Category: Cllr Tony Smith

Strange: Labour refuse to take decision on Lyndale School tonight based on abolished predetermination rule

Strange: Labour refuse to take decision on Lyndale School tonight based on abolished predetermination rule

Strange: Labour refuse to take decision on Lyndale School tonight based on abolished predetermination rule

                      

Labour’s Councillor Tony Smith and Councillor Phil Davies have submitted an amendment to the Conservative’s notice of motion on Lyndale School. Although it’s an amendment it retains only a sentence and a half from the original motion. If Labour’s amendment is agreed the text below shows how it’ll change the original motion. Text in the original motion that is deleted by Labour’s amendment has a line through it and extra text added by Labour’s amendment is in bold.

THE LYNDALE SCHOOL

Council, having regard to the support given to the campaign to keep the Lyndale School open by the public of Wirral, resolves that:

1. It is the firm belief of Council that the Lyndale School should remain open, and in order to bring to an end the anguish and uncertainty suffered by pupils and their parents and carers, calls upon Cabinet to confirm that the school will remain open when Cabinet next meets.

2. Council recognises the unique and caring environment provided by the Lyndale School to children with profound and multiple learning difficulties. Council acknowledges the value of this provision and affirms its belief that such provision should remain at the Lyndale School.

3. Council instructs officers to work with the Wirral School’s Forum in order to investigate how the funding of Wirral’s Special Schools can more closely reflect the will of Wirral’s residents, as expressed by the huge support given to the Lyndale School: that the quality and scale of provision for children requiring the services of special schools in Wirral should continually strive to improve and be in no way diminished.

Council believes that it would be premature to take a view on the future of Lyndale School without taking into account the outcome of the comprehensive consultation process which took place recently. Any statements in favour of a particular outcome run the risk of predetermination.

Council therefore notes the views contained in this motion and agrees to refer it to the special meeting of Cabinet on the 4th September. Cabinet will consider all options relating to Lyndale School together with the outcome of the consultation exercise at that special meeting.

However the predetermination rule was abolished on 15th January 2012 when section 25 (prior indications of view of matter not to amount to predetermination) of the Localism Act 2011 became law.

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Wirral Council committee appointments for the 2014/15 municipal year

Wirral Council committee appointments for the 2014/15 municipal year

Wirral Council committee appointments for the 2014/15 municipal year

                            

This is a list of which councillor is on which committee for the 2014/15 year. It doesn’t include deputies (but the list of deputies can be found here at pages thirteen to twenty-three). This is the original list as agreed at the Annual Meeting (Part 2) of the Council on the 9th June 2014 (and published on the 23rd June 2014). Changes can be made throughout the 2014/15 year.

Cabinet (10 councillors)

Cllr Phil Davies (Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance)
Cllr Ann McLachlan (Governance, Commissioning and Improvement & Joint Deputy Leader of the Council)
Cllr George Davies (Neighbourhoods, Housing and Engagement & Joint Deputy Leader of the Council)
Cllr Adrian Jones (Support Services)
Cllr Christine Jones (Adult Social Care and Public Health)
Cllr Chris Meaden (Leisure, Sport and Culture)
Cllr Pat Hackett (Economy)
Cllr Tony Smith (Children and Family Services)
Cllr Bernie Mooney (Environment and Sustainability)
Cllr Stuart Whittingham (Highways and Transport)

Although there are no deputies for Cabinet, there are ten assistant portfolio holders.

Audit and Risk Management Committee (9 councillors)

Councillor John Hale (Conservative spokesperson)
Councillor David Elderton (Conservative)
Councillor Adam Sykes (Conservative)
Councillor Jim Crabtree (Labour & Chair)
Councillor Ron Abbey (Labour & Vice-Chair)
Councillor Paul Doughty (Labour)
Councillor Matthew Patrick (Labour)
Councillor Joe Walsh (Labour)
Councillor Stuart Kelly (Liberal Democrat spokesperson)

In addition to the above there are eight Conservative deputies, eight Labour deputies and five Liberal Democrat deputies.

