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Parents celebrate winning schools battle
PARENTS of children with special needs are celebrating after winning a four-year battle to get post-16 education in Oxfordshire's special schools.
Oxfordshire had been the only county in England without post-16 special needs education, with children being sent to special schools outside the county or integrated into mainstream colleges.
However, that is set to change from September after Oxfordshire County Council, the local education authority, decided last week that nine special schools will be allowed to continue educating children.
Previously about 90 per cent of over-16s with special needs were being sent to mainstream colleges like Oxford and Cherwell Valley College, while some parents had to battle with County Hall so their children could go to special schools in Reading, Milton Keynes and Newbury.
More than 200 parents joined the Oxfordshire 'Choice' group, which campaigned to get children with special needs a sixth form-style of post-16 education, enjoyed by children in mainstream schools. Mandy Maryan, a Choice committee member, said: "We have done it, thank goodness. This has been desperately needed. We were about 20 years behind the rest of the country, so we're delighted the council has agreed to this.
"Before this decision, most children were going to college and some parents who felt capable of fighting the LEA would try and get their child to go to a special needs school outside of the county, but that was a big battle to take on.
"Quite a few young people with moderate learning difficulties dropped out of college courses because they found it difficult to cope.
"Some pupils do very well there but it was a bit of a lottery and colleges would admit they weren't always able to deal with the complex needs of these teenagers."
Public consultation showed 97 per cent of parents with children at special schools were in favour of the proposal and 89 per cent of parents of college students.
The council estimates the move will cost £590,000 in 2008/09 with a £1.3m one-off grant from the Learning and Skills Council to help fund it over following years.
It is also set to spend around £4m in special schools over the next four years, including £2m on Fitzwaryn school in Wantage.
From September, the following special schools will be able to offer post-16 education; Bardwell in Bicester, Frank Wise in Banbury, John Watson in Wheatley, Kingfisher in Abingdon, Fitzwaryn in Wantage, Mabel Pritchard in Oxford, Iffley Mead in Oxford, Northfield in Blackbird Leys and Woodeaton Manor in Woodeaton.
A verdict on whether Springfield special school in Witney can offer education for 16-19-year-olds has been deferred so a study on accommodation at the school can be carried out.
2:43pm Monday 7th April 2008
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