S.O.U. S.O.S.

6.06.45pm GMT Sun 28th Mar 2004

"Tory run Bromley Council could be making a costly mistake," says Cllr Denise Payton, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Children and Young People.

Cllr Denise Payton

Despite the rising concerns of parents and schools, the Conservative-led Council is planning to reduce the number of places in Special Opportunity Units (SOUs) and Special Infant Units (SIUs) by 40 per cent, forcing many children with significant educational, emotional or behavioural difficulties into mainstream classes.

The Council aims to save up to £1.6million in special educational needs funding - all at a time when the number of pupils with special educational needs is on the rise.

Liberal Democrat councillors, however, say the proposals do not stack up.

"These proposals take no account of the many children with needs already in mainstream classes," said Cllr Payton. "Bromley schools have included children with a wide range of needs in mainstream classes for years. But this is only possible in smaller classes, and with high levels of support. And that costs money.

"One teacher and an assistant can cope - very successfully - with up to 12 pupils with moderate learning difficulties in a Special Opportunities Unit. In a mainstream class, each child will require an individual support assistant. Leaving aside the question of how to fit all these extra adults into an already full classroom, where is the financial sense in this?"

There are also concerns that, with ever-increasing numbers of children needing extra support, classes will become unmanageable to the detriment of pupils of all abilities.

Two neighbouring boroughs have tried implementing this inclusion policy: both have found that it has long-term social - and cost - implications. Teachers in these boroughs report that non-statemented pupils with learning, emotional or behavioural needs, entering Secondary School, are often not prepared for the transition into a 'big' school environment. They cannot cope. As a result, the number of exclusions has escalated and the demand for places in Pupil Referral Units has soared. In one borough, a third of their secondary schools have been put into Special Measures.

Related Link:

News Shopper report.