Special schools closures approved

Tewkesbury residents were balloted over the future of Alderman Knight

Two schools for children with special needs in Gloucestershire are to close despite campaigns to keep them open.

The Schools Adjudicator has ruled that Alderman Knight in Tewkesbury and Belmont in Cheltenham are to shut.

But Battledown Children's Centre in Cheltenham, which specialises in early years education, will stay open.

The campaign to save Alderman Knight has included demonstrations, petitions and a referendum in Tewkesbury borough.

During the ballot, 26,987 papers were counted, of which 98.8% were against the closure, with only 1.1% in favour.

The Tewkesbury MP Laurence Robertson was ordered out of the Commons chamber for accusing a minister of misleading MPs.

He said children's minister Margaret Hodge had given answers to MPs' questions that were "not only inadequate but dishonest".

Mr Robertson refused to withdraw the remark, made as he protested about special schools being closed in his constituency.

'Disgusting treatment'

In his ruling, Adjudicator Peter Neafsey, said that while the closures of Alderman Knight and Belmont made good educational and financial sense, Battledown had an important role in the assessment of pre-school children with special needs.

He also recommended the expansion of another special school, Bettridge in Cheltenham.

Gloucestershire County Council wanted to close the schools as part of a wider shake-up of education services in the county.

Leader, councillor Peter Clarke, said: "This is further confirmation that Gloucestershire's approach to teaching children with special educational needs is right and is in accordance with the policies of successive governments. "

But Val Kite, whose grandson is a pupil at Alderman Knight, said: "It's disgusting they're treating us like this, we fought this through petitions and a referendum."

The following action has been agreed:

Bettridge School in Cheltenham will be expanded. It will be a special school for children aged 2-19 with severe, profound and multiple learning difficulties and complex needs.

Alderman Knight School will close to new pupils in August 2006.

Belmont School will close to new pupils in August 2006.

Battledown Children's Centre will remain open.