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To: West Sussex County Council

Save the Kamelia Kids special needs unit!

Stop the closure of the special needs classes at kamelia kids nursery.

Why is this important?

Kamelia kids Nursery is the only nursery in West Sussex that has classes especially for special needs children. My son started off at this nursery in one of their mainstream classes. He used to crawl into the cloakroom and lay on the floor to escape the busy environment he couldn't handle. My son is autistic. The nursery moved him to an autistic class within the nursery. He settled immediately. He had extra support and an environment that was specially designed to meet his needs and allow him to make unbelievable progress in his communication and development. These classes give children like my son their best possible chance and a sense of security. Wscc are suggesting that this is about inclusion rather than funding. The truth is we have schools for special needs children funded by the council. That is because they are NEEDED. So why exactly is it that nurseries offering that service aren't? Of course they are! People come from miles around so that their children can access the resources Kamelia kids currently has because they are already few and far between. The early years of a child's development are crutial to shaping their future. As lovely as it would be to believe that all children with additional needs could cope and even thrive in a mainstream environment, as some do, the reality is that there are many that don't. That is fact. For those children they are going to be abandoned to a system that fails them if this is allowed to go ahead. These units/classes are too important to lose. Our special needs children shouldn't be forced into environments they will not only struggle to cope in but where their development will suffer too. This is failing the most vulnerable children in our society. How can that possibly be justified?

West Sussex

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Updates

2017-01-26 14:09:58 +0000

So the date of integration has been moved back from April to September.
Wscc gave in to delaying the change until September because for those who go to school in September transitioning twice was unreasonable. Obviously!!! However, the fact wscc didn't think of that in the first place shows a lack of consideration in what's best for these children! Wscc had to be told that wasn't in those children's best interest! Wscc couldn't figure it out for themselves, and we as parents are forced to entrust our children's educational needs to these very same people... worryingly! Tell me again about how wscc's "extensive research" makes them the font of all knowledge?! šŸ¤¦šŸ»ā€ā™€ļø

As a side note... I find it interesting that Kamelia kids had to discuss this in a meeting with WSCC and wait for confirmation of permission to move the date back to September. Odd when WSCC are quoted directly in the worthing herald article as saying that these changes are Kamelia kids decision! Explain that one?!

2017-01-20 10:23:18 +0000

A link to an interesting article from a teacher with first hand experience of intergration and inclusion policies not working for ALL children.

https://www.facebook.com/donna.m.wilson.507/posts/10210384474961751

2017-01-20 00:40:55 +0000

https://www.facebook.com/groups/405463086464245/

Join the face book "save the Kamelia kids special needs unit" Facebook group and follow all the latest news.

2017-01-19 11:59:29 +0000

1,000 signatures reached

2017-01-15 14:03:58 +0000

500 signatures reached

2017-01-14 07:26:34 +0000

100 signatures reached

2017-01-13 23:12:15 +0000

50 signatures reached

2017-01-13 22:46:07 +0000

25 signatures reached

2017-01-13 22:28:19 +0000

10 signatures reached