Plans to integrate Ewing children into the Grange unworkable

12.03.00pm GMT Tue 24th Mar 2009

John Leech MP, local Councillors and residents all campaigning against Ewing School's closure.

Council plans to integrate pupils from Ewing school into the Grange school are fundamentally flawed, according to Liberal Democrat MP, John Leech.

With Ewing threatened with closure, Mr Leech has hit out at the proposals which would see the two sets of pupils relocated and schooled together.

John Leech said:

"These plans are entirely inadequate and I know that the schools' headteachers are as opposed to them as I am. The pupils at Ewing and the Grange are at completely different points of the autistic spectrum and have vastly different needs. It's just not feasible to relocate them onto one site."

"Manchester City Council really must rethink these plans. Just last week I visited Ewing at the request of the pupils and heard their experiences of being bullied in mainstream schools. They were asking me why the council wanted to close their school but I couldn't give them a good reason. I just hope that we can get this decision overturned when it comes to the public consultation."

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