Cluster Working in Kirklees

Jo Sanders explains more about cluster working in Kirklees

Cluster Working – what are we trying to achieve?

We are passionate about children and young people in Kirklees and we want them to be the best they can be.

We want to work together with schools, the council and families to identify the needs of young people. We want to help schools share their knowledge and be as creative as possible when supporting young people who have Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

We have developed a new approach called cluster working. This is where mainstream schools work together in small groups or clusters. This will give schools more flexibility to meet the needs of young people. This will help them to get the right support at the right time and in the right place. Working in this way will help schools to support each other by sharing how to do things in the best way possible.

To do this, we are changing the way funding is provided to support young people with additional needs in a way which increase the number of those who may receive support. This means that more young people with additional needs can benefit from funding, not those solely with an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP).

Clusters – what are they?

A cluster is a group of mainstream schools that work together to share resources and expertise.

The new approach will see mainstream schools grouped into clusters. There are 17 clusters in Kirklees which are based on location, covering all the mainstream schools in the district. This means that schools in a cluster are all close to each other.

Clusters started in September 2024 in Kirklees and will keep developing. They will help schools work together so more young people can get the support they need quickly. This will make things better for families and help schools share resources and expertise.

We have worked closely with schools and early years providers. We have also been supported by our local parent & carer group (PCAN) to develop cluster working. We have also looked at other councils that work in this way to learn from them.

What will it mean for young people?

Schools will work together to share resources, expertise and good practice. This will be used to support your young person as early as possible to ensure their needs are being met so that they are able to make progress and achieve their best possible outcomes.

We want to ensure we use our resources and expertise to coordinate support around the needs of young people and so each cluster of schools will have access to a team of professionals, for example from Early Support and Educational Psychology.

We believe in nurturing an inclusive school system which meet the needs of young people in a range of different ways. Your child will not need to have an Education Health Care & Plan (EHCP) to benefit from the new approach.

We all want the best for all young people. Putting support and help in as early as possible will mean young people get support at the right time to make progress and achieve their best.

What it definitely does not mean

Our cluster working does not affect your right to request an EHCP, nor the right to have one if needed. For those young people who currently have an EHCP, these will continue to be reviewed on an annual basis to ensure they continue to meet need.

This way of working helps us to identify and secure support flexibly to make sure that young people can have their needs met in the most appropriate way.

The council will provide High Needs funding to each cluster so that schools can use the money at the earliest opportunity and can plan how they use it within the cluster. The amount of money will be based on the number and level of need of the young people in the cluster.

Clusters will meet together at least every half term. At the cluster meetings, discussions are held about how support can be put in place for young people both with and without an EHCP. Some support will not necessarily need funding, such as if one school is able to share some help or if advice is given by a professional, like a specialist teacher. Young people without an EHCP are able to be included in these discussions because schools can seek advice and support for needs as they emerge.

We want to include both groups so that we can ensure that all the funding in the system for SEND is being spent as effectively as it can be, and that young people get the best possible support at the earliest opportunity. This also means that we can ensure there is fairness and equity across the borough in relation to the support offered, regardless of which school your young person attends.

There will be range of people who can offer help and support in the cluster meetings who are not from schools. This is called the Team around the Cluster and includes Educational Psychology, Specialist Teachers, Early Support and The EHCP Team

Their role is to offer help and advice for the schools so they can meet the needs of young people.

Clusters started working together from September 2024. We will make sure that families are aware of what is happening with clusters and are involved as they develop.

If you have any questions, please first speak to your school. The Local Offer has lots of information about school support and more information about clusters will be added over time.

Local Offer - Getting support in educational settings (opens link in same window)

Clusters are organised firstly into geographical areas and then into numbered clusters, details of each school can be found in the drop down box below.

The areas are:

A - Batley and Spen
B - Dewsbury and Mirfield
C - Huddersfield
D - The Valleys

Area A - Batley and Spen clusters

Cluster 1

Batley Girls High School
Hyrstmount Junior School
Manorfield I&N
Park Road J I & N School
Purlwell I & N School
St Mary's Catholic Primary Academy
Staincliffe CE (VC) Junior School
Upper Batley High School
Warwick Road Primary School

No of schools 9

Cluster 2

BBG Academy
Birkenshaw C.E. (C) Primary School
Birstall Primary Academy
East Bierley CE (VC) Primary School
Fieldhead Primary Academy
Gomersal Primary School
Gomersal St Mary’s CE (C) Primary School
St Patrick's Catholic Primary (Dewsbury)
St Peter's CE (VA) Junior, Infant and EY
Windmill CE(VC) Primary School ARP School

No of schools 10

Cluster 3

Heaton Avenue, A SHARE Primary Academy
High Bank J I & N School
Hightown J I & N School
Howard Park Community School
Scholes Village Primary School
Whitcliffe Mount, A SHARE Academy
Whitechapel Church of England Primary

