The mother of a young girl who cannot walk, talk, or see has been ordered by education chiefs to send her daughter to school or face legal action. Gemma Thompson has a rare genetic disorder, severe epilepsy, vulnerability to chest infections and is so frail she only breaths twice a minute. But her mother, Caroline, has been threatened with legal proceedings unless she sends the ten-year-old to a special school, at least half an hour’s drive away from their home in Dufftown, Aberdeenshire. Her local authority is insisting Gemma attends school because she will get stimulation from other children. Her mother has been warned that if she refuses the case could be referred to a children’s hearing. But Thomson, 45, who wants to care for her daughter at home has accused Abderdeenshire Council of being heavy-handed and ‘politically correct’.
Scotland on Sunday, February 5, 2006

A Basildon school could help plug the teacher shortage crisis if plans for a £300,000 extension to be used as a teacher training centre are approved. Chalvedon School, Pitsea, plans a three storey extension to house student teachers and a hi-tech medical centre for special needs pupils. The school where Tory leader, David Cameron, launched his education strategy last month, wants to develop the building in a central courtyard, with the medical complex on the ground floor and extra classrooms on the upper two floors. Bob Rymarz, school director of finance and administration, said the plans were another example of initatives from the ‘forward thinking’ school.
Basildon Echo, February 8, 2006

A shake-up of services for children with special needs will go under the microscope next week. The review in South Tyneside is part of a more inclusive approach to education, giving children with special needs a chance to learn in mainstream schools while offering specialist facilities.
Sunderland Echo, February 9 2006

Parents in some authorities are up to 50 times more likely to start a legal battle with their local council over special needs provision. A Times Educational Supplement analysis reveals that the London Borough of Richmond had the highest rate of special needs appeals of England’s 150 local authorities with more than ten for every thousand special needs children in 2004/5. Warrington and Coventry Councils had rates 50 times lower, with just 0.2 appeals for every thousand SEN pupils.
Times Educational Supplement, February 10, 2006

Children with special educational needs are too often being placed inappropriately in mainstream schools, costing them a proper education, a teachers’ leader warned at the weekend. Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) general secretary, John Carr, said the Government policy of inclusion of children with special educational needs is strongly supported by the union. But he said the inclusion policy is not implemented properly, creating false expectations for parents and sometimes ignoring the educational needs of pupils.
Irish Examiner, Cork, February 13, 2006

Schools could be closed by a project to improve inclusion in a north council area with the country’s highest proportion of pupils with special educational needs. A report by the Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education (CSIE) last year said that children in South Tyneside were 24 times more likely to be segregated in special schools that the best LEA for including pupils in mainstream schools. Now South Tyneside Council has drawn up a report to improve inclusion in mainstream schools which recommends closing Margaret Sutton School, in South Shields, and Epinay School in Jarrow and replacing them with a new centre for children with multiple needs. There are also proposals to close Oakleigh Gardens in Cleadon and Greenfield School in Hebburn and rebuild a new centre, possibly on the site of a secondary school in Hebburn.
The Journal, February 13, 2006

Writing in the Times Education Supplement, the chairman of the Royal National Institute for the Blind, Colin Low, says twice as many parents appealing to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal want a special school than those who appeal for mainstream. He argues that until mainstream is able to meet every child’s needs it will be necessary to keep in place a special school option. In addition special schools will also be needed for pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties who require one-to-one attention from specialist staff.
Times Educational Supplement, February 17, 2006

A city MP today urged county leaders to stop ploughing millions of pounds into transporting children with special needs to education centres around the county and invest it in schools. Last year more than £3.2 million was spent on taxis to transport children who could not be educated at their local schools. £2.8 million of that went on taking youngsters to the council’s 12 special schools in Norfolk, some travelling across the entire country. Dr Ian Gibson, Norwich North MP, said the extent of the travel costs caused concern and suggested the money would be better spent on providing additional help.
Evening News (Norwich), February 27, 2006