School provision has been pared down repeatedly

THE article in the Echo, issue September 13, brought bad news for many families of Leicestershire.

Unfortunately it understates how many opportunities each student gets to benefit from Maplewell’s residential facility that’s planned for closure.

For many years Maplewell has provided a supportive and instructive environment for lots of children with moderate learning difficulties.

The provision has been pared down repeatedly over the years, but still the school provides not only education but support out of the classroom.

The results and benefits of that support isn’t definable or accountable in terms of financial figures.

The phrase, “You can’t put a price on that” could be applied in so many ways to the activities that encourage people to realise that they do have the potential to succeed. That realisation more often than not starts outside of the classroom,- on the playing field as part of a team,- in a swimming pool,- in a canoe or on a climbing wall.

But for a child who has felt his learning difficulties already classify him as less than the rest, the Damascus moments are invaluable and essential to their success for the rest of their life. And those moments are all stimulated, and reinforced by the dedicated and indispensable Care and Intervention Staff team.

Time and time again it’s so apparent that a student has turned a corner as a result of time spent out of the classroom with intensely supportive and dedicated care staff.

Of course literacy and numeracy are absolutely essential for everyone. But so often with less able students their belief that they can tackle the curriculum ladders originates in disciplines and support and care that happens in games and at meal-times, during leisure and during social interactive time.

I have had the privilege to support a working grounds maintenance team of adults with learning difficulties, many of whom are ex Maplewell students. Time and time again they’ve demonstrated and expressed the amazing strength and sense of value that the residential ethos Maplewell Hall Special School gave them.

And interestingly, time and time again they’ve taken the opportunity to pass that on to work experience students that have joined them from neighbouring schools and colleges.

No, unfortunately “You can’t put a price on that”. But that means the personal development benefits, benefits which are even more essential when you’ve been classified as having special educational needs, can’t be quantified and cited as a good return on investments. So they’re easily overlooked and dismissed,which is about to happen if the residential facility of Maplewell Hall is removed.

And that’s why Early Intervention Strategies exist.

We all need to understand and be very aware that we write off the benefits of Residential care and support at Maplewell Hall School at our own cost. Because later, when at 16, 17 and 18 Oli and Amelie believe they have little or no sense of self-worth, have never received respect from their peers, and only judgements from society around them, then their need for support both socially and financially will be far more than the £300,000 it’s hoped to save by the proposed cuts.

The article in the Echo, issue September 13, brought bad news for many families of Leicestershire. But also a strong warning for all of us who will ultimately need to fund the financial repercussions in the not too distant future.

Below are two links that enable people to find out more and have their say.

Consultation document: https:// www. leicestershire. gov. uk/ have- your-say/ current- consultations/maplewell-hall-school

Petition: https://www.change. org/ p/ leicestershire- countycouncil-save- maplewell- hallspecial-needs-school- residential-from-closure?

David Clarke, Polar Road, Loughborough.