Michael Fabricant has welcomed the publication of an Ofsted report which
would overturn Labour Government and Staffordshire Council policy to
force children with special educational needs to be integrated in
mainstream schools. "This has jeopardised the future of schools like
Queen’s Croft in Lichfield and may force its merger with other special
needs schools. A report on inclusion by Ofsted inspectors has said
schools find particular problems in taking children with behavioural
difficulties. The chief inspector for England, David Bell, has said
‘There’s no point in running away from that. We have to accept that it’s
one of the harder parts of inclusion and we need to look carefully at
how many such children can be included.’ And I agree." says Michael
Fabricant.

"I hope that Staffordshire Local Education Authority will now reconsider
its proposals for special needs children. Putting them in mainstream
schools is disruptive for other students and can be cruel for special
needs children forced to attend mainstream schools."

Meanwhile The Conservative Shadow Education Secretary, Tim Collins,
said, "It is deeply unfortunate that the Government’s ideological
approach to the inclusion of SEN pupils in mainstream education has led
to the closure of 70 special schools since 1997. It is now quite clear
that this approach has failed the many
children who have been dumped on failing schools – creating a cycle of
extra pressure on resources which in turn has led to a decline in
standards. We believe that every child is unique and that diversity
must be
maintained in the state education system. I will therefore take action
on the first day of an incoming Conservative government to impose a
moratorium on the current special schools closure programme."

Michael Fabricant says: "I welcome this announcement by Tim Collins.
Parents of Special Educational Needs children attending schools like
Queens Croft will find this reassuring."