Employment and Appointments Committee (8 councillors)

Councillor Jeff Green (Conservative spokesperson)
Councillor Lesley Rennie (Conservative)
Councillor Adrian Jones (Labour & Chair)
Councillor Phil Davies (Labour & Vice-Chair)
Councillor George Davies (Labour)
Councillor Ann McLachlan (Labour)
Councillor Moira McLaughlin (Labour)
Councillor Phil Gilchrist (Liberal Democrat spokesperson)

In addition to the above there are eight Conservative deputies, eight Labour deputies and five Liberal Democrat deputies.

Licensing, Health and Safety and General Purposes Committee (9 councillors)

Councillor Andrew Hodson (Conservative spokesperson)
Councillor Leah Fraser (Conservative)
Councillor Geoffrey Watt (Conservative)
Councillor Bill Davies (Labour & Chair)
Councillor Steve Niblock (Labour & Vice-Chair)
Councillor John Salter (Labour)
Councillor Christine Spriggs (Labour)
Councillor Mike Sullivan (Labour)
Councillor Pat Williams (Liberal Democrat spokesperson)

In addition to the above there are eight Conservative deputies, eight Labour deputies and five Liberal Democrat deputies.

Licensing Act 2003 Committee (15 councillors)

Councillor Eddie Boult (Conservative)
Councillor Gerry Ellis (Conservative)
Councillor Andrew Hodson (Conservative)
Councillor Mike Hornby (Conservative)
Councillor Bill Davies (Labour, Chair)
Councillor Steve Niblock (Labour, Vice-Chair (from 18th June 2014))
Councillor George Davies (Labour)
Councillor Tony Norbury (Labour)
Councillor Louise Reecejones (Labour)
Councillor Denise Roberts (Labour)
Councillor John Salter (Labour)
Councillor Harry Smith (Labour)
Councillor Mike Sullivan (Labour)
Councillor Dave Mitchell (Liberal Democrat)
Councillor Pat Williams (Liberal Democrat)

There are no deputies for this committee.

Pensions Committee (10 Wirral Council councillors plus 5 co-opted members)

Councillor Geoffrey Watt (Conservative spokesperson)
Councillor Mike Hornby (Conservative)
Councillor Cherry Povall (Conservative)
Councillor Paul Doughty (Labour, Chair)
Councillor Ann McLachlan (Labour, Vice-Chair)
Councillor George Davies (Labour)
Councillor Treena Johnson (Labour)
Councillor Adrian Jones (Labour)
Councillor Harry Smith (Labour)
Councillor Chris Carubia (Liberal Democrat spokesperson)

Co-opted members
Councillor Norman F Keats (Labour, Knowsley Council)
Councillor John Fulham (Labour, St Helens Council)
Councillor Paul Tweed (Labour, Sefton Council)
Councillor Patrick Hurley (Labour, Liverpool City Council)
Patrick McCarthy

In addition to the above there are eight Conservative deputies, eight Labour deputies and four Liberal Democrat deputies.

Planning Committee (13 councillors)

Councillor David Elderton (Conservative spokesperson)
Councillor Eddie Boult (Conservative)
Councillor Paul Hayes (Conservative)
Councillor Kathy Hodson (Conservative)
Councillor Anita Leech (Labour, Chair)
Councillor Denise Realey (Labour, Vice-Chair)
Councillor Phillip Brightmore (Labour)
Councillor Matt Daniel (Labour)
Councillor Christine Spriggs (Labour)
Councillor Joe Walsh (Labour)
Councillor Irene Williams (Labour)
Councillor Stuart Kelly (Liberal Democrat spokesperson)
Councillor Pat Cleary (Green Party spokesperson)

In addition to the above there are eight Conservative deputies, eight Labour deputies and five Liberal Democrat deputies.

