Archived decisions

Appendix E9

Special school provision in the New Forest

New Forest Hampshire Action Team (HAT) - notes of meeting

16 March 2007

Present from the Local Authority

Alex Munro - Education Officer (School Organisation)

Eric Smith - Education Officer (SEN)

Start of item: 12.05 pm

Close of item: 12.35 pm

Introduction

Eric Smith briefly outlined the background to the consultations and explained how the proposals were based upon both the County Council's strategy for developing the role of special schools and the Strategy for SEN Provision in the New Forest.

The proposals would establish learning communities on the current Forest Edge and Oak Lodge sites, linked to adjacent mainstream schools. The distinction between pupils with moderate and pupils with severe learning difficulties had become increasingly blurred over recent years and the proposals are intended to respond to this and deliver a wider range of Children's Services in enhanced accommodation.

The following questions were asked and comments made:

    1. What is the role of non-maintained special schools in providing for Hampshire pupils?

    2. It is important that county councillors should be consulted on the detail even if the principles of the proposals are accepted.

    3. Is the County Council certain about future projected numbers on roll?

    4. What provision is there in the west of the New Forest? How would this be affected? The local authority appears to be very reluctant to send pupils outside Hampshire.

    5. Salterns is a well-loved school within the local community.

    6. Has the County Council considered the possible role of the Fernmount Centre in New Milton?

    7. The possibility of setting up a new 2 - 19 school seems to have been discounted because of the availability of funding to cover the full range in one phase. We must be certain that provision is better in the future.

    8. In any planning for the future, "parental choice" must be taken into account.

The group agreed to relay their views more formally to officers so that they could be included in the report.