Another blow for Special Schools as spending “clean up” scratched off School building programme

Special Schools across the country are reeling from the impact of Education Secretary Michael Gove’s decision to cut £1bn from the schools budget, seriously compromising the improvement building plans of many affected school communities.

“For years we have been struggling with inadequate accommodation and facilities. For a society which claims to care for the disadvantaged, this is not good enough,” stated Head Teacher of Winchelsea Special School, Mr Steve Cook.

Labour’s Building Schools for the Future programme was cancelled abandoning 715 schools’ promised building or refurbishing plans, including Montacute Special School in Poole.

“We have the most vulnerable population of children in the Borough and our children are being educated in the Borough’s worst building,” says the Head Teacher Andrew Mears.

“Poole has not been able to find any capital money to assist Montacute’s case in the past,” Mr Mears continued, “and I have no reason to believe that the Borough will able to find any in future in these constrained times, so our best bet still rests with central government.”

Announcing Green Paper review which is to be launched in autumn, Children’s Minister Sarah Teather said at Every Disabled Child Matters event that she will look at a wide range of issues for children with SEN and disabilities.

“Schools building programme which we stopped only counts for a third of capital spending,” said Matt Hopkinson from the Department for Education, adding “We cannot guarantee that all Special Schools will get all the repairs and development that they need”.