Standards and Constitutional Oversight Committee (9 councillors, 4 independent persons)

Councillor Les Rowlands (Conservative spokesperson)
Councillor Gerry Ellis (Conservative)
Councillor John Hale (Conservative)
Councillor Bill Davies (Labour, Chair)
Councillor Moira McLaughlin (Labour, Vice-Chair)
Councillor Rob Gregson (Labour)
Councillor Denise Roberts (Labour)
Councillor John Salter (Labour)
Councillor Pat Williams (Liberal Democrat spokesperson)

Independent persons
Professor R S Jones (until 15th July 2016)
Mr C Jones (until 15th July 2016)
Mr D Burgess-Joyce (until 15th July 2016)
Mr B Cummings (until 15th July 2016)

In addition to the above there are eight Conservative deputies, eight Labour deputies and five Liberal Democrat deputies.

Coordinating Committee (15 councillors, 4 co-opted members)

Councillor Chris Blakeley (Conservative spokesperson)
Councillor Tom Anderson (Conservative)
Councillor Wendy Clements (Conservative)
Councillor Mike Hornby (Conservative)
Councillor Steve Williams (Conservative)
Councillor Moira McLaughlin (Labour, Chair)
Councillor Paul Doughty (Labour, Vice-Chair)
Councillor Phillip Brightmore (Labour)
Councillor Anita Leech (Labour)
Councillor Christina Muspratt (Labour)
Councillor Walter Smith (Labour)
Councillor Mike Sullivan (Labour)
Councillor Jerry Williams (Labour)
Councillor Janette Williamson (Labour)
Councillor Phil Gilchrist (Liberal Democrat spokesperson)

Co-opted members (when dealing with education matters with voting rights)
Roman Catholic Diocese Mr Damian Cunningham
Church of England Vacancy
Mrs H Shoebridge (parent governor) until 28th October 2015
Mrs Nicola Smith (parent governor) until 8 February 2017

In addition to the above there are eight Conservative deputies, eight Labour deputies and five Liberal Democrat deputies.

Families and Wellbeing Policy and Performance Committee (15 councillors, 4 co-opted members)

Councillor Wendy Clements (Conservative spokesperson)
Councillor Bruce Berry (Conservative)
Councillor Paul Hayes (Conservative)
Councillor Mike Hornby (Conservative)
Councillor Cherry Povall (Conservative)
Councillor Moira McLaughlin (Labour, Chair)
Councillor Denise Roberts (Labour, Vice-Chair)
Councillor Phillip Brightmore (Labour)
Councillor Treena Johnson (Labour)
Councillor Tony Norbury (Labour)
Councillor Walter Smith (Labour)
Councillor Christine Spriggs (Labour)
Councillor Janette Williamson (Labour)
Councillor Alan Brighouse (Liberal Democrat spokesperson)
Councillor Pat Cleary (Green Party spokesperson)

Co-opted members (with voting rights)
Roman Catholic Diocese Mr Damian Cunningham
Church of England Vacancy
Mrs H Shoebridge (parent governor) until 28th October 2015
Mrs Nicola Smith (parent governor) until 8 February 2017

In addition to the above there are eight Conservative deputies, eight Labour deputies and five Liberal Democrat deputies.

Regeneration and Environment Policy and Performance Committee (15 councillors)

Councillor Steve Williams (Conservative spokesperson)
Councillor Gerry Ellis (Conservative)
Councillor John Hale (Conservative)
Councillor Andrew Hodson (Conservative)
Councillor Tracey Smith (Conservative)
Councillor Mike Sullivan (Labour, Chair)
Councillor Jerry Williams (Labour, Vice-Chair)
Councillor Jim Crabtree (Labour)
Councillor Matt Daniel (Labour)
Councillor Rob Gregson (Labour)
Councillor Anita Leech (Labour)
Councillor Steve Niblock (Labour)
Councillor Denise Realey (Labour)
Councillor Jean Stapleton (Labour)
Councillor Dave Mitchell (Liberal Democrat spokesperson)

In addition to the above there are eight Conservative deputies, eight Labour deputies and five Liberal Democrat deputies.

