Children with emotional, behavioural and learning difficulties are being denied an education. In BANES (Bath and North East Somerset) there is currently only one EBD (Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties) Unit for primary age children. It offers places for just six children. The future of this Unit is now under threat and it is expected to close in the summer of 2018. The decision about the future of the Unit will be made in the next couple of months. I am the mother of Winnie who started at the school in January 2017. Winnie is a lively, bubbly, charismatic nine year old girl who also has social, emotional and learning difficulties. My daughter has the ability to learn but she needs a lot of encouragement and support to help her with this. Since moving to St Michael's she has flourished. She is receiving the support she needs. We have seen huge progress in her behaviour at school. She is playing with other children again, she is listening to the adults and she is starting to read and write and show an interest in the world around her. And we are starting to see the bright bubbly girl who had disappeared in to a shell of hostility, emerge again. The school understands her. They have the skills and experience to manage her behaviour and they have found a way to encourage her to learn. Gaining a place at the school wasn't easy. We had to fight for it because its is the only school in the area that offers this type of support. Prior to this she attended a special school. During her time there she regressed in every single way, emotionally, socially, behaviourally and academically. Although a lovely and well respected school, it’s strength lies in dealing with severely disabled children, not children like Winnie. There is very limited provision for children like Winnie within the education system. Many mainstream schools do not even return your calls when you phone to enquire about SEN (Special Educational Needs) places. Children with additional/special needs affect Ofsted ratings. Gaining a place at St Michael's wasn't easy. We had to fight for it. And now we have been informed that due to cuts in government funding and the increasing pressure on schools to meet government targets, the St Michael’s school governors feel it is no longer viable to run the Unit as part of the mainstream school. There is nowhere for children like Winnie to go. What will happen to these children? What will their future's hold? Surely in the long-run denying them an education will cost the government far more? Children like Winnie have potential. They may not grow up to be brain surgeons or stock market traders, but they do face a bright future if they are given the right support while they are young. Denying them this support is denying them a future. These children deserve an education. Without an education they have no future. This is a petition to save the St Michael’s EBD Unit. It is also a plea to the government to not forget these children and to provide them with the help and support they not only need, but above all else deserve. For more information and to read my daughter's story visit the Educating Winnie Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/pg/Educating-Winnie-887168268092797/about/?ref=page_internal

autistic people are a huge contribution to our society, in many ways they are superior to so-called normal people and they deserve our respect. Many of our brightest minds and our greatest achievers are autistic and autistic people need to be protected

Children from nursery age 3 years up to high school age 16/18 safety & well being.

The CYCLE HUB will compliment our beautiful coastline whilst providing a 'stand-out' attraction for the many cyclists, tourists and general public whom already frequent the Spanish Battery. The development will assist with the enhancement and preservation of the Tynemouth conservation area and local heritage for generations to come. North Tyneside attracts approximately 5.8 million visitors each year who inject £279 Million into the local economy, supporting over 3500 jobs. This proposal will open a disused private garden into a considerate, visually low-impact CYCLE HUB that will only be visible from the southern aspect on the River Tyne. From the outset the building has been sensitively designed to ensure the iconic views to and from the Brigade Watch House remain unspoilt. The building will be sunk beneath a manicured lawn at the same level as the current garden. We have even gone as far as to store refuse bins below ground level. Two large car parks already exist to provide customers with parking. Additional spaces will be allocated for the sole use of the Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigades response vehicles, whilst residents parking will remain untouched. Those living on the Battery will be un-effected by the building as the aim is to cater for passing trade that already exists. The vast majority of our intended customers will arrive by foot or cycle. Our vision is to provide Tynemouth with a gateway amenity that links to the National Cycle Network and provides a valuable facility for Tynemouth residents and the wider general public. The development will ensure a notable finishing point for those tackling the challenge of the Coast to Coast/Coast to Castles/Great North Bike Rides. In essence the Cycle Hub will establish Tynemouth as a key destination within the cycling community. A multitude of independent reporting commissioned by UK GOV indicates that development and investment in cycling infrastructure and sustainable transport provides the following: • Creates inward investment to an area. • Brings more jobs and positively effects the labour market, contractors and wider infrastructure/services. • Increases health of those in the area, with exercise in excess of Chief Medical Officers guidelines. • Boosts the local economy and business • Creates a modal shift in the well being of individuals. • Increases social inclusion and connectivity. • Makes better cities and neighbourhoods. • A reduction in Crime Rate. • An increase in rental and property prices. • Eases congestion. • Improves air quality. The North East of England is renowned for its warmth and hospitality, we look forward to providing a facility that welcomes one and all.

