Three special needs units to close under county plans (From Bucks Free Press)

Three special needs units to close under Buckinghamshire County Council plans

1:10pm Thursday 9th February 2012 in Education By Lawrence Dunhill

PARENTS and campaigners are mobilising after county chiefs announced plans to close the special needs units at three Bucks primary schools.

The proposals would withdraw specialist support from Chepping View Primary School, in High Wycombe, Iver Heath Junior School and Bierton CE Combined School, near Aylesbury.

The three units cater for speech, language and communications difficulties, but education chiefs say they are only being used by a total of ten special educational needs pupils.

Buckinghamshire County Council says pupils currently using the units would continue to get the appropriate support at their school.

But pupils identified with special educational needs after the units are axed would have to go elsewhere.

The council said it would consider placing these pupils at one of the eight similar Additionally Resourced Provision [ARP] units, which include schools in High Wycombe and Beaconsfield.

The council, which is consulting on the changes, says Bierton and Iver Heath have backed the plans, but Chepping View has some concerns.

Bernadette Hedger, whose grandson benefitted from the unit at Iver Heath Junior School, is campaigning against the closure.

The 63-year-old said: “The whole village is absolutely furious about it. There are going to be other special needs pupils in the future and once they close something down they’ll never reopen again.”

Parents in Iver Heath are set to launch a campaign next week. One mum said her child is not registered with special educational needs, but still benefits from sessions in the ARP unit. She fears her child will no longer have access to that provision.

For more details, and to take part in the consultation go to: http://bucksconsultation.buckscc.gov.uk