Transformation and Resources Policy and Performance Committee (15 councillors)

Councillor Adam Sykes (Conservative spokesperson)
Councillor Tom Anderson (Conservative)
Councillor Bruce Berry (Conservative)
Councillor Kathy Hodson (Conservative)
Councillor Tracey Smith (Conservative)
Councillor Janette Williamson (Labour, Chair)
Councillor Paul Doughty (Labour, Vice-Chair)
Councillor Matt Daniel (Labour)
Councillor Rob Gregson (Labour)
Councillor Matthew Patrick (Labour)
Councillor Christina Muspratt (Labour)
Councillor Louise Reecejones (Labour)
Councillor Joe Walsh (Labour)
Councillor Irene Williams (Labour)
Councillor Phil Gilchrist (Liberal Democrat spokesperson)

In addition to the above there are eight Conservative deputies, eight Labour deputies and five Liberal Democrat deputies.

Birkenhead Constituency Committee (18 councillors, 1 co-opted member)

Councillor Jim Crabtree (Labour, Bidston & St. James)
Councillor Ann McLachlan (Labour, Bidston & St. James)
Councillor Harry Smith (Labour, Bidston & St. James)
Councillor Pat Cleary (Green, Birkenhead & Tranmere)
Councillor Phil Davies (Labour, Birkenhead & Tranmere)
Councillor Jean Stapleton (Labour, Birkenhead & Tranmere)
Councillor George Davies (Labour, Claughton)
Councillor Steve Foulkes (Labour, Claughton)
Councillor Denise Roberts (Labour, Claughton)
Councillor Alan Brighouse (Liberal Democrat, Oxton)
Councillor Stuart Kelly (Liberal Democrat, Oxton)
Councillor Pat Williams (Liberal Democrat, Oxton)
Councillor Paul Doughty (Labour, Prenton)
Councillor Tony Norbury (Labour, Prenton)
Councillor Denise Realey (Labour, Prenton)
Councillor Bill Davies (Labour, Rock Ferry)
Councillor Chris Meaden (Labour, Rock Ferry)
Councillor Moira McLaughlin (Labour, Rock Ferry)

Co-opted Member
Rt Hon Frank Field MP (Chair)

Wallasey Constituency Committee (18 councillors, 6 community representatives)

Councillor Ron Abbey (Labour, Leasowe and Moreton East)
Councillor Treena Johnson (Labour, Leasowe and Moreton East)
Councillor Anita Leech (Labour, Leasowe and Moreton East)
Councillor Matt Daniel (Labour, Liscard)
Councillor Bernie Mooney (Labour, Liscard)
Councillor Janette Williamson (Labour, Liscard)
Councillor Bruce Berry (Conservative, Moreton West and Saughall Massie)
Councillor Chris Blakeley (Conservative, Moreton West and Saughall Massie)
Councillor Steve Williams (Conservative, Moreton West and Saughall Massie)
Councillor Rob Gregson (Labour, New Brighton)
Councillor Pat Hackett (Labour, New Brighton)
Councillor Christine Spriggs (Labour, New Brighton)
Councillor Adrian Jones (Labour, Seacombe)
Councillor Chris Jones (Labour, Seacombe)
Councillor John Salter (Labour, Seacombe)
Councillor Leah Fraser (Conservative, Wallasey)
Councillor Paul Hayes (Conservative, Wallasey)
Councillor Lesley Rennie (Conservative, Wallasey)

Community Representatives
Mr Ken Harrison
Mr Brian Higgins
Mr Tony Jones
Mr Keith Raybould
Mr Paul Roberts
Mr Lewis Collins

Wirral South Constituency Committee (15 councillors, up to 6 community representatives)

Councillor Christina Muspratt (Labour, Bebington)
Councillor Walter Smith (Labour, Bebington)
Councillor Jerry Williams (Labour, Bebington)
Councillor Steve Niblock (Labour, Bromborough)
Councillor Joe Walsh (Labour, Bromborough)
Councillor Irene Williams (Labour, Bromborough)
Councillor Cherry Povall (Conservative, Clatterbridge)
Councillor Tracey Smith (Conservative, Clatterbridge)
Councillor Adam Sykes (Conservative, Clatterbridge)
Councillor Chris Carubia (Liberal Democrat, Eastham)
Councillor Phil Gilchrist (Liberal Democrat, Eastham)
Councillor Dave Mitchell (Liberal Democrat, Eastham)
Councillor Andrew Hodson (Conservative, Heswall)
Councillor Kathy Hodson (Conservative, Heswall)
Councillor Les Rowlands (Conservative, Heswall)

