Following a positive consultation on the proposals, East Sussex County Council has started the process of creating three new facilities at Bexhill High School, Hailsham Community College and Ringmer Community College.
Two of the proposed new facilities, at the new Bexhill High School and Hailsham Community College, would cater for pupils with severe high functioning autism, or Asperger Syndrome. Similar specialist units at Manor Primary School in Uckfield and Heathfield Community College were opened in September last year.
The proposed unit at Bexhill High School would cater for up to 22 young people with autism from September. The facility at Hailsham would also be operational from September and would be for up to 10 young people with autism.
The third new facility, to be based at Ringmer Community College, would build on work already being done at the college supporting pupils with a range of communication and learning difficulties. It will cater for up to 21 young people aged 11–18 with special educational needs relating to significant communication and learning difficulties.
The college has been particularly successful in meeting the needs of young people with particular syndromes which affect their learning, for example Downs Syndrome.
Cllr Meg Stroude, the County Council's Lead Member for Children and Families said: “Promoting greater inclusion in our schools is really very important to us. Wherever possible we want to educate children with special needs within a mainstream school environment but it's obviously vitally important they also get the special support they need to learn.”
“In East Sussex, as across the country, there is a growing number of children with autism. Many of these children have the potential to achieve high academic standards but their severe autism can impact on their ability to take part in every day school life. They need specialist support in order to be able to achieve their full potential at school.”
The work already being done at Bexhill High School, Hailsham Community College and Ringmer Community College in supporting children with special needs meant they were ideal schools for these new specialist facilities, Cllr Stroude added.
The new facilities would support young people to access mainstream education as far as possible whilst ensuring that their particular needs are understood and met. The facilities would not replace special schools but instead would cater for young people who have special educational needs but have mainstream academic abilities.
Following the consultation on the plans which took place in the autumn, councillors have now agreed to publish the statutory notices needed before the facilities can be set up. The notices effectively provide interested parties with a six week period in which they can make representations in respect of the proposals.
For more information about our services, see Children with disabilities and special needs.
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