An undiagnosed person with a hidden difference such as dyslexia or other commonly experienced a sense of not really knowing who you are.If nobody tells the person that there is a reason for their difficulties, there is a tendency to label themselves as dumb, thick and stupid. The difficulties can become harder to manage in secondary school and when children begin to fail they can become very vulnerable and on edge. These feelings can stay throughout life. The frustration of prolonged failure on a range of curriculum subjects at school, resulting in feelings of insecurity and lack of confidence, can have profound effects upon social status, friendship patterns, and acceptance and adjustment in new settings. Aggressive and antisocial behaviour may result from these tensions. Stress and insecurity can lead to a prominence of information processing difficulties. When dealing with problems, may adopt strategies of avoidance and self blaming. To the person who experiences them, these emotions often feel bewildering and shaming. Inevitably the emotional consequences are lack of confidence, frustration, even depression. Feeling of been let down by other people who should have recognised the difficulties or be more sympathetic to them; that they have consequently lost opportunities for study having a diagnoses this could of been avoid with a simple diagnosis which is important it allow a child / adult to understand where the difficulties lie and if there are any further difficulties overlapping and this is necessary for the correct accommodation. Despite everything we know about dyslexia through research, many children are denied screening. And many more, once diagnosed,are denied the services that should accompany such a diagnosis." School’s reason for denial . • Wrongly points to the limited resources (financial or expertise) of the child’s school. But that is not the entire picture. Putting aside appropriate resource challenges, the educational change necessary to support this vulnerable group of students often transcends financial issues. In fact, some (not all) of the most significant changes are actually free and actually only require instructional and attitudinal shifts. No wonder no one wants to diagnose children when there is a shortage of individuals trained to Provide with necessary instruction. • Lack intervention causes depression anxiety and suicide. • Lack of of proper intervention can affect future Job prospects, and behaviour which can lead to the prison pipeline. We want to enable those with children / adults to reach their potential to develop in the work force. Parents often delay getting their kids the help they need because the school denies screening for diverse reasons . Unfortunately, if they get it the “wait and hope” approach is rarely effective and has a costly impact on children: Navigating the public school bureaucracy to secure special attention often takes months or years. Meanwhile, children are falling further behind during the critical early-education period. Public school teachers, principals and staff are well-intentioned, but the system is broken. Most schools don’t have the resources . Waiting for the school to test and treat your dyslexic child is a “race to the bottom” and an enormous disservice to your language-challenged child. By the time your child is far enough behind to qualify for a public school evaluation, you have a bigger problem on your hands. What was a manageable academic challenge for your 1st grader can turn into a significant emotional and social problem by the 3rd grade. You are likely to hear your child say things like “I’m never going to get this,” “All my friends read better than I do,” “I hate this,” “School is not for me,” “I’m stupid.” Children with Dyslexia Despraxia Abergers.... do not “catch up” without specialized and explicit instruction. Such children don’t “just need a little extra practice” or a tutor; they need a specific type of teaching designed for the unique learning patterns of the brain. Some students often treat every word as a sight word and memorize it, instead of using the word’s structure to decode and understand it. Later in life , demands, this memorization strategy will fail them. While you are hoping for dyslexia help from the school, your child is losing ground—falling behind with reading and writing skills that are fundamental to all learning. Many school teachers and administrators wish they could provide more help for struggling, but they lack resources and training to do so. Few parents understand what they are getting themselves into if they try to navigate the school system as an academic lifeline for their struggling student. Many with hidden disabilities may not recognise their difficulties as Dyslexia Dyspraxia Asbergers or other.... . Even if they understand the nature of their difficulties, they may not know how to present these in a way that allows other people to help them. In the end, the anxiety about the difficulties is as much the problem as the actual difficulties themselves and a vicious circle of anxiety and inefficiencies evolves from which there seems no escape.A lack of school, job or social success is likely to add to this emotional burden . A diagnosis is an understanding of the difficulties, by and large, brings a sense of relief even wellbeing , as all the bewildering inefficiencies can be brought into a consistent picture and this helps to explain problems in a clear and confident way. key to Dyslexia Dyspraxia and Asbergers ..... is Early intervention know one should go unnoticed. http://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/counsellor-articles/dyslexia-counselling-addressing-the-emotional-repercussions-12385 Help make change for an child or an adult! Thank you. Sign the Petition so that all children /adults are identified and supported . Thank you.

