Oakham: Campaigners fight plans to close special school

Campaigners are fighting proposals to close a special needs school in Oakham.

Rutland County Council has launched a consultation on the future of Parks Special Nursery School which educates children with moderate and severe learning difficulties.

A petition against the closure has been signed by 2,700 people and more than 100 parents have held a town centre demonstration against the proposal.

The council wants to move pupils into supported mainstream education.

Education officials said falling pupil numbers in recent years have made the school expensive to run and unviable in the long term.

It plans to close the school, for pupils aged two to five, in August.

The campaigners said there was no alternative provision in the county for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

They gathered to voice their opposition outside Rutland County Library on Saturday, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Antonia Garnett-Wright, a mother of three special needs children, said: "We're here to stop the closure of this much needed early years special education facility, rated by Ofsted as 'outstanding'.

"We as parents need this facility for our children, and that there is no alternative in Rutland.

"It really is on Rutland County Council to re-think their proposal because our community clearly doesn't want The Parks School to close."

The council said the school had a capacity of eight but only two pupils were currently enrolled.

It said it had enlisted an independent parent participation consultant to look at concerns raised in recent public meeting.

Cabinet member for children and families Tim Smith said: "We want to be as open and transparent as possible.

"Those who attended the meeting made it very clear that they would welcome the added assurance of having an independent expert involved in the consultation process, specifically when it comes to reviewing the responses and feedback we receive."

The consultant will also assess other evidence from the consultation which runs until 3 December.

Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, external, on X, external, or on Instagram, external. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk, external.