Letter: Educating Those With Special Needs Requires Rare Skills

Published on: 12 Dec, 2016
Updated on: 12 Dec, 2016

From Jim Allen

Surrey project manager for Remap – the engineering charity for the disabled

In response to: Ofsted Report Criticises Service Provision for Children With Special Educational Needs

Those who have the opportunity to enter Pond Meadow School in Guildford – can see an excellent facility for the young disabled and I would caution criticism of individual circumstances.

Unlike “normal” schools where groups of 20 plus children can be loosely grouped together by achievements, or ability, disabled children can only be treated individually.

Each has unique features of ability and disability even if they share the same medical condition.

With no disrespect to Ofsted I doubt their inspectors have the ability to assess, in a meaningful way, the realities of caring for these children. It is rare and special people who help these children and to find a person who can assess these rare people correctly must be extremely difficult.