and day to day food, clothing with shelter but above all love. Your child needs all those things just like any other child and like any other child, is driven to learn and become itself, a whole person with a body, mind and soul. Note: this follows similar information that is given, in the U.K. as a guide to parents with children who have a disability and/or additional needs.


The AWS Community Support team provides a wide range of ‘needs led’ activities in support of Service Families in Brunei. These include Children’s Clubs, Parent and Toddler groups, Children’s Holiday activities, Community events and activities. The AWS team update a Garrison Community profile annually, and from this comes a community needs analysis and action plan. AWS are always looking for new ideas and regularly support a wide range of self running groups.

AWS deliver a large amount of activities in the well-equipped Mumong Community Centre Complex. This has excellent indoor and outdoor activity areas for children and adult groups. There is a Parent and Toddler wing, Jungle cubs early years setting, a Library and Patio Club. These facilities are well used by all BFB Garrison families. Additionally to this, AWS provide Parent and Toddler activities at the Unit Welfare Centre in Tuker Lines. Mobile play sessions take place at H15 play park location, as well as utilising the Garrison Gymnasium for sports coaching sessions. In the coming years the new Garrison Welfare Community Centre will be built in the H15 location. This will provide a one-stop location for a wide range of community activities and welfare support for the service community in BFB. Army Welfare Service Community Support Timetable

Morning Session Afternoon Session Evening Session

Monday 5-7 years Children’s Club 1600-1730

Tuesday Parent and Toddler group 0930-1130 Mumong Community Centre

Wednesday Parent and Toddler Group 0930-1130 Unit Welfare Centre

Parents Stay and Play Session 3-4 years 1600-1730

Thursday Parent and Toddler Group 0930-1130 Mumong Community Centre

8-11 years Children’s Club 1600-1730

Friday Parent and Toddler Group 0930-1130 Unit Welfare Centre

Holiday Provision

5-11 years Play Scheme Mumong Community Centre 0900-1130

Mobile Play Sessions H15 Play Park

Sports Coaching Sessions

Army Welfare Service


Personal Support & Social Work Service The Personal Support & Social Work Service provided by SSAFA in Brunei can offer the following services to families with children with special educational needs (SEN) or additional needs (AN) and disability. Children and families services All children with a disability are defined by the Children Act 1989 as ‘children in need’ and are entitled to a social work service. In Brunei SSAFA can also offer services to children with SEN or AN. These services may be: · A full social work assessment · Co-ordination of involved services and intervention · Direct intervention/support to children · Access to wider SSAFA services e.g. children’s holidays · Liaison with UK local authorities/services Adult support Parents of children with SEN or AN may experience extra stresses and difficulties and our adult support services can offer: · One to one support for parents · Advocacy service · Liaison with other agencies on behalf of parents · Counselling service · Access to SSAFA support groups

Social Work Services

We believe in the Every Child Matters Agenda

We believe that every child should be able to fulfil their potential and achieve success in everything they set out to do.


SEND provision in SCE Schools - (JSP 342) Children with a wide range of special educational needs are supported in all SCE schools. It is impossible however, to make provision at isolated overseas (Rest of the World) locations for the complete range of SEND. Wherever possible, children with SEND are supported in their usual class and school. For children with more significant needs, placement in a Special Education Unit (SEU) may be more appropriate, however this is a facility that is not available to Brunei Garrison due to its distance from and remote connection to assistance centres. CEAS Families are required to report their child’s SEN needs if they wish to pursue a posting overseas. If an instance occurs where the need has not been declared or advice has been ignored and the SCE school is unable to meet the needs of the child and their development, then the family is likely to repatriated to a location with the relevant provision. Brunei Garrison Policy Headquarters British Forces Brunei (HQ BFB), has a responsibility to ensure transparency, whilst maintaining confidentiality, in the processes that determine whether the provision and support for dependants who have exceptional Additional Needs (AN) can be met within Brunei. This responsibility rests within HQ BFB. Where it is recognised that, as a consequence of their AN; be that educational, medical or social, and the required provision is beyond the scope of that available in Brunei, such cases will be referred to HQ BFB utilising the DCOS as the HQ Point of Contact. DCOS will determine whether further research is required, whether additional funding can be provided, or that the AN is beyond that which the Garrison is able to cater for which will result in the repatriation of that person and possibly the family.

MoD Support


Other agencies who you may like lings to are listed here: CEAS Children’s Education Advisory Service Any child seeing an outside agency or with a Statement/EHC has to be registered with CEAS Telephone: 01980 618 244 (Military 94 344 8244) Email: [email protected] Fax: 01980 618245 (military 94 344 8245) Educational Psychology Service In Brunei we have access to the SCE Pupil and Family Services based in Cyprus. Our assigned Senior Educational Psychologist (SEP) is Mandy Cyprus-Slater. Civil Tel - +49 (0)5241 84 ext. Gutersloh BFPO 47 Mil Tel - 948 73 ext. 2317 Home to School Transport This is organised by the garrison. Please contact the SMO – transport provision, funding etc. Specialist Teaching Team In Brunei we have twice yearly access to a Specialist Inclusion Teacher who visits, assesses and guides us in providing the best support possible to children with moderate learning difficulties.

Support from other agencies

mailto:[email protected]

brunei garrison local offer

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