Community representatives
Unknown

Wirral West Constituency Committee (15 councillors plus six co-opted community representatives)

Councillor Tom Anderson (Conservative, Greasby, Frankby & Irby)
Councillor Wendy Clements (Conservative, Greasby, Frankby & Irby)
Councillor Mike Hornby (Conservative, Greasby, Frankby & Irby)
Councillor Eddie Boult (Conservative, Hoylake & Meols)
Councillor Gerry Ellis (Conservative, Hoylake & Meols)
Councillor John Hale (Conservative, Hoylake & Meols)
Councillor Phillip Brightmore (Labour, Pensby & Thingwall)
Councillor Louise Reecejones (Labour, Pensby & Thingwall)
Councillor Michael Sullivan (Labour, Pensby & Thingwall)
Councillor Matthew Patrick (Labour, Upton)
Councillor Tony Smith (Labour, Upton)
Councillor Stuart Whittingham (Labour, Upton)
Councillor David Elderton (Conservative, West Kirby & Thurstaston)
Councillor Jeff Green (Conservative, West Kirby & Thurstaston)
Councillor Geoffrey Watt (Conservative, West Kirby & Thurstaston)

Community Representatives
Jackie Hall (Hoylake and Meols)
John Smith (Greasby, Frankby & Irby)
Lynn Collier (Pensby & Thingwall)
Elise Wong (Upton)
David Wade (West Kirby & Thurstaston)

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If Lyndale School closed: what might happen next?

If Lyndale School closed: what might happen next?

Councillor Tony Smith (Cabinet Member for Childrens Services) talks at a meeting of Wirral Council's Cabinet about deciding to consult on closing Lyndale School (16th January 2014)
Councillor Tony Smith (Cabinet Member for Childrens Services) talks at the meeting of Wirral Council’s Cabinet which decided to consult on closing Lyndale School (16th January 2014)

If Lyndale School closed: what might happen next?

                                    

Usually I write about other people. However today because personal experience and stories shape who you are I felt the need to share some of my history as a child to make a number of points about the Lyndale School Closure consultation.

From ages four to ten, I went to a primary school in Upton that I really liked and enjoyed called St. Josephs Upton. At age ten, I was transferred to St. Josephs Birkenhead in the September of 1991. Both were great schools and this is in no way meant at all as any criticism of how either school was run.

I found myself taken away from the people I’d known and grown up with in Upton and put in an unfamiliar school I didn’t know my way round. To make things worse I no longer had my best friend to talk to and with it being the last year of primary school, the other kids had known each other for the last six years. I was the outsider.

Trying to make the best of a difficult situation I tried to fit in, but I found coping with the change very stressful, in fact extremely stressful would be a better way of describing it. To give one illustration, I remember collapsing and blacking out waiting in a dinner queue that week. The other kids and teachers did their level best to be welcoming, I can’t fault them on that but I just had a very hard time coping. It all took its toll on my health and after a week I ended up being admitted to Arrowe Park Hospital for days because the impact it had on my asthma.

In Arrowe Park Hospital, hospital school was only in the morning. I remember being puzzled that the school there finished at lunchtime and being told to go back to the ward! The staffing ratio (very different to the mainstream schools I was used to) was such that things were tailored on a very personal level and what the children could cope with because of their poor health. The small numbers of children there helped dispel the feelings I’d had of being lost (both in the feeling sense and literally as I didn’t know my way round) in a large school. In fact the small size of the hospital school (something that’s been given as a reason for closing Lyndale School down) was a positive for many reasons.

Five months later (still unhappy) I was transferred back to my previous primary school.

So why do I bring this up? Taking a young child out of a school and away from a school they’re used to, away from their friends, teachers they know and places they’re familiar with is something that very difficult to fully understand unless it has happened to you.

