When are the meetings for parents?
Would my child, who is in a special school at the moment, have to go into a mainstream school?
No. First of all, most of these changes won't take place for several years, and so many children will have left their special school anyway before then. And even the younger children, who would still be at school when the changes happen, would stay in a special school unless you want your child to transfer to a mainstream school and there is a suitable place with support.
I am worried that my child's school may close, and I am thinking about changing schools now.
Until the council has agreed all proposals it is impossible to say which schools will be closing as part of this process, and when this will happen.
It is possible that schools earmarked for closure will not actually be closed for several years, and that to move pupils in advance of this will disrupt their education unnecessarily and could take them away from friends at school.
Should I move my child once I know that his/her school will close?
Moving schools, particularly during the course of a school year, inevitably causes some disruption to your child’s education. It would also break up groups of friends.
So any decisions you make about this would need to be thoroughly considered. If you want to discuss it further, talk to the headteacher of your current school.
If our child moved to a mainstream school, would we all get a choice of where we want our child to go?
South Tyneside has a good record of meeting parents' preferences for primary school places - in 2007 nearly 99% of first preferences were allocated a place at their chosen school.
Parents have a right to express a preference in relation to school admissions, and the Local Authority (as Admission Authority for Community and Voluntary Controlled schools) will endeavour to offer places in accordance with such preferences.
Will my child's disability limit his choice or will any school I choose be adapted?
Where pupils have special needs that may require capital or other works to ensure they can access mainstream education, this would be assessed alongside health and other professionals to ensure that appropriate measures are taken.
Are the children going to be consulted? If so, by whom and how?
We believe children feel most comfortable talking with their friends, teachers and family.
That is especially true when discussing possibilities they may feel upset by, as children often imagine change will be for the worse. (Actually, there are many children in South Tyneside schools who have settled in quickly to new schools after reorganisation, and enjoy new facilities. And over the last few years, many children with special needs around the UK have moved school as part of reorganisations.)
So rather than confronting children with formal consultation situations, we are hoping to hear from teachers and parents what the children's ideas are.
Will there be enough places for the children?
We have a legal duty to provide enough places, so of course we will be careful to make sure there are enough.
Who would make sure that the transition from six special schools to two works well and avoids disruption for children and parents?
In preliminary discussion with Head Teachers it was agreed to seek the Local Authority’s assent that any proposals taken forward would be progressed through Head Teacher and LA partnership working.
This would help to minimise disruption to the educational /additional needs of the children, maintain the confidence and support of parents, and give ownership of the process to head teachers and governors.