|
The Council continues to progress the development of a
Strategy for SEN in Lambeth.
Phase I -involving the closure of two special schools and
the development of two Centres of Excellence continues to progress. The Centre
for pupils with Visual Impairment at King's Avenue School opened in 2002. The
building of the new school incorporated the Specialist Centre for pupils with
Hearing Impairment continues opening in September 2002.
Phase II - involving the closure of three schools and the
opening of two schools (one primary and one secondary) for pupils with Complex
Needs . The new schools opened on 10 September 2001. The primary school -
Livity School is at Mandrell Road, London, SW2. The Headteacher is Geraldine
Lee. The secondary school - The Michael Tippett School - will opened
temporarily on Oakden Street and may move to Elmcourt Road Site. The
Headteacher is Maria Lozano-Luoma.
PHASE III - Promoting Inclusion The next phase of the SEN
Strategy
(Phase III - Promoting Inclusion) will look at and review
how we support young people with special educational needs who are attending
mainstream schools. The promoting of inclusion is a major activity for the
LEA's Education Development Plan and will impact on all parts of the LEA.
Governors have a crucial role to play in the development of
an inclusive school system, not least by ensuring that their school community
is aware of new legislation - Disability Discrimination Act and the Disability
& SEN Act 2001 - which makes it unlawful to discriminate against a person
because of their disability/ learning difficulty.
Contact Elaine Peers (020 7926 9472) for further
information.
The above text is based entirely on that issued by the
LEA - we reproduce it as it is useful to members and is part of the dialogue we
have with the authority on changes in this sector.
|
Thurlow Park - the Court says close.
Parents have failed in their legal battle to
stop the closure of Thurlow Park, a school serving the severely disabled. After
the decision, parents were clearly devastated that a judge could decide that
Lambeth were not 'irrational' in their decision.
Education experts told the High Court in London
that placing extremely vulnerable children with severe physical disabilities in
a school alongside other children with complex needs, was so out of line with
current educational practice that it was irrational.
Mr Justice Harrison, said the experts had
warned that the move "will pose a real and grave threat to the safety and
welfare of the physically disabled and the quality of education that can be
provided to them".
The parents now plan to go to the Court of
Appeal in a desperate last-ditch challenge.
The closure is in line with Lambeth's proposals
to shut three special schools to open one new primary and one new secondary
school "for pupils with complex needs".
For all our colleagues concerned, it is yet
another example of exemplary work, praised by Ofsted being meaningless because
of the Lambeth Agenda.
The school has about 50 pupils of all ages,
many who use wheelchairs, clearly with special needs that have to be met.
The legal challenge followed the decision last January by
the Schools Organisation Committee to approve the closure proposal.
As a union, we are of course concerned about
the treatment of members, other workers at the school, the parents, the
governors and all supporting agencies connected with the school. However, the
result will be the suffering, the emotional stress and other concerns which the
youngsters will now face because of Lambeth's administration. |
