1. In accordance with the School Organisation (Prescribed Alterations to Maintained Schools) (England) Regulations 2013 the local authority undertook a period of consultation with the school community, local schools and key stakeholders on the proposed changes. The consultation period ran from 14 May to 17 June 2021. In addition, the local authority held a virtual parent’s meeting on 9 June 2021 to explain the proposal in more detail and answer parent’s questions.
2. By the close of the consultation period 15 responses had been received. Respondents were largely in favour of the proposal, as can be seen in the breakdown below.
3. The following table provides a summary of comments received from respondents during the consultation period.
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Do you support the proposal to extend the designation of the specialist facility at Wallands Community Primary School to also include pupils with a primary need of autistic spectrum disorder with associated speech, language and communication needs? |
Please provide any comments below: |
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No |
I believe that the Speech facility should remain for pupils
with the primary need of speech and language support. The students
need focussed teaching in this area and it should not be diluted to
ASD needs in general. The facility offers a fantastic provision
which would be used more. If the opportunity was advertised better
and the county did not shut down requests for support from parents
immediately then the centre would be full. |
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Not Answered |
No comment provided |
|
Not Answered |
Please could some explanation of funding and resources be provided e.g. is the cost met centrally or does it rely on the school budget? Are staffing requirements met by the school when there are recruitment shortages or sickness? |
|
Undecided |
Very little mention of impact on provision to existing mainstream pupils. Whilst there is a clear need for this facility it needs to be recognised that this could impact negatively on mainstream provision - staffing numbers, behaviour management. Am in support of extending this facility but not at the cost of provision to mainstream pupils. |
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Yes |
My child has ASC and social and communication needs and the language centre could not help. It seemed a shame not to have access to that expertise - especially as the NHS speech and language therapy services are so limited in Lewes. |
|
Yes |
I would like to see this facility linked up with the new Priory facility too, in time |
|
Yes |
No comment provided |
|
Yes |
I think this provision is important for children with these needs. Wallands is a great place with lots of green space and this can be very theraputic. I also think it is a benefit for other children in the school to understand that everyone is different and to value and learn from diversity among their peers. |
|
Yes |
I think it’s really important that wherever possible integration with the mainstream school and facility is two way so that children with ASC but who do not have an EHCP can also benefit from the expertise and facilities of the unit to thrive (education, emotional well-being and mental health). We have seen the potential benefits for all involved where this is positively delivered and pursued with our own son at secondary level. I think the facility would be a fantastic and beneficial addition to a school as we increasingly recognise the extent of neurological diversity and benefits from recognising and championing this within school and wider communities. I only wish our son (only diagnosed recently in year 7) could have benefited from this while at Wallands! |
|
Yes |
In principle the extending of the designation is a good idea and there are benefits to the school and the community. I do have great concern around the text that has been provided as part of the consultation information, that states that building work is not required, as I feel this is misleading. It is true that some recent works have been completed which have provided for a long-overdue update to the Speach and Language unit, however this excellent facility has been designed respect of the very specific needs of children with language needs. The consultation must recognise that the specific needs of children with an ASD are different and can, in some cases, be directly opposite from that of children with language difficulties. It is essential that further funding is made available as part of this change to ensure that the school environment can be updated further to ensure the facilities are ready to provide for children with ASD. Specifically the consultation should note there are no facilities suitable for one-to-one work when the group settings becomes overwhelming, there is no space for specific sensory rooms, and none of the facility gives a particularly quiet space for minimising anxieties in a very large school. |
|
Yes |
No comment provided |
|
Yes |
We have seen an increase in pupils with ASD needs and associated speech, language and communication needs. It would serve the town to have a specialised facility to support those pupils and their families. |
|
Yes |
No comment provided |
|
Yes |
I think it's fantastic. Pupils should go to an inclusive school and be able to learn together. It will be good for the existing pupils to understand more and how to learn alongside those with ASC, as it will be good for the new pupils to be part of a mainstream school and the opportunities that will bring. |
|
Yes |
It's good for children to understand neurodiversity and those different from themselves. |