Parents 'disgusted' over short notice to leave special school

Parents of pupils with special educational needs have said they are "disgusted" after their school gave them just three weeks' notice to leave.

Seven families have been informed their children will no longer be able to board at Purbeck View in Swanage, Dorset, after the end of this term.

They told the BBC that young people with such complex needs required much longer to adapt to a new environment.

The school said it was reducing its numbers after advice from Ofsted.

Kevin O'Sullivan said he received a phone call from his 18-year-old son Louis' social worker informing him of the move at the start of last week.

He said his son, who has autism and severe ADHD, has improved while at the school, where he was originally supposed to be staying until next summer.

"We're concerned that Louis will perceive this as a rejection," Mr O'Sullivan said.

"He's had to deal with a lot of loss in his life - he's had to leave home at the age of eight and Swanage is a home he's known for such a long time... we're concerned he'll actually see it as a loss of trust in us."

Paul Barran, whose son Eden also has complex needs, said three weeks to find a suitable new home was "an obscene amount of time".

"I find it quite disgusting," he said.

"Ordinarily, it's a two-year process to get someone like Eden from one setting to another setting as they transition... it's ridiculous."

Sarah London said her son Harrison would be "losing the only home he has ever known".

"He relies heavily on a structured day, he communicates with visuals - any changes to those things make him so anxious and then ultimately lead to violent behaviour," she said.

"I feel completely powerless - I don't have any power over what will happen to my child, and I can't even tell you where he'll be at Christmas."

A spokesperson for Purbeck View said: "This decision was taken after careful consideration with the aim to focus staff to address concerns from Ofsted, and to ensure that we have a service that is both sustainable and operating at a standard we expect."

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