One of the points brought up by an officer during the consultation was that children have to change schools when they go to secondary school! This is not a fair comparison. The move to secondary school is very different as such a change is known and planned for years in advance. The change to secondary school everyone experiences together at the same time.

My health as a child is nowhere near the level of ill-health experienced by the children at Lyndale School. I’m sure (from an educational perspective) they have a somewhat comparable experience to that that I had at the hospital school, with a very tailored educational experience catering for their individual needs. Yet if one of them was put through what I describe above, whatever well-meaning “measures” are put in place by the “professionals” it would have far more damaging long-term effects than it did on me.

It wouldn’t be the same as what happened to me, it would be an experience far, far worse than a bad time from my childhood I still remember twenty-four years later. Julia Hassall has stated many times that the welfare of the children is important. Based on my personal experience (as outlined above), it was not in my interests for my primary school to be changed at age ten. The reasons given by the person who made the decision were to do with other people’s interests, not my interests and I had been against the change (but when does the world ever listen to a ten-year old?)

This is what will happen though if Lyndale School is closed and the children are transferred elsewhere. The children (the ones affected by this) won’t understand why it’s happening. There won’t be the option to go back as the Lyndale School will have been been closed. It will cause tremendous stress and upheaval that whatever the professionals may say about it being managed and measures being put in place to help with the transition, will have an effect on the children’s health.

Coping with the change will make the ones who have seizures more likely to have seizures. Those with breathing difficulties will have their condition made worse by the stress and as I did will black out (with all the problems that can cause). A certain proportion will react as I did and have such a rapid deterioration in their health that they end up in hospital. It may even shorten the life of some. These are extremely serious considerations.

Perhaps it is difficult for politicians that don’t have a professional background in education or health to fully understand these arguments. I’m sure there are some sceptics that feel that these effect are exaggerated by people keen to prevent the school being closed. They’re not!

History is littered with warnings and those who don’t heed its warnings are doomed to repeat its mistakes. I’m still around decades later, despite what happened to me to try and warn of what might happen.

In Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol there is a ghost of Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Future. In this analogy Wirral Council is seen as Ebenezer Scrooge. The warnings of Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Yet to Come have been given loud and clear to any councillors listening. It is getting to the stage where Scrooge has to change his ways. In the book Scrooge became a kinder, generous and more compassionate person, will Wirral Council follow the same path on Lyndale School or end up making an unpopular wrong choice for the wrong reasons that could have very serious consequences?

Wirral Council has a legal duty to ensure that all its decisions are compatible with people’s human rights. I brought up the right to education at the last consultation meeting but what about the effect of closing the school on people’s right to life?

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Lyndale School Consultation Meeting: questions about the sensory garden, resources, Elleray Park and Stanley (Part 5)

Lyndale School Consultation Meeting: questions about the sensory garden, resources, Elleray Park and Stanley (Part 5)

Lyndale School Consultation Meeting: questions about the sensory garden, resources, Elleray Park and Stanley (Part 5)

                            

Continues from Lyndale School Consultation Meeting: questions about Stanley, Elleray, Foxfield & the educational psychologist (Part 4).

The next question was about the £80,000 that had been raised by the public to pay for a sensory garden at Lyndale School. He asked what plans do they have for the sensory garden and how would you plan to get the money back to the people that donated it?

Phil Ward answered, “Well what it is, if a school, my colleagues can talk about the buildings on the site, but if a school does close clearly there would be in keeping, well we don’t know. We don’t know”.. “well resources that can be used, well resources that can be used certainly”… David Armstrong said, “It’s a what if question because there’s no decision made. There’s no real gardens, there’s no decision been taken to determine it.” The questioner replied with, “Well I’m sure if we knew at the time that there was the chance that all our hard work would be”… “we would not have done all that hard work.” to which David Armstrong replied, “All I will say is, all I will say is, that certainly in my time here we’ve always treated the school sites, what I’ve tried to do is do it with real sensitivity to what’s been the best care that I can.”

