Calls for special school to be saved

Parents have been campaigning against plans to end more than 30 years of residential education at Bridgeview Special School, in Ferriby Road, Hessle.

The plans would see far fewer residential places provided in future, down from 90 at Bridgeview to 35 on a new site on Bilton Grange estate. A 30-place day school for primary age children will be built on a site replacing Tilbury Primary School in west Hull.

Campaigners are urging the council to reconsider saying it will mean “the loss of a successful residential, educational and pastoral environment for some of the most vulnerable children in the city”.

The petition, being presented to a meeting of Hull Council on Thursday, says the relocation “will have a detrimental impact on the families, the communities, and the loss of experienced staff.”

The plans are part of the multi-million pound Building Schools for the Future programme, which also affects Oakfield School, a day school which also caters for children with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties.

Oakfield School will be moving to a newly-built school on Hopewell Road, on Bilton Grange, with provision for 90 pupils aged 9 to 16, where there will be residential provision for 35 children.

Mike Whale, joint division secretary of the NUT, said: “Essentially the argument that has been put forward is most residential care for schools works best in a rural or semi-rural location.

“If you relocate care provision into the middle of Bilton Grange estate you are moving many children back into the area they were moved out of.”

Mr Whale was unable to give a full comment, because of ongoing consultation, but said there was a concern staff would be lost, because of the scaling down of Bridgeview.

Hull Council said no decisions had yet been made.