Rumour of special school merger is dismissed (From Gazette Series)

Rumour of mergers of special schools Cam House and Sandford School near Cheltenham is dismissed

8:30am Friday 3rd February 2012 in News By Liza-Jane Gillespie

EDUCATION bosses have quashed rumours that the local authority has merged two special schools in the county.

Gloucestershire County Council has confirmed that students and teachers from Sandford School near Cheltenham have been moved to Cam House School.

However, the authority said the arrangement was temporary and was not a move to merge the two school communities on a permanent basis.

The transfer has happened because the old Sandford School building was deemed no longer suitable.

A spokesman for Gloucestershire County Council said: "The staff and students from Sandford School have moved to Cam House on a temporary basis whilst the county council looks for suitable accommodation nearer to Cheltenham and Gloucester.

"This is because the school building at Sandford was no longer suitable for use. We have put a joint head teacher in post to manage the transition, bringing the schools together in the short term, but our long term aim is to find a new home for the Sandford School." Last year Gloucestershire County Council announced a £4.9 million project to transform special schools in the county, cut travel time for students and improve teaching facilities.

Phase one of the scheme was for Amberley Ridge, near Stroud, and Sandford School to be found new buildings. Both occupied stately homes that needed millions of pounds worth of repairs.

The move would also mean the schools were closer to their students and would help reduce the council’s £1million a year transport bill.

Coln House School in Fairford, which is a mix of boarding and day students, is to become exclusively boarding but proposals for Cam House are yet to be announced.

There are almost 1,200 students with behavioural and emotional special needs (BESN) in Gloucestershire, most of whom are catered for in mainstream schools. The four special schools in the county care for approximately 240 students.