Oak View School in Loughton to close early on Fridays

Oak View School, in Loughton, has informed parents that due to years of government funding cuts, the school can no longer afford to open for a full five-day school week.

From January 2021 the school, which is a specialist provision for pupils with Special Educational Needs between the ages of 3-19, will be closing at 1pm every Friday.

Parent Tarana Choudhury, said: “Our school should not have been put in such a position to have to make decisions like this. Reduced hours at school will add huge stress and financial burden to our family.

“The only support we have is when our children go to school, now even that will be reduced. Funding cuts for special needs schools are unacceptable”

Oak View School is home to students with moderate, severe and complex special needs and pupils within the autistic spectrum.

The school is facing a significant budget deficit; the funding levels for Special Education Needs pupils has not increased since 2012.

Heidi Chow, also a parent, said: “As parents we are completely distraught by this decision. Our children already face significant challenges and they deserve a full time education like all other children. Losing school hours because of national funding cuts will mean that our children will be even more disadvantaged and will create additional strain on all our families”

Another parent, Anna Middleton, added: “My 13 year old son is happy and settled at Oak View School, he is simply not going to understand why he can no longer go to school on a Friday afternoon. We are hugely frustrated that government cuts in real terms have put the school in this position, these cuts are impacting the most vulnerable children in our society.”

Tina Kearney, headteacher at Oak View School said: “We will work with parents and pupils to lessen the impact of this move as much as we can, as the wellbeing of the young people at our school is our utmost concern. This is not a move we have made lightly, but it is a move made out of necessity to allow us to continue to provide a first-class education to our pupils.”

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