Malmesbury primary prepares to fight cuts (From This Is Wiltshire)

Malmesbury primary prepares to fight cuts

8:05am Tuesday 16th March 2010 in

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Malmesbury Primary School is preparing to fight plans to close its specialist learning centre as part of a raft of cutbacks in special education.

North Wiltshire MP James Gray visited Malmesbury School’s Specilist Learning Centre on Friday to see its work at first hand.

The council plans to close the centre, along with a similar one at Longleaze Primary School in Wootton Bassett, and reduce the number of places at other centres in the county from 306 to 180.

The specialist learning centres are separate classes within the mainstream schools for children with specific or moderate learning difficulties.

Malmesbury Primary has now launched a campaign to save the centre and Mr Gray was happy to highlight its importance.

He said: “I have three children myself with dyslexia so I know how useful extra help can be.

“I’m keen to support the centre because it’s beneficial by definition for both the children who are in it and also those who are not.

“Without it I can see those that need the extra help risk not receiving it and being held back.

“And the teachers in the other classrooms would be diverted by the extra workload and so it could have a negative affect on the other children.”

He added: “It’s too early to say if I totally back the campaign because ultimately it is a county matter between the school and Wiltshire Council.

“But if the cuts are to do with a shortage of national funding then that is something I can help with.

“I’ve written to Jane Scott to find out more about it.”

Under the proposals children affected would go to a specialist centre or into a mainstream classroom alongside pupils with non special needs.

Chair of Governors for Malmesbury School Tristan Cork said the council were playing a ‘cruel trick’ on vulnerable children.

He said: "We are meeting with Lionel Grundy, the Wiltshire Council cabinet member responsible for schools and we are hopeful that once he sees just what a bad idea it is to close our Specialist Learning Centre, the plan will be dropped as soon as possible.

"It is a poor decision from every single angle one looks at it.

“Wiltshire Council are playing a cruel trick on the most vulnerable pupils they are supposed to care for.

“They deny pupils individual Statement of Special Educational Needs because they say the needs of those pupils are already being met in our excellent Specialist Learning Centre, so statements aren't needed.

“And then they close the centre down, because they say we don't have enough pupils with Statements.

"This plan will leave no provision for children with special needs north of the M4 and every single parent in this area should be very worried about that.”