Last week’s Observer (March 28) reported Solihull Council’s success in obtaining approval for funding an Autism Free School in the borough.
Unfortunately however, the article linked this with a previous story regarding closure by Kingshurst Academy of its K2 Post-16 unit. That was not a Solihull Council facility, nor was it for students with Autism and the decision to close was made solely by the board of Kingshurst Academy following its merger with a larger multi-academy trust.
Because of parental concern about the sudden closure of K2 the matter was taken up at government level by Dame Caroline Spelman MP and funding offered to enable it to continue, but the Trust decided not to rescind closure.
I also raised the matter with council officers who approached Solihull College and other providers to see if they could assist the students by offering alternative provision.
We were pleased with the positive response from the college and others who quickly made suitable courses available and most K2 students took up these offers so that their education could continue.
For children with autism Solihull has a range of provision, with Special Schools rated as Outstanding by Ofsted and recently created Additional Resource Centres attached to some mainstream schools. Because of increased numbers and complexity we still need additional capacity in future years and that is why we are so delighted by the government announcement and prospect of a new specialist school to cater for some of our most vulnerable young people.
Councillor Ken Meeson
Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Skills
Even at local level politics is more spin than fact. Knowle’s parking charges have been at last been amended.
The Conservative-led council imposed the Knowle parking charges that have caused so much ill-feeling. One of our councillors refused to be associated with the decision so became Independent councillors to fight this cause.
Coun Alan Rabeiro has been successful in raising a petition and leading the fight with traders to get the charges changed.
The very cleverly written latest news letter from the Tories is hailing the changes as a big success. The implication is it was down to them. They imposed it in the first place.
Paul Gilbert
Knowle
Last year during the summer we had two full months of very dry weather. Young trees with very small roots, suffered greatly because if this. Some have even died.
A number of us did go out as often as possible to water such trees but all new trees need assistance. So if you have been lucky enough to have had a new tree planted in the vicinity of you house in the last year or two then could you please be kind to them and give them some water when they need it.
We have already had a fairly dry winter and spring in the Solihull area, so if this continues could you please take some action.
Jean Law
Solihull
