Edward has urged Leicestershire County Council (LCC) to think again about its proposals to stop funding Maplewell Hall School's residential provision, which the Council's Cabinet recently decided to put out to consultation.
Maplewell Hall School, in Woodhouse Eaves, is a specialised school for pupils who have statement needs and are aged 11-19 years. The school is able to meet a vast range of pupil needs that fall within the Moderate Learning Difficulties EHC plans. This typically covers ADHD, Speech and Language, Autism, Hearing impairments, visual impairments plus many other conditions that fall within this remit. The school is able to support pupils with different medical needs and staff is trained to fully support these needs, and Maplewell Hall is rated 'Good' by Ofsted. Part of its specialised provision is a residential facility, allowing some students to stay overnight, something which in these cases can support not only their learning, but broader social development, and it is something much valued by pupils and their families.
LCC's consultation proposes to close the school's residential provision in July 2018, which would enable a phased closure over several months allowing time to work with any pupils/families affected by the closure to put alternative support in place if necessary. These proposals would only affect the residential provision and not the broader operation of the school. The County Council's consultation documents can be found here: https://www.leicestershire.gov.uk/have-your-say/current-consultations/m…
Edward said: "I have been privileged to have visited Maplewell Hall School on many occasions since I was first elected two years ago: to take part in an election hustings, to attend the school's prize-giving, and to meet the Head, teachers and pupils and see for myself the fantastic work Maplewell Hall School does. On every occasion the energy, commitment, and achievements of pupils and staff alike were totally clear - the school's rating by Ofsted as 'Good' is no coincidence - and the residential provision is a key part of Maplewell's success.
I strongly oppose LCC's proposals to close the residential provision, and have already discussed my concerns with the School's Headteacher and LCC's Chief Executive. More recently I set out my strong opposition to these proposals on BBC Radio Leicester. I believe that to cut this provision would be a false economy, is the wrong approach, and that LCC should be looking to find any necessary savings elsewhere. I will be responding to LCC's consultation setting out my opposition to these proposals. I am reassured that LCC is genuinely keen to listen to people's views, and would encourage everyone else who opposes this proposal to use the LCC link above to respond to this consultation and ensure that their voices are heard in County Hall."