No of schools 7

Cluster 4 & 11

Clough Head J & I School
Colne Valley High School
Crow Lane Primary and Foundation
Golcar J I & N School
Linthwaite Ardron CE (VA) J & I School
Linthwaite Clough J I & Early Years Unit
Luck Lane, A SHARE Primary Academy
Marsden I & N School
Marsden Junior
Nields J I & N School
Paddock J I & N School
Royds Hall, A Share Academy ARP School
Scapegoat Hill J & I School
Slaithwaite CE (VC) J & I School
St John's CE(VA) J & I School
Wellhouse J & I School
Wilberlee J & I School
Woodside Green, A SHARE Primary Academy

No of schools 18

Cluster 5

Battyeford CE(VC) Primary School
Castle Hall Academy
Crossley Fields J & I School
Crowlees CE (VC) J & I School
Hopton Primary School
Old Bank Academy ARP School
The Mirfield Free Grammar

No of schools 7

Cluster 6

Co-op Academy Smithies Moor
Hartshead J & I School
Headlands CE (VC) J I & N School
Heckmondwike Grammar School
Heckmondwike Primary School
Holy Spirit Catholic Primary Academy
Littletown J I & N School
Millbridge, A SHARE Primary Academy
Norristhorpe J & I School
Roberttown CE (VC) J & I School
Spen Valley High School

No of schools 11

Cluster 7

Shelley College, A Share Academy
Birdsedge First School
Cumberworth CE (VA) First School
Denby Dale First & Nursery
Flockton CE (VC) First School
Kaye's Academy
Scissett CE Academy
Scissett Middle School
Skelmanthorpe Academy
St Aidan's Church of England Academy
Denby First
Emley First
Farnley Tyas CE (VC) First School
Highburton CE (VC) First Academy
Kirkburton CE (VA) First School
Kirkburton Middle School
Shelley First School
Shepley First School
Thurstonland Endowed (VC) First School

No of schools 19

Cluster 8

Bywell CE (VC) Junior School
Earlsheaton Infant School
Eastborough J I & N School
Hanging Heaton CE (VC) J & I School
Manor Croft Academy
Orchard Primary Academy
Shaw Cross I & N School

No of schools 7

Cluster 9
Boothroyd Primary Academy
Carlton J & I School
Diamond Wood Community Academy
Flatts Nursery School
Ravensthorpe CE (VC) Junior School
St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy
St John’s CE(C) Primary School
St Joseph's Catholic Primary (Dewsbury)
St Paulinus Catholic Primary Academy
Westborough High School
Westmoor Primary School

No of schools 11

Cluster 10

Headfield CE (C) Junior School
Overthorpe CofE Academy
Pentland I & N School
Savile Town CE (VC) I & N School
Thornhill Community Academy ARP School
Thornhill J & I School
Thornhill Lees CE (VC) I & N School

No of schools 7

Cluster 12

Hade Edge J & I School
Hepworth J & I School
Hinchliffe Mill J & I School
Holme J & I School
Holmfirth High School
Holmfirth J I & N School
Netherthong Primary School
New Mill Infant School ARP School
New Mill Junior School ARP School
Scholes (Holmfirth) J & I School
Upperthong J & I School

No of schools 11

Cluster 13

Brockholes CE (VC) J & I School
Helme Church of England Academy
Honley CofE (VC) Junior, Infant and Nursery
Honley High School ARP School
Meltham CE (VC) Primary School
Meltham Moor Primary School
Netherton I&N School
South Crosland CE (VA) Junior School

No of schools 8

Cluster 14

All Saints Catholic College
Ashbrow School
Birkby I & N School
Birkby Junior School
Brambles Primary Academy
Christ Church CE Academy
Fixby J & I School
North Huddersfield Trust School
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary Academy
St Patrick's Catholic Primary (Huddersfield)
St Thomas CE (VC) Primary School

No of schools 11

Cluster 15

All Hallows’ CE(VA) Primary School
Dalton School ARP School
Grange Moor Primary School
Hill View Academy
King James's School
Kirkheaton Primary School
Lepton CE Primary Academy
Moldgreen Community Primary School
Netherhall Learning Campus High ARP School
Netherhall Learning Campus Junior ARP School
Netherhall St James Infant & Nursery ARP School
Rowley Lane J I & N School
St Joseph's Catholic Primary Huddersfield

No of schools 13

Cluster 16

Beaumont Primary Academy ARP School
Berry Brow I & N School
Hillside Primary School
Lowerhouses CE (VC) J I & EY School ARP School
Moor End Academy ARP School
Mount Pleasant Primary School
Newsome Academy ARP School
Newsome Junior Academy
Oak CofE Primary School

No of schools 9

Cluster 17

Batley Grammar School
Batley Parish CE (VA) J I & N School
Carlinghow Academy ARP School
Field Lane Junior Infant & Nursery School
Healey Junior Infant and Nursery School
Lydgate J & I School
Mill Lane Primary School

No of schools 7

Cluster 18

Lindley Church of England Infant School
Lindley Junior School
Moorlands Primary School
Reinwood Community Junior School
Reinwood I & N School
Salendine Nook High School Academy
Spring Grove J I & N School

No of schools 7

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Last updated: 10/09/2024