Parents campaign against closure of SEND service at Cornwall school

Parents in Cornwall have launched a campaign to save a key support service at a school for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Cornwall Council has launched a consultation on its proposal to withdraw funding to provide housing for pupils at Pencalenick School in Truro.

The overnight boarding service is currently used by fewer than 10 pupils at a cost of more than £500,000 a year, Cornwall Council said.

Lisa De-Bargeton, whose son Louis, 14, uses the service once a week, said it had made a “massive difference” to his life.

She said. “It would be terrible if the supply was stopped.

“Louis has been boarding for a year and it has simply made a difference to both his condition and his life skills and social skills.

“It gives me the opportunity to spend time with Louis’ younger brother, but the most important thing is how it will affect Louis’s life and all the other children’s lives if he is no longer available.”

Louis, who has autistic spectrum disorder, said: “Boarding is great, I haven’t boarded at any of my other schools but after I went it was amazing.

“I think I’ve gotten better with social skills, life skills, you name it.”

Cornwall Council said it had carefully considered the situation and concluded it “does not provide the best value for ratepayers”.

The Tory-led authority proposed the money would be better spent on providing more day education places for SEND pupils in Cornwall.

The school, which is run by the Special Partnership Trust, said it was “supporting pupils, parents and staff during this troubled time”.

It said: “Throughout the consultation process we will be working closely with Cornwall Council and will continue to provide high quality SEN educational residential provision until further notice.”

Ms De-Bargeton said she and other parents would continue to campaign to keep the service.

“As parents of children with special educational needs, you are used to fighting, which is not the way it should be, but the way it is,” she said.

Parents of children using the service have until June 10 to make their views known.

Opposition parties said they were concerned about the consultation and proposals.

A Cornwall Labor spokesman said: “It is a great shame that financial pressures are forcing (the council) to consider making difficult decisions.

“This type of residential care makes a huge difference to families and can be very expensive and we know that some councils have paid huge sums for such provision.”

The Liberal Democrats said: “Good decisions require correct information and the Liberal Democrat group has serious concerns about the data presented in the consultation.

“But our biggest concern is the severe and prolonged underfunding of special educational needs and disability by the Conservative government.

“This underfunding makes it impossible for councils to provide the support our most vulnerable children need and deserve.”