Latest news with #specialschool
BBC News
21-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Special school in Dormansland rated outstanding by Ofsted
A residential special school in Surrey has been rated "outstanding" by Ofsted, with inspectors praising the "safe, vibrant and inclusive environment" for Piers School in Dormansland, near Lingfield, supports children and young people aged 4 to 19 with neurological conditions such as epilepsy, autism and complex residential provision, which caters for students aged 12 to 19, has been commended by Ofsted following an inspection in Meakings, head of residential services, said the rating was "testament to the passion, professionalism, and commitment of our team". The report noted a "culture of celebrating uniqueness, promoting high expectations and focusing on future planning".St Pier School has a "waking day cirriculum", which aims to ensure that learning extends beyond the school day, which was highlighted as a particular also praised the role played by therapists who work directly with students to embed "communication, emotional self-regulation and sensory strategies into students' daily routines".The school was rated "outstanding" in terms of students' overall experience and progress, and with respect to how well students were helped and effectiveness of leaders and managers was rated as "good", with inspectors acknowledging the progress made since the previous inspection in 2024.
BBC News
16-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Interest in Dorset special school from outside county
The owners of a special school in Dorset have heard there is a growing interest in places for children from outside the managing director for Coombe House near Shaftesbury, Andy Holder, told a shareholders meeting this week there had been "significant interest" from neighbouring said this was because of the proximity of the school and its fee structure, as well as the quality of care and school opened in May 2022, but suffered a "bumpy start", forcing it to shut again, according to Dorset Council. It was set up for Dorset children with complex needs and learning challenges, but could accept a limited number from other Holder said it was currently focused on providing for "Dorset children first"."We haven't felt there is a lot of capacity to work with other local authorities just yet," he of the school board Ian Comfort said even though there was provision to take pupils from outside Dorset, a 20% limit had been set when the school was former private school was bought for about £10m by Dorset Council, which nominates and pays for the majority of the moment it can take about 150 children, although Ofsted has said the site could take up to 200. The long-term school business plan envisages the possibility of almost 250 pupils on the site, although this would require further capital Council's children's social services executive director Paul Dempsey said there had been discussions about further capital projects at the school, but there was still some way to go before any firm proposals were made. You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
28-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Dingwall St Clement's School move consultation seeks approval
Councillors have been asked to approve the start of public consultation on plans to relocate Dingwall's special school, St Clement's, to a new have been campaigning for a replacement to the 100-year-old building for more than 20 school has about 50 pupils and some of them have multiple disorders affecting their speech, hearing or sight as well as physical agreed in March that St Clement's should share a site with a planned new Dingwall Primary, rather than push ahead with a previously planned stand alone school. Highland Council's education committee will be asked next week to approve the consultation process.A new St Clement's forms part of the local authority's Highland Investment Plan.
BBC News
13-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Llanelli: Special school options announced after protests
Two options for a new special school are to be investigated after protests over a council's decision not to replace the existing over-subscribed special school. About 300 campaigners marched through Llanelli in September claiming Carmarthenshire council broke a promise to fund a new building for Ysgol Heol council, which u-turned on plans to shut the school last year, said it was looking at either a 150-pupil school, or one with a capacity of called the announcement "really positive". A replacement school was first proposed several years ago at the former Draka copperworks site in Llanelli. The council decided not to press ahead with it last year citing soaring project costs. The decision sparked dismay and anger among campaigners, and the council commissioned an independent review of additional learning needs (ALN) provision in the Llanelli review's findings were published in February outlining six options for the school and ALN locally. The ones that are to be explored further are two of the Davies, Plaid Cymru cabinet member for education, said he would propose to cabinet colleagues they further investigate the two options and that whichever one was chosen the proposed replacement Heol Goffa would be larger than the one that was shelved. "The original plan that many had pressed for would have resulted in a smaller school, which would have been full on day one," he said."Following the independent report we commissioned by David Davies, a former ALN head, I'll be recommending either a 150-capacity Heol Goffa school on one site, with primary and secondary specialist centres for a total of 115 pupils with autistic spectrum condition attached to mainstream schools, or a new ALN school for 250 pupils, to include provision for pupils with autistic spectrum condition."Despite huge financial pressures, we are determined to ensure the very best provision for ALN pupils in the Llanelli area, future-proofed for decades to come. I'm asking for more definite costings and, as always, we will engage with Welsh government to ensure funding for the scheme," he added. Chairwoman of campaign group Ysgol Heol Goffa Action Committee and a parent of a pupil at the school, said: "The local authority has acknowledged we do need a new school. That's fantastic. "The action committee is really pushing for a 250-pupil school." Ysgol Heol Goffa is over-subscribed, she said, and had a big waiting list with the demand for ALN education increasing. "We don't want to be in this position again in 10 years' time," she independent review described "an exponential rise" in the number of children and young people with autistic spectrum condition over the last decade. He added the growth of young people identified with ALN was unprecedented in Wales."There is no doubt that the learning environment at Ysgol Heol Goffa is not currently fit for purpose and that this must be addressed," the report added.
