THE award-winning Meadow School is to close under Hampshire County Council plans to create one new special school to cover East Hampshire.

The decision came last Friday when the county councilÕs cabinet member for education, Don Allen, rubber stamped the plans to merge the Meadow School with Whitedown School in Alton.

Under the plans both schools will close and a new enlarged school will open on the site of the Meadow.

The move comes after widespread public consultation in a bid to improve the quality of school provision for children with special needs.

Although funding issues have yet to be resolved, the hope is that the new school will cater for children with a wide range of special needs, including learning difficulties and profound and multiple disabilities.

Currently the Meadow School caters for up to 120 pupils between the ages of four and 16 who have a range of moderate special educational needs including autism.

Recently it has been highly acclaimed by OFSTED inspectors and both the school and members of staff have won awards for their efforts.

Once the school has been merged with Whitedown, which currently has 34 pupils with severe learning disabilities on its books, the ÒnewÓ school will also cater for pre-school children and post-16s.

Mainstream schools will also be involved, with Mill Chase Community School agreeing in principle to set up a unit which will provide support for up to ten children with moderate learning difficulties.

This will enable pupils to go to a mainstream comprehensive while receiving specialist attention and expertise from the unitÕs staff.

Mr AllenÕs decision follows a difference of opinion which was expressed by staff and governors at both schools over the way in which the merger should take place.

The Meadow School wanted to remain open and to absorb the extra staff and pupils into an enlarged version of the school.

Whitedown wanted both schools to ÒcloseÓ because it did not want staff and pupils to be marginalized in an enlarged Meadow School.

After examining both schoolÕs arguments, and a recommendation from the countyÕs education review committee, Mr Allen sided with WhitedownÕs view.

He said: ÒWeÕve consulted extensively with parents, staff and governors at both schools and strong support was shown for a reorganisation of special education in East Hampshire.

ÒI am certain that the proposal to close the two schools and develop a new facility at the Meadow site will best suit the needs of all pupils, providing an environment which will offer the very best standards of education.

ÒStaff at the two schools have skills and expertise which will ensure that the new school gets off to an excellent start, developing from the strong achievements of Whitedown and Meadow.

ÒWe have to identify the capital investment needed for the project and we will be looking at our funding options very carefully over the coming months to enable the project to move forward.Ó

Meadow headteacher Pete Greenwood told The Herald that while he was disappointed that Mr Allen had chosen the option of closing both schools, the education of pupils from both schools was the top priority.

Mr Greenwood said that there was still Òthe desire and commitmentÓ to help reshape special school education and to create Òa purpose-built flagship special school for children and parents in the wider communityÓ.

Chairman of the Meadow School Helen Newman voiced similar sentiments.

She said: ÒBoth the Meadow and Whitedown have a shared commitment to this project. We have looked at how we get to the end result from different viewpoints.

ÒWe acknowledge the process that has been adopted and while it may prove more difficult to achieve, the governing body and the management team within the Meadow School will have a significant role to play based upon their proven ability to manage change.Ó

Whitedown headteacher Barbara Livings was thrilled with Mr AllenÕs decision.

She said: ÒWe feel this addresses all the equal opportunity issues for pupils, parents, staff and governors.

ÒWe are very excited about the prospect of a new school and we are looking forward to working in partnership with the Meadow School community in taking this project forward.Ó

Objectors to the plans now have two months to make their opinions known. If any objections are received then the final decision will rest with the school organisation committee.

Hampshire County Council is hopeful that the new school will be open by March 2004.