Memorandum submitted by Save Thornchace
Intervention Committee 2 (STIC2)
I am writing to you to comment on the revised
proposal to close Thornchace Special School in Merrow. The County
have now put forward the structure for two new centres which would
replace the school thus maintaining the provision for the current
girls and allowing girls with and without statements of special
needs to attend.
On the face of it, it would appear that these
proposals are adequate to meet the needs of such vulnerable girls
and it is acknowledged that officers have recognised the need
for single sex provision.
However I have the following concerns:
— Girls attending these new centres
will not be offered the full range of GCSEs and Entry Level certificates
currently available at Thornchace due to the fact that each centre
will only employ two full-time teachers. This is particularly
relevant to the seven girls who are currently at Thornchace, some
of whom are capable of achieving a number of good results and
are not on roll at any other school.
— The County envisage the girls having
a mixture of centre-based work, local secondary school provision,
college and work experience as their "curriculum diet".
The staffing ratios proposed for the eight to 10 girls (two full-time
teachers and two learning support assistants) would make the logistics
of transporting and accompanying girls very complex. The workload
for the Head of Centre and teacher with a "significant"
teaching time-table would be too onerous for one person and from
discussions with officers it is expected that staff will prepare
lunches, taxi the girls around and perform child minding duties
rather than educate the girls.
— The proposed Chertsey location has
limited in-door and NO outdoor space and needs approximately £100,000-£150,000
spending on it to bring it up to standard.
— Girls with BESD will not have access
to boarding facilities and boys with similar needs will. This
is an equal opportunities issue, which still has not been addressed.
Indeed recently a brand new boarding facility was opened at Wishmore
Cross, the boy's equivalent BESD school.
If the county is a active participant of the
"Every Child Matters" framework, something that ALL
partners have signed up to, it is ironic every child matters,
it would seem, except when you are female and have social, behavioural
and emotional needs and live in Surrey.
September 2005
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