The safety of all our children is paramount! Please don't wait until there has been an accident - I've seen several near misses myself!

The suicide rate of young children is astonishing. Young vulnerable children are being exploited by bullies posting videos of their attacks on social media for all to share and see. Not only have they endured the horrific attacks physically but now they have to live with it spread all across the internet. This is humiliating and traumatic for any human being. As the world of social media has grown, the act of bullying has branched, we need to do something about this.

In light of recent events surrounding the HE Bill (outlined below) we, the students of the University of Portsmouth, strongly urge you to listen and act upon our collective opinion. The student body is in full support of the amendments made by the House of Lords as we fundamentally disagree with the link between tuition fees and the Teaching Excellence Framework. As the MP for Portsmouth South, the largest student constituency in the city, we strongly urge you to listen to and act upon our request to oppose further increases in University tuition fees at every available opportunity. Since its introduction, the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) has been controversial at every discussion point. The TEF looks to grade HE institutions Bronze, Silver, or Gold. Currently, those institutions deemed excellent by the framework will be allowed to raise their tuition fees in line with inflation. Gold and Silver grades can raise fees at 100% of inflation, and Bronze at 50% of inflation. The consistent rise in tuition fees itself is a barrier to education, and the ranking system fallible to inaccuracies. The House of Lords has made the following proposed amendments to the Bill: To cut the link between the Teaching Excellence Framework and inflationary rises in tuition fees To also cut the link between international student recruitment and the institution's performance in a new Teaching Excellence Framework. We don’t believe it is right to put a premium on excellent education; it should be excellent for everyone. We believe the link between tuition fees, or any potential link between international student recruitment, and teaching excellence should remain removed. We thoroughly agree with the amendments suggested by the House of Lords to ensure that students are not priced out of their education, and all potential students have the ability to access high quality education, regardless of their background. For the benefit of the University of Portsmouth student body, and specifically your student constituents, we urge you to support and vote in favour of the amendments as recommended by the House of Lords at all available opportunities; specifically removing the link between quality and the TEF and tuition fees. We look forward to hearing that you have voted in favour of the amendments. Sincerely, Oludolapo Bolaji, Vice-President Education & Democracy James Belmonte, Union President

This helps special need children and children with challenging backgrounds and helps the teacher provide a better education for the other children to learn.

This is an abuse of process and we feel duped and tricked in to a situation that is unfair and unjust.

State education of school age children is supposed to be free at point of use. Even simply imposing a uniform has the effect of making parents pay a fee to claim the "free" service but some schools go further and abuse their position. By requiring uniforms be bought from the school or its appointed suppliers, schools create a monopoly. Parents are prevented from shopping around competing suppliers so are forced to pay excessively high prices. The system is wide open to corruption as schools are able to charge suppliers for the privilege of being the appointed supplier. Children of impoverished parents, who cannot afford the uniform, are penalised either by being denied an education or put into isolation. Parents are sometimes forced to choose between providing food for their families or buying a school uniform. Uniform rules are also often sexist in that they impose stricter requirements on members of one sex than they do on members of the other.

With the closure of Haywards Heath Sixth Form College local children are being forced to travel long distances to colleges in Brighton and Lewes. This is costing families travelling expenses of on average £100 a month per child,. At 16, though the children are forced to stay in education until 18, they have to pay adult fares. Hundreds of new houses are being built in Haywards Heath, and surrounding villages so that means even more children that have to travel miles to college . Haywards Heath is a rapidly expanding town, it needs a sixth form college