Welcomed investment with reservations for Northumberland children with needs

A welcome, with reservations

It was good to read in the Northumberland Gazette on Tuesday about a special event attended by education trusts interested in creating a special free school in Blyth to serve children in our county.

A school like this is a vast improvement for families who have had to send their children out of the county to meet their needs.

The work to create a special free school to meet the needs of children with autism or who have social, emotional and mental health needs, was started by the Labour-led authority. At that time, it was recognised that all Northumberland families should know they can have theirs and their children’s needs met within the county.

I’m pleased that the current authority holds the same view but I can’t help feeling disappointed that only academy trusts have been invited to find out more about creating and running a school.

As we know academy trusts, which are not under local authority control, have a chequered history. I’ve no doubt there are some inspiring and effective academy trusts but to ignore the very many excellent local authority-run schools seems to me a little short-sighted.

There is a wealth of knowledge, skill and expertise in our local authority schools which change and improve the lives of our children on a daily basis. To exclude them means the county, and more importantly our children and families, could miss out on finding out what our local authority-run schools which, after all, have been around far longer than academy trusts, have to offer.

I understand that the requirement for academy trusts only to be invited comes at a national level from the Department of Education and that our local authority is only following the rules. It probably says more about the current government and their lack of faith and confidence in their own state schools. How sad.

In my new role as shadow member for children’s services I will be keeping a very close eye on this. Our children deserve the best services and education possible to enable them to fulfil their potential and grow up the be the very best people they can be.

Perhaps parents and carers of children with these special needs could ask why our own local authority-run schools are being excluded from this extremely important development for their children.