Twelve special schools have been awarded specialist status as part of the Government’s vision of creating ‘centres of excellence’. The first ‘trailblazer’ schools will get extra money to invest in their specialism, just as other specialist schools have done in subjects such as sport and technology. They will also share their expertise with local mainstream schools. But the announcement was met with scepticism by campaigners who questioned whether schools catering exclusively for children with special educational needs could be regarded as specialists in inclusion. Steve Haines, education policy director at the Disability Rights Commission, said: ‘If you want to provide best practice, are special schools going to be the best ones to deliver it? Surely inclusion is something all schools should be doing’.
Disability Now, February 1, 2005

The majority of schools are seeing positive results from the drive to promote inclusion, according to the first official ratings. Ofsted found that 46 per cent of primary and nursery schools were excellent or very good at promoting inclusion. In its annual report, a further 39 per cent. of schools were judged to be good and only two per cent. were seen as poor. It is the first time that ratings on inclusion have been included in the annual report. Chief Inspector of schools David Bell said: ‘Most schools have a commitment to inclusion’. However, the report also found that provision for pupils with special educational needs was mixed, with many schools still finding it a challenge to meet pupils’ needs’.
Children Now, February 9, 2005

New laws to give people with disabilities access to all public buildings could spell the end for a well-known Norfolk adult education centre. Norfolk Council is looking at the issue of disabled access to Wensum Lodge in Norwich which is a Grade 1 listed building and could cause problems. Council officials insisted that there were no plans to sell the building but conceded it was possible that courses might have to shift elsewhere if refurbishment costs were prohibitive.
Eastern Daily Press, February 14, 2005

The mother of an autistic child has reminded Tony Blair about the dangers of meeting voters face to face at election time. Maria Hutchings, 43, a housewife, said she was acting as the ‘forgotten voice of Middle England’ when she marched up to the Prime Minister during a live studio discussion on Channel Five Television yesterday to protest at the closure of special needs schools. Mrs. Hutchings, who traveled to the Birmingham Studio from her home in Benfleet, Essex, said her protest was the new way to get issues into the media and the only way to get attention. Her son, Paul, 10, who is autistic, attends a special school but it is threatened with closure in a drive for more integration of special needs children into other schools. More than 70 special schools have been closed since Labour came to power, the Conservatives claimed. Labour admits there are fewer special schools but says the number of places has remained constant since 1997.
The Independent, February 17, 2005

Writing in the correspondence section of The Independent, Rona Tutt, national president, National Association of Headteachers, says the expertise of special schools is a crucial element in local education provision and should not be lost. Effective special schools often provide support to local schools, which enables pupils to remain in their mainstream schools and others to move between special and mainstream schooling according to changing needs. Parents considering the education of a child with special needs should have all available options presented to them, so that they are able to make an informed choice. In the same section, other teachers point out that inclusion can work ‘for the right child, in the right environment and with the right support’ but stress that some pupils can not be included and it is ‘myth’ to think they can.
The Independent, February 19 and 23, 2005

Most of the pupils who moved out when Thurlow Park special school in south London closed did not move into mainstream. The pupils were sent to other special schools, some more than an hour away, which accommodate a wide range of difficulties. Parents and governors have complained that although inclusion was said to be the reason for the closure, it was in fact, a cost-cutting measure. The Government says there is no agenda to close special schools. A spokesman for the Department of Education and Skills said: ‘The number of places in special schools has remained consistent since 1997, what we are delivering is bigger, better special schools. Special schools are an integral part of our drive to provide a top-class education for those with special needs’.
Sunday Telegraph, February 20, 2005