What makes a special school extra special?

Proposals considered by councillors last night could mean some of the area's six special schools being closed in favour of improving resources and expertise at mainstream schools. If adopted, the plans would mean many special school pupils being moved into mainstream education.

Crosshill is the only specialist school for primary pupils with moderate learning difficulties in the borough but staff and parents are worried about its future. Reporter AMY BINNS went to find out what makes it so special.

MIKE Hatch knows what he is talking about when it comes to educating children with learning difficulties.

As head teacher at Crosshill, he has led the school and dealt with scores of youngsters for the last ten years.

But his bond with his pupils and their families runs deeper than that.

Mike's daughter Catherine has learning problems due to cerebral palsy.

And, although she has been able to cope in a mainstream school, her father fiercely defends parents' rights to choose a specialist school if their children need it.

He said: "There have been times when my Catherine has come home unhappy because she's been teased and we've been able to help her to cope.

"But we've always known that Crosshill was a possible alternative if that was to continue and she was finding life difficult. If Crosshill's not there, parents haven't got a choice.

"When the Government is encouraging parents to have more and more choice, what some of the proposals being considered by Blackburn with Darwen are saying is there will be less choice for children with special needs, which does seem unfair." Many of his pupils, who would once have been termed slow learners, come to the school after a rocky start at a mainstream primary and need their confidence building as much as their academic skills.

Mike said: "We find out what the children can do and boost their self esteem by initially giving them work they can do and we grade the work in very small steps.

"We try to draw them out of themselves. Sometimes it takes two or three years to build their confidence."

The primary department has been completely renovated in the last two years and pupils can also use the school's kitchen, music room and technology equipment.

They receive more individual attention with four teachers for the 38 primary pupils and several support workers including volunteers from training colleges.

Teenage pupils also help the younger ones with one-to-one reading practice and other lessons in small groups.

Mike said: "We've worked hard to develop a family atmosphere and the oldest children benefit as much as the younger ones. Many of our pupils want to go into caring jobs and we have work experience in school."

Mike believes the continuity of Crosshill, where children can stay from four to 16, is one of the most important benefits of the school.

"The change to a large secondary school is hard even for ordinary children. These children would find it harder to adjust to a new school than most."

If the primary department was closed, parents would choose between a primary school for children with severe learning difficulties, which would be unsuitable for most Crosshill pupils, or a mainstream primary.

Mother Yolanda Hillman, of Heydon Brook Close, Blackburn, is worried her nine-year-old daughter Kylie, who suffers from Albright's Syndrome, wouldn't fit in at a normal school.

She said: "I let her go to Brownies and they had her in a corner taking the mick out of her. She can't speak properly and they were making her say things and skitting her.

"Crosshill's brilliant. You can have a relationship with them and if you have any problems you can talk to them about it. It's helped me get on in life.

"Kylie's never been in a normal school and if she has to go in one it will ruin what Crosshill has done for her."

Mike also believes the pupils at mainstream primaries would suffer as teachers would have to give more attention to struggling ex-Crosshill pupils. He said: "If my child was in a school where there was one child who needed that attention, or who was causing disruption so that my child was suffering, I would be very upset about it."

Plans which could mean the closure of Crosshill came as a shock. Blackburn with Darwen Council has backed the school's bid to become the country's first special school with technology college status jointly with nearby Queen's Park High.

The schools have already arranged £95,000 of the £100,000 backing needed from businesses, which will be matched by the Government and used to buy new equipment.

Crosshill's new status was earmarked to be an important part of the area's new education action zone, aiming to raise standards throughout the borough.

It was planned that pupils at other primaries who were falling behind would be able to attend Crosshill part-time for a short period.

They would be able to use new educational software and take advantage of teachers' expertise until they caught up, but the plans will be impossible if Crosshill loses its primary department.

Mike said: "We are a well-resourced school and closing us would mean so much would be lost. It's very unsettling for our staff, it's worrying for the parents and it's concerning for the community."

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