"Horrified" parents' petition to 'save' The Parks School reaches 1,400 signatures
The Parks is home to Rutland's only state-funded Special Educational Needs school
Organisers of a petition protesting the proposed closure of The Parks School in Oakham say they were left with no other choice but to take action.
The Parks School, based at the same site as Oakham Primary School, is the only state-funded special educational needs (SEN) school in the county.
Toni Garnett-Clarke's son Ollie attended the parks; she says the possibility of its permanent closure would be devastating to families in and around Rutland:
'You are always going to have children that need a quiet small environment to be able to flourish in. My son is one of those children, he just wasn't learning, he wasn't interacting with other children, he was being quite violent towards other children, then suddenly, when we put him into The Parks he blossomed'.
Lucy Slessor's daughter was born with hydrocephalus and Spina Bifida, she tells us The Parks is exactly the type of place that would've helped both of them:
'I used to go to parent groups, but you never felt like you could fit in because your attention is constantly on your child and noting that your child would never make those milestones at the same time that all the other children do, whereas somewhere like The Parks provides community and reassurance for those parents.'
From Scotland to the Isle of Wight
Without The Parks providing a specialist learning environment for SEN students in Rutland, some children are having to travel 'as far as the Isle of Wight' to get the same kind of support, Toni Garnett-Clarke says.
The petition to "save" The Parks School has now garnered backing from Scotland and even overseas, Lucy Slessor says:
'...not just parents and workers, people outside of those who would use The Parks have signed - people from Scotland, from overseas.'
Garnett-Clarke told us past students have even showed their support:
'They've said that without the support of The Parks they would've never done their GCSEs, they wouldn't have been able to hold down a job...'
A "review" of SEN services in Rutland
An official post from Rutland County Council explained that SEN services in Rutland were being 'reviewed', and that no final decisions would be made without public consultation.
A statement said:
"Working with the Rutland Schools’ Forum, Rutland County Council is reviewing how children with special educational needs (SEN) can best be supported in an Early Years environment. This is being done with a view to maximising resources across Rutland’s Early Years sector, so that settings like nurseries and childminders have everything they need to help children with special educational needs and disabilities to thrive."
"...Any proposals that could result in a change to local services would require formal consultation with parents and families."