The questioner said it was a very, very unique school. David Armstrong replied with, “What we’ve done is anything that related to a particular pupil, anything that was in memory of a particular pupil we’ve dealt with that first and then we’ve gone on from that”…. The questioner asked who put the amphitheatre at the back of Lyndale School to which David Armstrong replied, “I don’t know.” The person asking the question said it was put there by lads working on a Youth Training Scheme for Wirral Action to which David Armstrong replied, “I can’t know every single detail.”

Phil Ward said, “Well clearly we’ve closed that one down, time moves on, there are different circumstances and we are where we are now.”

Ian Lewis said, “Four years ago, when I was a member of the Cabinet, the officers insisted on .. the officers brought a recommendation to close the Kingsway Primary School in Seacombe. It wasn’t a special school, it isn’t a special school and the argument for closing the school was that it isn’t financially viable.

I and the rest of the Cabinet voted against that proposal and four years later that school is still open and in its recent OFSTED inspection it was found to be outstanding. So on what basis do you think that, for the two directors, on the basis that this here is a school is for children who are vulnerable? If in four years time that’s still here, who’s to say it won’t be viable?”…

“Secondly, you mentioned the teaching in the other schools that you’re proposing Elleray Park and Stanley. That as I understand it won’t be one to one as we currently have at Lyndale, so issues such as basic issues such as toileting they would be left. If the children going to Lyndale, assuming this proposal went through, the children from Lyndale went to those other two schools and if their current level of education was to be maintained I would expect that they would have one to one levels of support as they have now, wouldn’t that therefore affect the viability of those schools that they were going to if they’re having to increase staffing to cope with the one to one and that’s a question to the two directors.”

Phil Ward said, “Well I’ll just reply to the one question if I may..”

Ian Lewis replied, “Sorry, I’m not familiar with who you are. Who are you?”

Phil Ward replied, “I’m the Strategic Lead for Special Educational Needs for Wirral. The question of one to one,…”

Ian Lewis said, “Can I ask the directors that question please?”

Phil Ward said, “If you’ll let me get to the last bit, the question of, I’ll bring them in in a sec, the question of one to one, I’ve spoken with the headteachers at the other schools and the basic premise that we’re working on and the staff that we’re working on that every school, every special school in this consultation can provide similar same levels of support to the youngsters if they had to move. It’s all about to the management of the curriculum and staff within the schools. Nothing is ruled out, nothing is impossible. We would not be significantly changing support for the children at the school.”

Ian Lewis replied, “Sorry if you can’t answer a question than I don’t think you should be involved. You haven’t answered the question about the children.” Phil ward interrupts. Ian Lewis continues despite the interruption, “What I’m saying is, let me finish please, what you’ve said is, you will move resources around into the two existing schools because of the increase in, for the children at Lyndale and therefore by definition, the education of the children in these two schools, will be diminished” and again Phil Ward interrupted him and they both started talking at the same time. Ian Lewis continued, “No sorry, will you please let me finish!? Let me continue please! It’s very, very rude for an officer, thank you! What I’m saying to you is, if you’ve got a set finite number of resources and don’t look at me like that I’d appreciate it. If you’ve got a finite number of resources and you share those amongst the number of pupils, then what you’re doing by putting more of those resources onto the children that need it as we have at Lyndale you must be taking those resources from somewhere.”

Phil Ward replied, “Right, I think I’ll bring in the Director on that.”

Continues at Lyndale School Consultation Meeting: Kingsway, funding and hydrotherapy pools (part 6).

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Lyndale School Consultation Meeting: questions about Stanley, Elleray, Foxfield & the educational psychologist (Part 4)

Lyndale School Consultation Meeting: questions about Stanley, Elleray, Foxfield & the educational psychologist (Part 4)

Lyndale School Consultation Meeting: questions about Stanley, Elleray, Foxfield & the educational psychologist (Part 4)

                               

Continues from Lyndale School Consultation Meeting: questions about banding, outdoor space and Stanley School (Part 3).

The person asked a question referred to the one to one care that children were receiving at Lyndale School. Julia Hassall replied that that was part of the reason behind getting up to date assessments of each child was to ensure that if they had to transfer to a different school they would get exactly the same care that they get at Lyndale.

