Extended consultation announced on new option for special schools

Following the level of interest in the consultation on city wide special school proposals for Lancasterian, Ewing and Grange schools, consultation on a new further option will now take place in Sept.

After listening to the views of parents and others during the original consultation, a new option has been developed and will now be formally consulted on after the school summer holidays in September to give everyone with an interest the opportunity to look at the option and respond.

The new option would see Lancasterian School designated as a 75 place specialist support school for Physical Disabilities and Communication and Interaction. This builds on the school's existing expertise and recent specialist designation for communication and interaction.

The new option would mean that from September 2012 Lancasterian School would work towards providing between 50 and 60 places for children and young people aged 3 - 16 years, who have physical disabilities and / or complex medical needs. It would also provide between 15 and 25 places for children and young people aged 3 - 16 years, with severe language impairment whose needs cannot be met within a mainstream school or in specialist mainstream provision.

This option would see substantial capital investment of around £2.2 million in the school's premises on the existing site to ensure the a 21st century learning environment for at least the next ten years.

Building on existing partnership arrangements with mainstream schools, the school would further develop outreach support and training across the city so that the expertise developed by Lancasterian can be shared and accessed by more mainstream schools and settings. This will initially focus on those primary schools that are being newly rebuilt, existing barrier free schools, and the development of specially resourced secondary provision in three high schools - Abraham Moss, Trinity and Newall Green high schools.

The school will also continue to manage and develop city wide services including the Independent Development Service, the Manchester Travel Training Partnership, the Acquired Brain Injury Service and Augmentative, Assisted Communication Service.

The decision to extend the period of consultation and to consult on a new option in relation to Lancasterian has been taken by the Director of Children's Services, Pauline Newman and the Executive Member for Children's Services, Councillor Sheila Newman.

Pauline Newman said: "In addition to providing dedicated new places at the school for children with severe language impairment, this new option would see Lancasterian School working with parents, pupils, schools and other partners to ensure that to the greatest extent possible children and young people are able to access either their local school or one of the three named secondary resourced high schools. This supports the Council's expectation that the majority of children with physical disabilities will be able to attend their local mainstream school or other education setting."

Councillor Sheila Newman said: "We have listened closely to the views and concerns expressed by parents and others during the consultation - including those concerns about the viability of Lancasterian School as a reduced 40 place school, and the ability of some children who have significant speech and language impairment to cope in mainstream school settings. This proposed option provides an alternative solution to concerns, building as it does on Lancasterian's existing expertise and status as a specialist school for Communication and Interaction, and we welcome all views on this new option during the consultation in September."

The proposals recently consulted on involving Grange School and Ewing School remain.

Under these proposals the overall number of specialist Autistic Spectrum Disorder places available at the Grange School will increase from 70 to 150 and the school will also provide residential and short break facilities as well as provision for children and young people with high functioning autism (Aspergers). These proposals have been positively received and welcomed by the overwhelming majority of those who have responded to the consultation, particularly by parents and families.

The proposal to close Ewing School with effect from 31 August 2012 remains. Under this proposal the majority of children and young people who have speech and language difficulties would attend their local mainstream school with additional support, or in specially resourced provision at one of six mainstream primary schools or three specially resourced mainstream high schools. However the new option to be consulted on in September means that for those children and young people with significant speech and language impairment whose needs could not be met in mainstream schools with additional support, or in specially resourced mainstream settings, specialist school provision would still be available at Lancasterian School.

All of the proposals, including the new proposal will be considered by the Council's Executive in October.

The timetable for consultation on the new option is as follows:

Reconsult on new option - 1 September to 2 October 2009

Report to Children and Young People Scrutiny - 13 October 2009

Report to Executive - 21 October 2009

Statutory Notice period - 23 October - 11 December 2009

Executive - 16 December 2009