A parent said that since the last meeting they had visited Stanley School. She said, “The facilities there don’t get me wrong are absolutely fabulous, but I’d just like you to know I would be absolutely petrified to leave Scott there. I’m absolutely petrified.” and “my child would definitely not go to Elleray so the only other choice would be Stanley and it would be a massive, massive risks for Scott to go to that school.”

Phil Ward thanked her for her point.

The next question was about if anyone had spoken to the pediatricians of children at Lyndale. She said that there were children on hospital wards that might be suitable for Lyndale School but that nobody seemed to have asked the paediatricians or specialists if these children could go to Lyndale School.

Phil Ward answered, “Sorry I can’t speak for paediatricians, but surely the point..” was interrupted by the questioner asking again if anyone had asked the paediatricians to which he replied, “No, they have not, no is the answer to that.”

The next questioner referred to Julia Hassall’s statement earlier that there was a growing number of children with complex learning difficulties and referred to something that Andrew Roberts said at the call in. She asked what would happen when they can’t get into Stanley School? She said that the parents were categorically telling you that they don’t want to send their children to those schools.

Phil Ward asked if her first question was about how they’d respond to growing numbers? He said the question had come up a number of times and the answer was that Wirral Council has a responsibility on specialist provision. When there was evidence that the numbers were growing in any particular category then they would start discussions with schools to plan places.

The next questioner said that if they were providing up to two hundred and thirty places across Stanley and Elleray Park and those places were taken up by children transferring from Lyndale then wouldn’t there not be room for the expected increase in children with complex learning difficulties?

Phil Ward said that it was an ongoing process, as children were leaving for secondary school at the same time as children joining primary school the balance was shifting and changing all the time.

Someone asked what special arrangements that Wirral Council were making to gather the views of the children, almost all of whom had no conventional language whatsoever. He said that there were issues about friendships, relationships, their sense of place and security. As well as these there were issues about a safe environment to do with children with behavioural problems being mixed in with children who were very vulnerable with poor hand eye coordination and couldn’t protect themselves and anticipate danger. He said to find out what the children themselves would need special skills and special arrangements.

Julia Hassall responded, “This is why we’ve got our principal educational psychologist pulling together a group of meetings with the key staff involved with each child, the parents, any health professionals to really understand each individual child but also how the children interact with each other.”

The same person asked when that report would be available? Julia Hassall replied, “What will, they’re very specific to individual named children these meetings to get an update. So I think it would be breaching the confidentiality of the individual children but in terms of using that information to apply this SEN Improvement Test. That’s something we will absolutely make sure the needs of the children are put at the heart of that and this independent person Lynn Wright (I’m not sure of the exact spelling of this person’s name) will absolutely make sure that the needs of the children drive the future provision.”

Councillor Chris Carubia said that he was his understanding that if Lyndale was closed then the children would go to Elleray and Stanley, however nobody had mentioned Foxfield before?

Phil Ward answered, “In relation to, so, should a final decision be made about closure of the school”… “the children have got to go somewhere else. In terms of the legislation, we then would have a responsibility as a local authority then to engage in further conversations with each of the parents, not the parents as a group but each of the parents of each child that’s got a statement of special educational needs and that discussion will be had with each of the parents who may for their own reasons decide to express a preference potentially anywhere frankly. So there’s no presumption automatically that if the school were to close children would go to A, B or C. We’ve got to enter into that conversation.”

The next person referred to a visit to Stanley School and referred to it as a “brilliant building” but wasn’t sure whether it was “usable” and that it “felt like Manchester Airport”. A woman said that when she went to Stanley that it was a ninety place school but had a hundred children in it. She said that there were ten children at the school that were not funded and would this be sorted out if the Lyndale School children went to Stanley School? Andrew Roberts replied, “In terms of places at special schools, those decisions are taken annually. So the schools take it at a point in time, the decision taken in respect of Stanley was taken last November as a census. Clearly we need to be reviewing, as do the number of places at other special schools.” Phil Ward thanked him for his answer.

Continues at Lyndale School Consultation Meeting: questions about the sensory garden, resources, Elleray Park and Stanley (Part 5).

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